Halliday wins opening bout at P.I. as Title chase tightens at the top

ASBK 2023
Round Six – Phillip Island
Superbike Race One

Mike Jones and Josh Waters had demonstrated the most consistently fast pace over the course of practice and qualifying, but Cru Halliday had been somewhat flying under the radar, just dropping in a quick lap when he needed to, but most of the time working on tyre selection strategy with a view to the long game. That is not to say the others hadn’t been spending plenty of time doing the same, but something was telling me that Cru was keeping most of his powder dry for today…

Mike Jones had certainly come out swinging this morning during the brief ten-minute warm-up session, a 1m31.745 backed up by a 1m32.167 before finishing with a 1m32.252 and 1m32.227. The defending champion is not completely out of title contention, but he needs to dominate today and at The Bend in order to have a chance of retaining that #1 plate.

Troy Herfoss was second quickest in morning warm-up, half-a-second slower than Mike’s best. The Penrite Honda man was then closely followed by Cru Halliday and Josh Waters.

Pole-man Broc Pearson was sixth quickest in morning warm-up, just behind Glenn Allerton, but ahead of Bryan Staring, Anthony West, Arthur Sissis and Max Stauffer.

Max Stauffer has been quick in every session across Friday and Saturday, and the youngster is eager to try and get away with the front group today.

Sissis had been struggling with a few technical issues throughout Friday and Saturday and was hoping those issued had been cured well enough to allow him to throw his hat in the ring with the leading group today.

Tom Toparis had thrown a leg over a Cube Performance prepared Stop & Seal Yamaha for the first time on Friday, and across the practice sessions had done double duty across the Supersport and Superbike categories. While he didn’t front the grid in this opening the race, we believe that Toparis is planning to race the second Superbike bout later this afternoon. (Edit – unfortunately that didn’t happen as Toparis was injured in the second Supersport race)

Unfortunately some throttle issues has seen Matt Walters withdraw from proceedings, deeming it not only safer for himself but also everyone else. Hopefully we can see him sorted and hot to trot at The Bend finale.

Some riders might be willing to gamble on an X tyre making the 12-lap distance, but anyone taking that choice was certainly going to be rolling the dice, but some motorcycles work better with that tyre than others. The official advice from Pirelli is run an ‘A’ tyre which they say will go hard all day, especially if run at a relatively high pressure. But no doubt there will be a mix of X, 0 and A tyres on a grid which is pretty much all Pirelli, particularly at the pointy end.

Troy Herfoss came into this round with a 14-point advantage over Waters. Jones is a further 46-points behind in third, and Allerton a slim six-points behind the YRT man.  Honda currently leading Ducati, Yamaha and BMW.

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Josh Waters got a blinding start to lead the way from Max Stauffer as Cru Halliday and Glenn Allerton gave chase. Mike Jones fifth early on ahead of pole-sitter Broc Pearson while championship leader Troy Herfoss was down in seventh. Max Stauffer actually got into turn four ahead of Waters but got in a fracton deep which allowed Waters to sweep back under and into the lead.

Mike Jones up the inside of Glenn Allerton into MG to move up to fourth place and follows his team-mate Cru Halliday onto the chute as that pair chase Stauffer and Waters. Stauffer kept both of them at bay though through turn one and Southern Loop but Jones eventually made his way past at Hayshed to take that second place, the defending champ the fastest man on lap two, a 1m32.210.

Troy Herfoss had got the better of Broc Pearson for sixth place but the Penrite Honda man then ran in way too deep at turn one before rejoining in 11th place behind Arthur Sissis.  A false neutral is what had send Herfoss wide.

Up front Mike Jones had ran down Josh Waters and was nipping at his heels. A second further back Cru Halliday had got the better of Max Stauffer to move up to third place. Allerton was fifth at this juncture. Eight laps to run.

Josh Waters was certainly winding the throttle on of that McMartin Racing Ducati, the rear Pirelli wagging away in protest. His wrist injuries from Suzuka also likely to be affecting his fine throttle control as the Mildura man is far from over that injury.

Mike Jones through to the lead as the race broached the halfway mark. Cru Halliday was also closing in on that duo, a 1m32.618 followed by a 1m32.641 to throw his hat in the ring for a win.

Halliday got the better of Waters after the McMartin Ducati man ran in a little too deep at turn four, pushing Waters back to third place.  Something that the currently ninth placed Troy Herfoss would be thanking the YRT men for…

With five laps to run Halliday was well positioned on the tail-pipe of his team-mate, the YRT pair now a second clear of Waters. Max Stauffer was a further couple of seconds back in fourth with a two-second buffer over Bryan Staring.

Cru Halliday through to the lead as they started the next lap, up the inside to turn one and held that advantage through Southern Loop and right throughout the rest of that lap.

Jones got a great run off turn 12 next time around though to slipstream past his team-mate and move back into the race lead. Their tussle was allowing Waters to reel them in a little. Then Mike Jones down! That’s his championship defence ended in the grass at turn four.

With Jones out of the running that left Halliday in the lead, Waters right behind him in second, and young Max Stauffer set to score his first Superbike podium!  Bryan Staring and Glenn Allerton were tussling hard fourth place at this point of proceedings.

Waters was three-tenths behind Halliday as they got the last lap board, that was down to just over a tenth by turn four.  Waters chases Halliday through Hayshed, the YRT man though had his measure, smooth across Lukey, MG and with good speed through 11, his Pirelli rear protesting as he tipped into 12 but he does it. Waters went oh so close to running him down at the line, but it was Halliday with his nose in front to take maximum points.

Cru Halliday our victor here this morning by a whisker after a brilliant ride. A mix of celebration and commiseration in the YRT camp, Halliday’s victory on one hand, and the disappointment of a certain podium lost by Jones in the grass at turn four.  That is Halliday’s maiden win in the Superbike category at Phillip Island and the third victory of his career.

As much as he might not say it, there is no doubt that Josh Waters suffers quite badly from those wrist injuries and they no doubt affected his performance.

Four weeks ago his right hand didn’t really work at all, and he has worked hard to gain what I would describe as perhaps 50 per cent dexterity at best. And when you have more than 200 horsepower and a pair of serious front stoppers to control with that hand, that is far from ideal…

A brilliant maiden podium for Max Stauffer in what is his 28th race start in the category.

Max is a  young bloke that many of us involved in ASBK have known since he was a baby bring pushed around ASBK race paddocks in a stroller, the son of his ASBK legend dad Jamie.

Everyone is very happy for Max and his dad after all the work the pair have put in across recent seasons as he stepped up through the categories to now be a Superbike podium finisher.

Glenn Allerton got the better of Bryan Staring and Broc Pearson for fourth place, and with those points moves up to third place in the championship.

Troy Herfoss came home in a lonely seventh place, 14-seconds behind the leaders.  However, the Penrite Honda man remains in the championship lead, albeit with his buffer reduced to eight-points over Waters.

Superbike Race One Results

Superbike Championship Points

ASBK 2023 Calendar