ASBK 2024
Round Two – Sydney Motorsport Park
Team Reports
Yamaha Racing Team
Motorsport fans piled into Sydney Motorsport Park on Saturday night to watch an eventful evening of action that had a little bit of everything for all the competitors. The Yamaha Racing Team experienced plenty of highs and lows on a weekend that saw Cru Halliday jump to second in the championship.
The weekend started impressively for Halliday, as in his very first session on the track he unleashed a 1.29.1 to set the early pace and by just .2 away from his lap-record set last year. That was quickly forgotten about when he crashed in the second session and the team had plenty of work to do before the day was over, but it set the tone for the weekend that continued to ebb and flow.
Qualifying saw Halliday end up in P4 in a very tight top five. Less than .2 of a second covered the top five and the speed was on up the front. He was disappointed by not making the front row, but again, things turned and in Race One, despite a re-start, Halliday carved his way to the front of the shortened 10-lap race to take the win in front of plenty of friends and family who had come to cheer him on.
He found himself in third place for the first part of the race, but at the halfway stage, he made his move. He sliced up the inside of Harrison Voight entering turn five, and then with a lap-and-a-half to run, charged past Josh Waters and dropped the hammer on the final lap.
The top four flashed across the finish line separated by one second in what is the race of the season so far.
But the plot twists didn’t stop. As the field grided up for Race Two, rain began to fall and although starting the race on slicks, officials soon declared it to be a wet race and it was back to the pits for wet tyres.
Halliday started the race cautiously in the slippery conditions, but found his mojo as the race wore on and moved his way from eighth place through to fourth by race end, and his 1-4 results gave him second for the round and jumped him to second in the championship.
“I was pretty determined to have a good weekend here at my home track and get some momentum back after a tough first round,” Halliday explained. “We had a bit of everything thrown at us over the last two days, but the team did great job in dealing with my crash and then being prepared for the rain when the wet weather came.
“In a lot of ways it was very similar to last year, even how the first race was unfolding, it had the same feel about it, but as I got closer to the Ducatis, I could see they didn’t have the pace they’d had at the start of the race and I had to make the most of the fast bike I had.
“Then the rain just throws everything out the window and it’ s just a matter of survival sometimes. History shows it’s almost impossible to win this championship with a DNF, so staying on two wheels and finishing the race becomes the priority,” Halliday ended.
Mike Jones finished the weekend in a three-way tie for sixth place with his 4-10 results, but there are a lot of positives he can take from the weekend. His fourth in Race One was hot on the heels of the top three and had the race gone the full 13 laps, he may well have found his way to the podium, as he was coming on strong as the finish flag came out.
Wet conditions aren’t the preferred situation for a clinical rider like Jones, and like last year, he doesn’t have the confidence to push the bike on the wet and shiny SMSP surface. He did what he could and stayed out of trouble to finish 10th, where many made mistakes and went down.
Jones now sits fifth in the championship, but is heading towards the next segment of the championship where the tracks are right in his wheelhouse.
“The goal is to try and win every race or round we come to and its disappointing when I can’t achieve that, but one of the positives I can take away from here was my race-pace had improved significantly. Last year, I was running third in the opening race, but a long way from the front. This year, I was on pace from the start and felt I had more in the tank right at the end, so the bike and my fitness are good.
“I also acknowledge I do need to get better in wet conditions. It just takes me too long to get the right feel in the wet and read the track well enough to know when and where to push, so it’s something I will work on and improve, as you never know how many wet events we are going to race.
“Thanks to the Yamaha Racing Team for another huge effort on the weekend, and my friends and family who came out to support me,” concluded Jones.
DesmoSport Ducati
Red flags, rain, personal-best lap-times and a podium sums up DesmoSport Ducati’s Round Two of the 2024 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) at Sydney Motorsports Park over the weekend, with Broc Pearson taking his first race and round podiums, while Troy Herfoss was relegated to the sidelines for both races.
Ben Henry
“I’m really proud of Broc. He continues to rise to the challenge, and I think he’s enjoying the revamped team dynamic in 2024 as much as I am. Both Broc and Troy were fast when we got to qualifying and although Troy ultimately qualified third, he was less than a tenth off the pole time, and Broc was only around four tenths off that. He got some great starts, but both races were red-flagged and restarted, so we never got to see the potential there, especially in Race One. It was unfortunate that Troy’s crash in warm-up caused him to have to sit out of Race One. The team did everything possible, but it was apparent to Troy on the out lap that there was an electronic issue with the throttle that wasn’t repairable on the grid. As for his crash in Race Two, that’s racing. He was in the lead, in the wet, hit a bump, and that was the end of that. Thankfully, he’s fine, as is the bike.”
