Mike Jones caps off season with victory in thrilling final bout at The Bend

ASBK 2022

The Bend finale – Superbike Race Two

Mike Jones lined up on the grid with a lot less weight on his shoulders after wrapping up the 2022 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship in race one after finishing sixth in that contest.

Winning that opening battle today was Troy Herfoss from Wayne Maxwell and Glenn Allerton while Jack Miller retired early on with technical problems.  And at the end of this race, Wayne Maxwell will retire from ASBK competition…

Much better start this time around for Jack Miller and this time he took the lead into race one from Sissis and then Senna Agius swept under Sissis too in order to move up to second place. Josh Waters and Marcel Schroetter both went down at turn one.

Miller was hot to trot out front while young Senna Agius gave chase with Arthur Sissis third, Mike Jones fourth, Troy Herfoss fifth and Wayne Maxwell sixth.

Mike Jones up the inside of Sissis at turn one as they started lap two and Herfoss was also piling the pressure on Sissis. Wayne Maxwell then went up the inside of Herfoss a few turns later to take fifth place. Glenn Allerton was also in that party along with Cru Halliday.

Up the front it was Miller, Agius and a dangerous looking Mike Jones, the newly crowned champ looking for a way through on Agius. After not being able to find a way through he started to come under attack from a charging Troy Herfoss who was bringing Wayne Maxwell along for the ride!

Maxwell up the inside of Herfoss on lap three and their tussle allowing the leading trio to get a tiny bit of breathing room.  At the front Agius showed Miller a wheel to signal his intentions.

Mike Jones under Agius though into turn one the next time around to move up into second place and the fastest man on track. Maxwell then got Agius at turn six to relegate the youngster to fourth.

With eight laps to run Mike Jones was now all over the back of Miller, while Wayne Maxwell was all over the back of Jones. What a race!  Especially as Agius, Allerton, Herfoss, Sissis and Halliday were also still in the game.

Maxwell nearly got Jones for second place as Jones looked for a way past Miller, but didn’t want to risk taking out the MotoGP star and being mobbed by the crowd on the same day he won the championship!

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Jones finally made his move into turn one with six laps to run, it was a big move and made Miller stand it up which allowed Maxwell to sneak through on the next change of direction. Maxwell comes in from way back to get past Jones for the lead as Glenn Allerton pushed Miller back to fourth. It was on like Donkey Kong!

Herfoss then pushed Miller back to fifth and Agius then added further insult to push Miller back to sixth!

Four laps to run and it was Maxwell, Jones, Allerton, Herfoss, Agius, Miller, Sissis and Halliday with only two-seconds covering those eight riders.  Herfoss stole third place from Allerton with 3.5-laps to go.

Mike Jones moved through to the race lead with three to run, Herfoss right there in third, Allerton fourth, Agius fifth and that five now had some ground over sixth placed Miller.

Herfoss then stuck it under Maxwell for second place which put the Boost Mobile Ducati rider into the clutches of a determined Glenn Allerton.

Mike Jones then dropped in a 1m50.995 to stretch away from his pursuers, the closest of which was Troy Herfoss who was looking hungry to finish the season with a double victory.  Jack Miller and Arthur Sissis were sixth and seventh and set their fastest lap of the race so far at this late juncture.

Jones though was out front and now stamping his dominance. He backed that 1m50.995 up with a 1m51.192 and got the last lap board with eight-tenths over Herfoss.  But Herfoss then went down, and Allerton went down behind him as I think he was baulked by Herf’s demise!

Wayne Maxwell and Senna Agius were tussling over second place and the youngster had his nose in front on the final lap!

Mike Jones does it, capping off a brilliant season with a tremendous victory, his sixth win of the season.

Young Senna Agius an absolutely stupendous second place ahead of Wayne Maxwell. Agius also set the second fastest lap of the race at 1m51.133.

Jack Miller crossed the line in fourth place but has already been crowned people’s champion. His presence and generosity of spirit to put his Thriller Motorsports Team together and race with us here again in ASBK is truly epic and everyone in the paddock can’t thank him enough.

Arthur Sissis fourth, Halliday fifth while Westy was 12-seconds further behind in seventh ahead of Daniel Falzon and Broc Pearson while Joel Kelso rounded out the top ten ahead of Jed Metcher, Bryan Staring and Billy McConnell while Glenn Allerton had managed to remount from his crash behind Herfoss to claim a couple of points for 14th place.

Superbike Race Two Results

2022 Australian Superbike Championship Points (Final)

Alpinestars Superbike Round Points

Superbike Manufacturer Points