Troy Herfoss sets new benchmark at The Bend

Penrite Honda man drops in a 1m53.203 in FP3

Cru Halliday totally dominant in Supersport

Olly Simpson very strong in Supersport 300

2018 ASBK – Round Three – The Bend

Things have certainly been hotting up out at The Bend Motorsport Complex this morning with the mercury already in the mid 20s by 1000 and heading for a peak somewhere in the mid 30s later this afternoon.

ASBK competitors all had 2 x 30 minute practice sessions yesterday, followed by their third Free Practice session today ahead of first qualifying later this afternoon. The second and final qualifying sessions for all ASBK classes will be staged on Saturday morning.

When the ASBK 600 Supersport machines hit the track at 1130 this morning the question on most people’s lips would be as to whether anyone could get near Cru Halliday? The YRT rider had been 1.4-seconds clear of Tom Toparis yesterday and two-seconds clear of third placed Broc Pearson.

Halliday answered that question for everyone on his first flying lap of the 4.95km The Bend International Circuit this morning. A 1m56.069 a full 7-tenths quicker than the benchmark he set yesterday, that new time would have him ninth on the Superike charts…

Halliday did not best that time during his remaining ten laps in the session, but he did record a number of laps still faster than the competition. Tom Toparis ended the session second quickest, 2.4-seconds behind Halliday, while Broc Pearson ranked third on 1m58.671.

It was not until gone midday when Superbike competitors hit the circuit today for their FP3 session. But some shadows started appearing on the western horizon ahead of FP3, and some rain was about on the radar…

Troy Herfoss did not hang about when the session got underway banging in a 1m54.29 to be the early leader as the large field of Superbike competitors set about trying to find the pace set by Bayliss yesterday, a 1m53.394 to the DesmoSport Ducati legend placed an early shot across the bows of his competitors. TB has now had the time to gel with the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition and while you can’t see the fire in his belly, you know it’s there… Actually he doesn’t have a belly, he looks trimmer than he did only a few weeks ago. Bayliss now has the silhouette of the much younger man that took those three-time World Superbike Championships all those years ago.

Josh Waters and Troy Herfoss then both dipped into the 1m53s for their first time ever. A 1m53.598 to Waters and 53.653 to Herfoss.

Wayne Maxwell then joined the 1m53s club with a 53.418 and backed that up immediately with a 1m53.751.

Troy Bayliss then dropped in a 1m53.949 and backed that up with a 1m53.822.

Daniel Falzon got serious with ten-minutes remaining in the session with a 1m53.618 and then set a blistering first sector in his next lap before losing a little time at the second split before then aborting that lap. Next time around though he was back on the pace with a 1m53.846. The South Australian eventuall ended the session fifth on 1m53.618.

Troy Herfoss then pulled his finger out and dropped in a 1m53.203 to be the new fastest ever man around The Bend. The Penrite Honda man then immediately backed that up with a 1m53.323. He was on course to better that first time in the first three sectors of a following lap, but lost a little ground in the final split.

At session end it was still Herfoss on top and as of now he is the fastest man ever around The Bend on two wheels. The question now is, how much faster will then go when Q1 gets underway around 1600 this afternoon…? If conditions allow, I think we might see the first 1min-32-second lap of The Bend’s 4.95km International Circuit…

An honourable mention must go to Alex Phillis for cracking eighth place in this company, on a bike that he has not had all that time to set up.

Mitch Levy and Arthur Sissis are also having a good start to their race weekends.

Sloan Frost might be wishing he never left New Zealand. Machine problems yesterday and dramas again today sees the #33 Suzuki currently languishing in 37th place on combined times.

ASBK Superbike FP3 Results

1. Troy Herfoss – Honda 1m53.203
2. Wayne Maxwell – Yamaha 1m53.418
3. Josh Waters – Suzuki 1m53.598
4. Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 1m53.618
5. Troy Bayliss – Ducati 1m53.822
6. Glenn Allerton – BMW 1m54.297
7. Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 1m54.576
8. Alex Phillis – Suzuki 1m55.519
9. Jamie Stauffer – Ducati 1m56.082
10. Mark Chiodo – Suzuki 1m56.091
11. Mitch Levy – Yamaha 1m56.269
12. Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 1m56.358
13. Ted Collins – BMW 1m56.631
14. Matt Walters – Kawasaki 1m56.717
15. Kyle Buckley – Kawasaki 1m56.761
16. Mitch Rees – Honda 1m56.878
17. Willy Strugnell – Kawasaki 1m57.378
18. Adam Christie – Suzuki 1m57.662
19. Sam Lambert – Kawasaki 1m58.139
20. Aaiden Coote – Kawasaki 1m58.474
21. Lucas Vitale – Kawasaki 1m58.494
22. Mason Coote – Kawasaki 1m58.707
23. Brad Swallow – Kawasaki 1m58.733
24. Phil Czaj – Aprilia 1m59.157
25. Adam Senior – Yamaha 1m59.376
26. Ben Stronach – Yamaha 1m59.864
27. Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 1m59.926
28. Trent Gibson – Suzuki 2m00.734
29. Scott McGregor – Yamaha 2m00.938
30. Nathan Spiteri – Suzuki 2m02.396
31. Evan Byles – Kawasaki 2m02.480
32. Con Kokkoris – Ducati 2m04.189
33. Heath Griffin – Ducati 2m04.219
34. Ashley Manuel – Kawasaki 2m04.283
35. David Barker – Kawasaki 2m04.542