Broc Pearson
“Not gonna lie, that felt pretty good! My pace in Qualifying was good with a 1:29.4, the fastest I’ve ever been around here, and I was in the top three off the start in Race One, but it was red-flagged and I just never quite clicked properly and basically salvaged sixth. For the night race, we started on slicks, I committed and had good track position, but the rain got heavier and the red flag came out again. Troy and I got out front after the restart, which was a great feeling, and great for the team, but Troy had a crash, and I managed to race to second, my first ASBK Superbike podium and third overall.”
Troy Herfoss
“You know what? Saturday night definitely didn’t go as I expected, but I walk away from the weekend satisfied with what we achieved as a team. We both set PBs in the 1:29’s and Broc cemented himself as a championship contender. My crash in the Warm-Up caused an issue with the bike that wasn’t visible in the box and I couldn’t start Race One, and in Race Two, I was feeling comfortable in the lead, my first time riding this bike in the wet, hit a bump mid-shift and before I knew it, I was on the ground. I can honestly say its the first time I’ve left a Superbike race with no points and still felt like we’d had a successful weekend and achieved a lot, so thank you to Broc, Charlie, Ben, Giulia, Ken, Ian, and Dave for that.”
Penrite Yamaha
In an electrifying display of skill and determination, Penrite Racing’s Max Stauffer and Cameron Dunker showcased their prowess at Round 2 of the Australian Superbike Championship held under the lights at Sydney Motorsport Park.
Stauffer’s stellar performance earned him his first podium of the season with a spectacular 3rd-place finish in Race Two on Saturday night. His consistent practice times of 1:31.437 in FP1 (P8), 1:30.587 in FP2 (P7), and 1:30.402 in FP3 (P8) set the stage for a competitive showing throughout the weekend.
Dunker, stepping up to the 1000cc Superbike class, delivered an outstanding 5th place finish in Race One, marking his best result yet in this category. His progression during Practice, with times of 1.33.088 in FP1, 1:31.382 in FP2, and 1:30.999 in FP3, demonstrated his adaptability and growing confidence on the track.
The Qualifying sessions saw Stauffer clocking a personal-best lap-time of 1:29.737, positioning him in P7 for Saturday’s races. Dunker secured a P9 finish in Qualifying, also with a personal-best lap-time of 1:29.926, showcasing his potential as a rising star in the Superbike realm.
The races brought intense competition, with Stauffer battling through a stacked front pack in Race One, ultimately finishing in P9 due to a previous wrist injury affecting his pace. However, Race Two proved to be Stauffer’s redemption as he surged through the pack in the wet conditions, claiming a well-deserved podium finish and securing 5th overall for the weekend.
Max Stauffer
“Topped off the weekend with a podium, I’m stoked! It was such a tough lead-up breaking my wrist three weeks ago, but we worked through our processes and it’s great to have such a strong team around me with the Penrite Racing team. It was also great to have our sponsors come along and support us. Thanks to Penrite for being there to witness a great result. It was awesome to see. Also great to have the ongoing support of my friends and family, I can’t thank the team enough and look forward to getting to Round Three. Bring on Queensland.”
Dunker’s performance was equally impressive, with a strategic ride to 5th place in Race One, and a solid 8th place finish in Race Two, demonstrating his adaptability and determination in challenging track conditions.
Cameron Dunker
“We made a lot of good steps forward this weekend, and I’m feeling great! We started off the weekend pretty far off the pace, but come Qualifying, we were within about one second, which showed our progress. The first race was really good. I worked my way through from 9th to 5th and then Race Two, the wet race, we struggled a lot. It was my first time on a Superbike in the wet, it was a bit difficult, but I did have a lot of fun. The night race had a great atmosphere, and it was great to meet some of the Penrite staff, and to have sponsors coming to see our garage. Thanks to everyone who supports us and we look forward to Queensland next month.”
The team’s success at Sydney Motorsport Park is a testament to their hard work and dedication. It has given them valuable data and a positive outlook as they prepare for the next round at Queensland Raceway on 26-28 April.
Addicted To Track
We had a challenging Round 2 under lights at Sydney Motorsports Park. With two Superbike and two SuperSport riders, the team had plenty to do across the rapid two-day schedule.
Mark McGregor – Team Owner
“We started slow in practice but had good progression from Qualifying to Race One, where Westy knuckled down on the Yamaha R1 to a 1:30.291 lap time and a P8 finish. We were on a path for a fast Race Two in the dry; with a red flag restart in the rain, we were confident in Anthony’s wet race skills, but were let down by a mechanical failure of the shock. Westy showed a lot of character in bringing it home in a lonely P14 to score points and finish the weekend at P10 overall.”
