ASBK 2023
Round Four – Hidden Valley, Darwin
It was another early start for competitors on the final day of competition in what is the fourth round of the 2023 mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship at Hidden Valley. An incredibly important round due to this being a triple-header and thus more points on offer than a regular two-race weekend.
Josh Waters triumped on Saturday to extend his championship lead but with Troy Herfoss taking second the gap between the pair is still less than the points awarded for a single race win.
Herfoss looked very aggressive on the Penrite Honda in both qualifying and the race on Saturday while Waters looked smooth and in control. Glenn Allerton and Mike Jones were right in the mix also but Cru Halliday will be hoping for a major change of fortune today to turn things around. Halliday got a shocker of a start on Saturday before then running off mid-race which cost him a number places and points.
Bryan Staring made some good progres on Saturday but the MotoGO Yamaha rider did not have anywhere the pace to run with the leading quartet, they will be hoping that their work overnight helps to bridge that gap and get him up into podium contention.
A car support category had been out on track before the Superbikes on Sunday morning and along with a little fluid a few cars had left and rejoined the circuit which left the surface a little dirty and treacherous in places.
Conditions in this race would be very different than yesterday or what riders will get on Sunday afternoon, the early hour for this bout delivering a track temperature of less than 30-degrees, a massive difference to the 50-degree surface we can expect in the afternoon race.
Josh Waters was again away well to take the lead in turn one ahead of Mike Jones, Troy Herfoss and Glenn Allerton. Max Stauffer got a great launch to be in fifth early on just ahead of Cru Halliday and Arthur Sissis.
Josh Waters ran off at turn one as they started lap two, saving a front end tuck before skidding across the grass and eventually rejoining the race ten-seconds behind the leaders. Mike Jones inherited the lead but had Troy Herfoss all over his tail and a hungry Glenn Allerton was nipping at their heels.
It took Cru Halliday a couple of laps to sneak past Max Stauffer and move up to fourth place.
Josh Waters was back up to speed and under the lap record while running in tenth place but was nearly nine-seconds behind the leaders at this juncture.
Troy Herfoss hit the lead on lap five but still nothing separated the Penrite Honda man from Mike Jones and Glenn Allerton. Cru Halliday was a couple of seconds behind in fourth while Arthur Sissis had moved up to fifth after getting the better of Max Stauffer.
As the race headed for the halfway mark Mike Jones started to look much more eager to get the better of Herfoss. The defending champion all of a sudden looking more animated and aggressive on the bike as he climbed all over the ducktail of the Penrite Honda. That pair had now started to edge away from Allerton.
Josh Waters was the fastest man on track but getting held up by Anthony West and Max Stauffer as that pair were engaged in their own battle. Next target Broc Pearson, but Waters did lose a fair bit of time in negotiating that traffic.
Mike Jones hit the lead on lap 11 and immediately took a couple of bike lengths out of Herfoss. Allerton was now four-seconds behind that pair and starting to get closed down by Cru Halliday.
Waters was now up to sixth after sneaking past Broc Pearson, next target Arthur Sissis. Waters up the inside of the South Australian at the final turn as they blasted up the chute to start lap 14.
Herfoss back into the lead at turn six, that’s normally Jones territory but the YRT man left the door wide open after running in way too deep and Herf punted that Fireblade right through the gap with ease. The Penrite Honda man maintained the lead over the course of the next lap and still led at the last lap board.
Despite having to negotiate some lapped traffic Herfoss held Jones off around the back of the circuit and took the chequered flag a couple of bike lengths ahead of Mike Jones.
Glenn Allerton on the podium once again after managing to hold of Cru Halliday despite arm pump and braking problems holding him back. That pair crossing the line five-seconds ahead of Josh Waters who salvaged good points after that early run-off the circuit cost him his chance of victory. A new race lap record in the bag though…
1. Troy Herfoss – Honda
2. Mike Jones – Yamaha +0.169s
3. Glenn Allerton – BMW +5.123s
Troy’s victory though has narrowed the points gap down to only 15-points at what is now the halfway point of season 2023.
Herfoss was fired up on the podium even more than usual. The McMartin Racing Team had protested the Penrite Honda team yesterday in regards to the swing-arm linkage being used on the Fireblade.
The protest was dismissed but the bad blood it has caused is muddying the waters in the championship contest. It seems to have only served to pump up the Penrite Honda camp and Herfoss even more in their quest to wrest the championship lead from Waters.
The retaliation was swift with McMartin Racing protested by Penrite Honda after the race for what they allege are illegal triple clamps on the Ducati Panigale V4 R. The protest will be investigated by stewards after the completion of race three.
Allerton will be hoping for a cure to his braking problems that might help him stave off arm pump in the afternoon contest while Cru Halliday will desperately want to leave here on a high note after what has thus far been a disappointing weekend for the rider that early in the season looked most likely to challenge Waters.
Broc Pearson doesn’t have podium pace but today went a lot better for the DesmoSport Ducati rider as he dipped into the 65s late in the race while chasing Josh Waters. Perhaps he learned a lesson or two following the championship leader.
What ever changes Staring and his crew had made to the MotoGO Yamaha clearly didn’t work. The Western Australian was way off the pace throughout the race, his fastest lap two-seconds slower than the leaders, but the majority of his race was three and then four seconds a lap off the pace. Clutch problems the primary culprit in that one and the team will be making a big effort to turn that around this afternoon.
Superbike Race Two Results
- Troy Herfoss – Honda
- Mike Jones – Yamaha +0.169s
- Glenn Allerton – BMW +5.123s
- Cru Halliday – Yamaha +6.528s
- Josh Waters – Ducati +11.194s
- Broc Pearson – Ducati +12.160s
- Anthony West – Yamaha +13.350s
- Arthur Sissis – Yamaha +18.157s
- Max Stauffer – Yamaha +28.126s
- Ted Collins – BMW +32.092s
- Matt Walters – Aprilia +38.905s
- Bryan Staring – Yamaha +52.278s
- Paris Hardwick – Kawasaki +62.330s
- Jack Davis – +63.994s
- Scott Allars +68.421s
- Eddie Leeson +1 lap
- Michael Kemp +1 lap
- Albert Baker +2 laps
Superbike Championship Points
- Josh Waters 202
- Troy Herfoss 187
- Glenn Allerton 151
- Cru Halliday 145
- Mike Jones 141
- Ted Collins 117
- Bryan Staring 113
- Broc Pearson 106
- Arthur Sissis 99
- Max Stauffer 93
2023 ASBK Calendar
| 2023 ASBK Calendar | |||
| Round | Circuit | Location | Date |
| R4 | Hidden Valley Raceway (Superbike Only) | NT | Jun 16-18 |
| R5 | Morgan Park Raceway | QLD | Jul 14-16 |
| R6 | Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit | VIC | Oct 27-29 |
| R7 | The Bend Motorsport Park | SA | Dec 1 – 3 |