ASBK Superbike FP1/FP2/FP3 Combined Times

1. Troy Herfoss – Honda 1m53.203
2. Troy Bayliss – Ducati 1m53.394
3. Wayne Maxwell – Yamaha 1m53.418
4. Josh Waters – Suzuki 1m53.598
5. Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 1m53.618
6. Glenn Allerton – BMW 1m54.297
7. Bryan Staring – Kawasaki 1m54.576
8. Alex Phillis – Suzuki 1m55.519
9. Jamie Stauffer – Ducati 1m56.082
10. Mark Chiodo – Suzuki 1m56.091
11. Ted Collins – BMW 1m56.234
12. Mitch Levy – Yamaha 1m56.269
13. Arthur Sissis – Suzuki 1m56.358
14. Mitch Rees – Honda 1m56.692
15. Matt Walters – Kawasaki 1m56.717
16. Kyle Buckley – Kawasaki 1m56.761
17. Willy Strugnell – Kawasaki 1m57.378
18. Adam Christie – Suzuki 1m57.662
19. Sam Lambert – Kawasaki 1m58.139
20. Aaiden Coote – Kawasaki 1m58.474
21. Lucas Vitale – Kawasaki 1m58.494
22. Mason Coote – Kawasaki 1m58.707
23. Brad Swallow – Kawasaki 1m58.733
24. Phil Czaj – Aprilia 1m59.157
25. Adam Senior – Yamaha 1m59.376
26. Simon Galloway – Yamaha 1m59.852
27. Ben Stronach – Yamaha 1m59.864
28. Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 1m59.926
29. Trent Gibson – Suzuki 2m00.734
30. Scott McGregor – Yamaha 2m00.938
31. Nathan Spiteri – Suzuki 2m02.396
32. Evan Byles – Kawasaki 2m02.480
33. David Barker – Kawasaki 2m02.882
34. Ashley Manuel – Kawasaki 2m03.159
35. Con Kokkoris – Ducati 2m03.337
36. Heath Griffin – Ducati 2m03.425
37. Sloan Frost – Suzuki 2m06.226
38. Justin Vella – Kawasaki 2m09.738

Supersport 600 FP3 Results

1. Cru Halliday – Yamaha 1m56.069
2. Tom Toparis – Kawasaki 1m58.469
3. Broc Pearson – Yamaha 1m58.671
4. Damon Rees – Honda 1m58.963
5. John Hunt – Suzuki 1m59.168
6. Max Croker – Suzuki 1m59.179
7. Giuseppe Scarcella – Kawasaki 1m59.532
8. Luke Mitchell – Yamaha 2m00.627
9. Ty Lynch – Yamaha 2m00.630
10. Zac Johnson – Yamaha 2m00.836
11. Dallas Skeer – Suzuki 2m01.168
12. Scott Nicholson – Suzuki 2m01.259
13. Matt Barton – Yamaha 2m01.338
14. Rhys Belling – Yamaha 2m01.390
15. Ryan Taylor – Yamaha 2m02.883

Supersport 300 FP3 Results

1. Olly Simpson – Yamaha 2m11.238
2. Tom Bramich – Yamaha 2m12.094
3. Hunter Ford – Yamaha 2m12.193
4. Tayla Relph – Yamaha 2m12.249
5. Harry Khouri – Yamaha 2m12.253
6. Ben Bramich – KTM 2m12.468
7. Locky Taylor – Yamaha 2m12.589
8. Oli Bayliss – Kawasaki 2m12.912
9. Seth Crump – KTM 2m13.031
10. Zac Levy – Yamaha 2m13.465
11. Ben Baker – Kawasaki 2m14.087
12. Zane Ford – Yamaha 2m14.373
13. Mitch Kuhne – Yamaha 2m14.821
14. Bronson Pickett – Yamaha 2m15.209
15. Mitchell Simpson – Yamaha 2m15.381