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.