Maxwell does the double – Miller on podium at ASBK finale

2021 ASBK Finale Race Two

Wayne Maxwell had already wrapped up the championship in the opening bout this morning, but there was still a little unfinished business to round out the season.

While the opening bout was a tale of two parts, that had already seen massive tyre degradation issues, Race Two was going to be even more of a torture test for rubber.  Jack Miller was clearly suffering with tyre wear before he was taken out in the opening bout.

On the opposite end of the tyre war ledger Yamaha’s Cru Halliday put in the fastest lap of the race, and his fastest lap of the weekend, on the final lap, indicating that once again here at The Bend it is Dunlop that has the most impressive longevity. Clearly they don’t have the stunning one lap pace of the Pirelli and Michelin shod Ducati men displayed in qualifying, but over the race distance, short as the 11-lap bouts are, it still appeared that they might come back to the Dunlop riders in the latter stages of the race.

This afternoon the track temperature was over 50-degrees which could pose some riders even more problems.

Josh Hook had a mechanical failure in the opening bout and a spare bike was readied by Penrite Honda for their guest rider. Team-mate Troy Herfoss is clearly still not strong enough to show his full potential and would have headed into this final race equal on points with Glenn Allerton in the tussle over the #2 for 2021 but chose to sit this one out.

Jack Miller had his second bike, identical to his primary machine, being fettled in preparation for the second bout with some help from the DesmoSport Ducati boys. Jack was eager for redemption in this second bout.  As was young Oli Bayliss who had a mechanical failure force his retirement from the opening race.

Then of course we have two incredibly strong local South Australian privateers in the shape of Daniel Falzon and Arthur Sissis. Both suffered some misfortune in the opening bout, Falzon falling but then getting up to fifth at the re-start, while Sissis had his clutch let go on the re-start after battling for second place with Miller throughout the first seven-lap bout.

Anthony West is still having all sorts of issues with his machine, mis-firing and over-heating issues just some of the problems they have been dealing with all weekend. It is a credit to him that he is even trying to race today.

They’re away!

A bad start for Jack Miller once again but not as bad as that for Josh Hook and Arthur Sissis as they both went down at turn one. Then there was a melee at turn three that involved Daniel Falzon, Chandler Cooper and others but it was Falzon that looked to have perhaps suffered an injury.  We later found out that Daniel had a broken femur, pelvis, and lower back injuries while Cooper could not remember the incident after taking a bang to his head.

Those left standing returned to the grid for a re-start after the red flag came out once again. It took some time for the stricken motorcycles, one of which was on fire, to be recovered so the riders were back on the grid for quite some time.

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And away again!

Arthur Sissis joined the grid at the rear after he had a delay getting out as his crew fixed his bike, but up front Maxwell again scored the hole-shot from pole position. Oli Bayliss then slotted up the inside of him at turn one to take the read lead, Allerton in third. Jack Miller again a shocking start but quickly up to fourth place in front of Cru Halliday and Lachlan Epis.

Bayliss runs wide at turn 13 which allowed Maxwell back through to the race lead and another small mistake saw Allerton push Bayliss further back to third. Jack Miller then went past Oli under brakes to take that third position, the MotoGP star not too good off the line without his Desmosedici’s launch control, but having no trouble at all under brakes on the Panigale V4 R.

Allerton was taking the battle up to Maxwell in this one over the opening couple of laps while Jack Miller was starting to reel them in after putting in a 1m51.267 on his first flying lap to narrow the gap to Maxwell down to seven-tenths.

The ASBK Champion then dropped in a 1m50.972 new lap record, quicker than anyone imagined was possible on a race tyre around here, to extend his lead over to Allerton out to seven-tenths. Jack Miller another half-a-second behind Allerton, Oli Bayliss was fourth while dark horse Cru Halliday was four-seconds behind the race leader and in fifth, but confident that his Dunlops would out-last the Pirelli and Michelin runners in front of him.

Halliday took fourth from Bayliss on lap four but was now almost six-seconds behind Maxwell. The race win now looking not possible but it looked as though he might be able to reel the three-seconds back in that Jack Miller had on him. Halliday a full-second quicker than Miller on lap five as the grip went away from the MotoGP man.

Up front Maxwell and Allerton both still in the 1m51s but with four laps to run Maxwell now had a two-second lead. Anthony West was running seventh before his machine called it quits.

Two laps to go and Maxwell now three-seconds clear of Allerton while Cru Halliday had really started to reel in Miller, that gap down to a second.

Last lap board and Halliday now had the gap to Miller down to eight-tenths. First and second looked decided with Maxwell a clear victor over Allerton, who would secure second place in the championship with that result. Over the latter half of the last lap Halliday had Miller in his sights and was inching closer and closer every corner but Jack Miller held on for a podium result much to the delight of the crowd.

Wayne Maxwell the clear and dominant race winner to underline his form on the Boost Mobile Ducati. Maxwell looks smooth as silk on that V4 R and with what has got to be the best motorcycle he has ever ridden beneath him, I am sure he might be reconsidering that decision to retire.

Glenn Allerton ending the season a high note with that second place earning him second in the championship. Allerton will return with crew chief Shane Kinderis for another tilt at the championship on the BMW M 1000 RR next season.

Jack Miller was still enjoying the moment, waving to the crowd and pulling wheelies on the slow-down lap after giving his gloves to a track marshall, followed by a burnout in pit-lane. His presence here this weekend made every single one of us involved in ASBK richer for the experience. His generosity of spirit is incredibly impressive.

That fourth place enough for Cru Halliday to secure third in the championship standings after what has been a trying season that saw him claim only two third places across the season. It is a credit to him that he stil brought home points in each bout to amass a tally good enough to take that third place in the series. We believe he will continue with YRT in 2022.

Oli Bayliss would have been hopeful of some better results to finish his season out before he heads to Europe to contest the new-look 2022 World Supersport Championship but it looked as though after a clean run through Friday and Saturday he was beset with bike problems on race day.

There is expected to be quite a bit of fresh blood coming into the series next year with Supersport Champ Broc Pearson expected to make the step up in to Superbike on a Yamaha. Max Stauffer and Tom Toparis are also expected to join the Superbike ranks. The 2022 championship is expected to kick off at Phillip Island over the last weekend in February after a pre-season test at the same venue in late January.

Australian Superbike Race Two Results

ASBK Superbike Championship Points