Returning to Sydney Motorsport Park, the scene of his first appearance in ASBK 30 years ago, Michael Edwards made his 100th-round start at SMP. A superb effort. Race One was a step forward from Qualifying, with a PB lap time in the 1m34s. In the second race, Michael pulled in on the red flag restart due to his crew not having enough time to get a wet setting into the race bike.
In Supersport, Jack Favelle didn’t quite meet his high hopes and expectations at his home round, but with his trademark smile, it was a solid weekend on the Yamaha R6. He came away with some close racing and booked 8th places, with a 7th overall. Working with our legend rider coach, Steph Redman, there are areas to focus on, and he is looking forward to taking the next step at Round Three.
Our first hit-out saw young South Australian Cooper Rowntree joining the Addicted to Track team. There was progress every time he left pit-lane. New to the Supersport 600 class in 2024, Cooper had a building year and showed admirable traits as he steadily chipped away at his lap times and got out of his comfort zone to finish in the points.
Stop and Seal Racing with 666 Motorsport
Fittingly, Tom Toparis raced his Michelin-backed Stop and Seal YZF-R6 to take the outright lap-record in the Michelin SuperSport class on his way to Pole Position and two race victories at Sydney Motorsport Park on Saturday night, as team-mates Jack Mahaffy, Corey Turner, Glenn Nelson, and Archie McDonald battled to secure series points in their respective championship campaigns.
The lap time from Toparis, set on just the second lap of the opening race, obliterated the previous Race and Qualifying lap records that have stood since 2008.
Stop & Seal’s Robbie Bolger
“It was great to have all five of our riders together in the one pit box this weekend. Everyone worked together and we saw some great moments on track and in the box. Tom continues to impress me, even with a small crash in Q2, he already had set a lap fast enough in Q1 for pole, and the team regrouped to see the lap record fall in Race One. We saw some great speed from Archie McDonald to take fifth in race one, while Jack (Mahaffy) continues to race with his head and accrue strong championship points. We’ve got four riders in the top ten after five races, and I’m proud of everyone that has played a part in achieving that, in particular Michelin and Motorex for their support of our program and longer term goals.”
Tom Toparis
“That was a great weekend on the bike! Bryan, Reece, and Pacey worked hard all weekend to keep improving the bike, and to be honest, even though I was confident we could break Jamie’s (Stauffer) lap record, I was surprised at just how fast that lap time actually was! I’m really happy with the program Robbie and Claire have built and I’m really appreciative of the support they’re giving me, and all the Stop and Seal riders. Pole position, lap record, and two race wins. It doesn’t get any better than that!”
ASBK Superbike Championship Points
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Points |
| 1 | Josh WATERS | Ducati | 109.5 |
| 2 | Cru HALLIDAY | Yamaha | 84 |
| 3 | Harrison VOIGHT | Ducati | 82 |
| 4 | Broc PEARSON | Ducati | 71.5 |
| 5 | Mike JONES | Yamaha | 61.5 |
| 6 | Cameron DUNKER | Yamaha | 61.5 |
| 7 | Max STAUFFER | Yamaha | 60 |
| 8 | Anthony WEST | Yamaha | 58.5 |
| 9 | Bryan STARING | Yamaha | 58 |
| 10 | Troy HERFOSS | Ducati | 47 |
| 11 | Glenn ALLERTON | BMW | 41 |
| 12 | Arthur SISSIS | Yamaha | 38.5 |
| 13 | Paris HARDWICK | Kawasaki | 37 |
| 14 | John LYTRAS | Yamaha | 34 |
| 15 | Josh SODERLAND | Yamaha | 29.5 |
| 16 | Declan CARBERRY | BMW | 25.5 |
| 17 | Ryan YANKO | Ducati | 20 |
| 18 | Ty LYNCH | Yamaha | 14 |
| 19 | Matt WALTERS | Aprilia | 13 |
| 20 | Tim LARGE | Yamaha | 10.5 |
| 21 | Michael KEMP | Yamaha | 9 |
| 22 | Adam SENIOR | Yamaha | 4.5 |
| 23 | Michael EDWARDS | Yamaha | 3 |
2024 Australian Superbike Championship Calendar
Round 1: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC Feb 23-25Round 2: Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW Mar 22-23- Round 3: Queensland Raceway, QLD Apr 26-28
- Round 4: Morgan Park Raceway, QLD Jul 12-14
- Round 5: Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC Sept 7-8
- Round 6: One Raceway, NSW Oct 4-6
- Round 7: The Bend Motorsports Park, SA Nov 8-10
