ASBK Superbike FP2 – Supersport and SS300 Qualifying

ASBK 2024
Round One – Phillip Island
Friday Free Practice Two

The track temperature was nudging 30-degrees when Australian Superbike competitors left pit-lane for their second 30-minute practice session of the day.

Mike Jones came out swinging. The 2022 ASBK Champ put in a 1m31.349 on his second lap only to be usurped by his YRT team-mate a few moments later when Cru Halliday lapped at 1m31.272.

Josh Waters then pushed the YRT men back a position, a 1m31.033 good enough for P1, but for how long…?

Troy Herfoss moved up to fourth on the DesmoSport Ducati with a 1m31.365 on his fourth lap of the session.

Jones and Halliday continued to lap in the 31s. Both YRT riders putting in a string of them while Waters was content to sit in the pits.

Harrison Voight then put the second McMartin Panigale V4 R into fifth with a 1m31.393.

Josh Waters went back out halfway through the session only to then immediately return to the pits. He did go out again but failed to improve his early marker.

Cru Halliday then smashed out a 1m30.890, under his own ASBK Qualifying lap record, with nine-minutes still remaining in the session.  That time stood until the end of proceedings.

Broc Pearson made a dramatic improvement with a few minutes left in the session, jumping from just outside the top ten into sixth with a 1m31.642.

Max Stauffer seventh quickest ahead of Anthony West.

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Bryan Staring suffered an engine failure in the opening session but was back out in FP2. The Western Australian ninth quickest on 1m32.092.

A still-injured Glenn Allerton rounded out the top ten ahead of Ted Collins, Arthur Sissis and rookie Cam Dunker.

Superbike competitors will take to the track on Saturday morning bright and early, their single 30-minute qualifying session slated for an 0805 start.  Race One will take place at midday on Saturday. Race Two will be at 0945 on Sunday, followed by the third and final 12-lap contest at 1340.

Superbike FP2 Times

Supersport Qualifying

Olly Simpson was the first Supersport rider into the 35s with a 1m35.741 on his first flying lap, which he then immediately backed up with a 1m35.928.

Tom Bramich then knocked him out of top spot with a 1m35.518.

Jonathan Nahlous then also dipped into the 35s, his 1m35.749 good enough to move up to third. Then, with just under two-minutes left on the clock, Nahlous improved to 1m35.550 to move up to second place, demoting Simpson to third.  Nahlous then went one better again! A 1m35.258 breaking the previous qualifying lap record set here by Senna Agius to take pole position.

Mark Chiodo was not permitted to start the session until 10-minutes had elapsed due to missing the rider’s briefing, but moved into fourth place on his second lap. Alongside him on the second row will be Jack Mahaffy and Hayden Nelson. The latter of that trio crashed at turn 12 late in the session.

Supersport competitors are next on track at 0925 on Saturday morning for the first of their three scheduled 10-lap bouts. The second will take place at 1335 on Saturday afternoon, while the third and final contest will be run at 1125 on Sunday.

Supersport Qualifying Times

Supersport 300 Qualifying

Some light drizzle had been falling in the lead up to the single 20-minute qualifying session for the Supersport 300 category. That didn’t slow the competitors down too much.

21-year-old Czech rider Petr Svoboda topped proceedings ahead of Tara Morrison.

Pole pace was around 1.5-seconds off the qualifying lap record set by Hunter Ford back in 2018.

Josh Newman rounds out the all-Kawasaki front row ahead of Ryan Larkin and Jordy Simpson.

Australian Supersport 300 riders will contest the first of their three eight-lap races at 1705 this evening. The second is scheduled for 0850 on Saturday morning followed by the third and final bout at 0910 Sunday morning.

Supersport 300 Qualifying Times

Phillip Island ASBK/WSBK Schedule

2024 Australian Superbike Championship Calendar

• Round 1: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC Feb 23-25
• Round 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