Josh Waters sets new lap record to win SBK Race Two at P.I.

MotoGP 2022 – Round 18 – Phillip Island
Saturday Support Class Race Two Reports/Results

Cru Halliday lined up on pole alongside Josh Waters and Mike Jones.  Waters standing in for Wayne Maxwell on the Boost Mobile Ducati pipped Halliday to the chequered flag on Friday thus Halliday was out for redemption in this second of the three Superbike category support races.

Bryan Staring again got a ripper start from the second row to again lead them through turn one. Waters right behind him to make for a Ducati 1-2, Mike Jones third and Cru Halliday fourth as they negotiated Southern Loop for the first of what will be ten times in this race.

Staring maintained that lead throughout the opening lap all the way around to the main straight but a wiggle from the DesmoSport Ducati out of turn 12 gave Waters the better run and he swept through to the lead on the entry into turn one.

Troy Herfoss looking much better today, not only due to the 30th anniversary livery on the Penrite Honda and his Doohanesque leathers and helmet, but looking to have much better pace and be back in the game.

A 1m31.881 to Waters next time around saw his lead stretch out to half-a-second over Bryan Staring, who in turn had a couple of bike lengths over Mike Jones and Cru Halliday, while Troy Herfoss stalked the YRT pairing from behind. Jed Metcher was not out of that game either…

Waters backs that 1m31.881 with a 1m31.705 to extend his buffer over Staring out to a full second, and claim a new lap record in the process.

Halliday up to third place and sliding luridly through turn three in his quest to stay ahead of his team-mate. 2.5-seconds covered that top five while sixth placed Metcher had started to lose touch with that leading group.

Josh Waters though was pulling away from the group at the other end… Another 1m31, a 1m31.939 to extend his buffer over Staring to two-seconds. With six laps to run Waters already looked to have it won and was leaving the rest to battle over the final steps on the rostrum.

Bryan Staring was looking to be strugging for rear grip already and was starting to come under pressure from the YRT men on his tail. Half-a-second covered that trio who were now starting to pull away from Herfoss who must have ran wide at some point and lost a lot of ground and thus lost touch with the group.

Cru Halliday up to second place at half-race distance, but Josh Waters was already a further three-seconds up the road… Nothing separated Halliday, Staring and Jones though.

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Bryan Staring back up to second place after getting the better of Halliday and it looked as though that battle for second place would go all the way to the flag.

Despite backing off in the closing laps Josh Waters still held an almost five-second lead over his pursuers at the last lap board.

At the beginning of that last lap Halliday was in second place and had a couple of bike lengths over Staring. Mike Jones tried around the outside of Staring at Hayshed for third but has to pull out of it, Jones chases the Ducati around turns 10, 11 and around 12 onto the main straight, but he can’t do it, Staring holds on to third place to the line.

Josh Waters the clear victor. He rolled it right off on the final lap but still claimed the win by more than four-seconds over Halliday and Staring.  Mike Jones was right behind them in fourth, but it was eight more long seconds before Troy Herfoss took the chequered flag, only a couple of bike lengths ahead of Jed Metcher in sixth.

Superbike Race Two Results

OJC Cup Race Two Results

Phillip Island MotoGP Schedule