Josh Waters sets new lap record to take pole at Phillip Island

ASBK Saturday Morning

2022 Round Six – Phillip Island

There was a little more palpable tension in the air on what was a quite pleasant, albeit overcast morning here at Phillip Island as final preparations were made ahead of the single 30-minute qualifying session for Australian Superbike competitors.

The forecast was for 10-20 mm of rain today after what was a glorious day yesterday. We had hoped that it might not arrive until late in proceedings today, but as engines were warmed up in pit-lane there was a sizeable front approaching from the north-west that suggested it might arrive sooner than hoped.

However, it still looked far enough away to get some dry sessions in this morning, the first of which would be the 30-minute Superbike qualifying session that would decide the grid positions for the opening 12-lap Superbike bout scheduled to get underway at 1140 today. The remaining two Australian Superbike races will take place on Sunday, race two at 0950 Sunday morning, followed by the third and final bout of this round sixth round of the 2022 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship at 1340 on Sunday afternoon.

Josh Waters had topped proceedings on Friday in what was a Boost Mobile Ducati 1-2. Both Waters and Maxwell were quick from the off in the first session but other riders did close in on them a little in the second practice session to bridge the gap somewhat. The point for pole position here this morning could also prove to be very important, with Maxwell aiming to reduce Mike Jones’ 29-points buffer over him at the top of the championship table. Jones had put in a couple of competitive laps yesterday, but was nowhere near the consistent pace of the Ducati duo and also had two Yamaha riders in front of him, YRT team-mate Cru Halliday and a resurgent Anthony West.

The track was deemed a bit green yesterday, with grip less than optimal. Wayne Maxwell dropped in a 1m32.171 to set the early benchmark in this morning’s 30-minute session and it seemed the track was in better condition in the slightly cooler conditions this morning than riders had experienced yesterday.

Young Senna Agius indicated his potential on the Penrite Honda by dipping into the 32s early on in the session, a 1m32.752 a great start for the teenager who is making his Superbike debut here this weekend.

Josh Waters didn’t hit the track until six-minutes into the session and immediately smashed out an incredible 1m31.286, half-a-second under the lap record he set here a few weeks ago at the MotoGP event, and almost a second quicker than Maxwell.  That Boost Mobile Ducati certainly suiting Josh down to the ground, that 1m31.286 a new domestic qualifying lap record, job done Waters headed back to the pits, his declaration of dominance done. Catch me if you can….

Troy Herfoss started to muster some speed on the Penrite Honda, a 1m32.295 on his fourth lap before returning to the pits slotting him into P3 with 17-minutes remaining in the session.

Maxwell then improved to 1m31.775, half-a-second clear of Herfoss but still half-a-second off his new Boost Mobile Ducati team-mate, who had just rejoined the track.

Mike Jones then started to wind up…. quicker than the new lap record through the first sector…. But then lost almost four-tenths though sector two and ended the lap 1.1-seconds behind Waters benchmark.

RelatedPosts

Recapping the Nolan Superbike Masters finale from The Bend

November 15, 2024

Aussie wildcard stars in bLU cRU Asia-Pacific finale

November 14, 2024

Josh Waters then lit up a red first sector split… But slipped a fraction in the remaining sectors and recorded a 1m31.684. On the next lap he was again under the lap record through sector one but ultimately finished that run on a 1m31.845.

Bryan Staring then joined the 1m31s club, promoting himself into P3 with a 1m31.999.

His YRT team-mate Cru Halliday didn’t get up to speed until less than ten-minutes were left in the session, presumably some sort of technical problem held him back in the first two-thirds of the session. His first real lap was a 1m32.582 to spring from P26 to P7 just behind team-mate Mike Jones.

Anthony West was the fastest Yamaha at this juncture, his 1m32.009 half-a-second quicker than Jones and Halliday.  That was until Daniel Falzon then dropped in an awesome 1m31.596 to take bragging rights for the tuning fork brand, and pushing Maxwell back to P3. Falzon had spent yesterday working on traction control strategies with the team and they obviously made a decent breakthrough overnight with the mapping of their MoTeC system.

Just after Falzon dropped in that ripper lap Wayne Maxwell mounted his #1 plated Boost Mobile Ducati for his final run…  The track got busy with much of the field taking to the circuit on new rubber to try and set a marker…  Allerton moving up to P8, then Halliday up to sixth just behind West but ahead of championship leader Jones. Not for long though, as Jones then got wound up and dropped in a 1m32.008 to go P5, pushing West back to P6 and Halliday to P7. Troy Herfoss was ninth, Arthur Sissies tenth and Senna Agius 11th with a couple of minutes remaining in the session.

There was plenty of traffic on track as the session came to a close with more than a few riders getting their final flyer spoiled. Troy Herfoss though timed his final run well to improve to P7, pushing Halliday down to P8, Cru was on a final lap that would have seen him move up the order but was baulked in the final sector and could not improve. Wayne Maxwell then appeared to run out of fuel just as he started his final lap and pulled off at turn one.

The stars of the session Josh Waters with that new qualifying lap record, and Daniel Falzon second overall and top Yamaha a huge boost of confidence for his family run team after they did experience some frustrations yesterday.

Wayne Maxwell missed out on that championship point for pole and will start from P3 while Bryan Staring heads row two alongside Mike Jones and Anthony West.

Troy Herfoss heads the third row ahead of Halliday and Allerton while Arthur Sissis rounds out the top ten ahead of Senna Agius. Only a second covers the top ten.

ASBK Superbike Qualifying Results

mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance
Alpinestars Superbike Championship Points Standings

Live Broadcast Information

On Sunday, both SBS and Stan Sport will air a highlights package from 1300-1500 that will show the opening two Australian Superbike and Supersport races in replay, before then airing the final Superbike encounter of the weekend live.  We believe that the Supersport 300 category will not get TV air-time.

Phillip Island WSBK/ASBK Round Schedule