Maxwell leads home a Boost Mobile Ducati 1-2 in second Superbike bout

ASBK 2022 – Round Six – Phillip Island

Alpinestars Superbike Race Two

Plenty of rain had fell at Phillip Island overnight but it was mainly blue skies this morning as Superbike riders formed up on the grid for their second 12-lap race of the WorldSBK weekend. Thus while dry, I would imagine with much of the rubber washed off overnight the track might be a little green this morning, and riders also have a fair bit of wind to deal with for the first time this weekend.

Just as the ceremonies completed on the grid and the pre race interviews wrapped up, some dark clouds started to blow in from the north and looked to be heading for the track.

A lap one crash by Maxwell here yesterday gave Mike Jones somewhat of a get out of jail free card, Jones finished a lowly tenth but still saw his 29-point lead over Wayne Maxwell grow to an even larger 39-point buffer.

Bryan Staring took victory yesterday ahead of Glenn Allerton while pole-sitter and new qualifying lap record holder Josh Waters rounded out the podium.

Max Stauffer was forced to start from pit-lane after having trouble getting his Yamaha started on the grid and thus missed out on the warm-up lap.

Daniel Falzon got a great launch and led the field into turn one ahead of Josh Waters and Troy Herfoss. Herfoss went up the inside of Waters and made the Boost Mobile Ducati rider stand it up, Herfoss through to second. Allerton then up to third after pushing Waters back to fourth, Allerton then got Falzon around turn 12 to move up to second place behind race leader Troy Herfoss.

Through turn three on lap two, Herfoss ran wide, perhaps being pushed by the wind, and that allowed Josh Waters through to the lead.  Glenn Allerton got Falzon up the inside at Hayshed.

Once in front Josh Waters started to pull away from the field with what looked like apparent ease. Wayne Maxwell had steadily worked his way up to third place and Troy Herfoss was still in second place with ten laps to run. Championship leader Mike Jones was in ninth place behind Senna Agius.

Wayne Maxwell up to second place with nine laps to run after passing Herfoss down the chute. Waters had already built a 1.8-second buffers over his pursuers. Cru Halliday had worked his way up to fourth, Bryan Staring fifth, Glenn Allerton sixth, Daniel Falzon seventh, Mike Jones eighth, Anthony West ninth and Senna Agius tenth.

Mike Jones had started cautiously but had been working his way through the field, up to seventh with eight laps to.  Up front Waters still led but Maxwell was the fastest man on track and had started to pull some ground back on his leading team-mate. Halliday was hounding Herfoss for third but the Honda man was making that Fireblade very wide indeed.

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At half-race distance Mike Jones was up to sixth and closing on Bryan Staring. Maxwell had reduced Waters’ lead to just over a second. Anthony West went down at turn four after trying to pass Glenn Allerton for seventh.

Mike Jones got the better of Staring with five laps to run but the DesmoSport Ducati man came back at him to take that fifth place right back and that pair started swapping places quite regular.

Halliday had done a great deal of work to get through the field and onto Herfoss but was struggling to pass the Penrite Honda for third place.

Up front Wayne Maxwell had the gap to Waters down to half-a-second, presumably his new team-mate playing his part in the championship quest and allowing the defending champ to take the race lead with three laps to run.  Seven-seconds further back Mike Jones and Bryan Staring were still tussling over fifth place.  Halliday had finally managed to get past Herfoss to take that third place. With two to go Jones and Staring then started to reel Herfoss in…  Further back Allerton, Agius and Sissis were fighting over seventh place.

At the last lap board Maxwell led Waters by a second, Halliday was five-seconds further back in third place, and Mike Jones was closing rapidly on Herfoss….

Maxwell the winner, Waters making it a Boost Mobile Ducati 1-2 and Halliday a hard fought come from behind podium.

Troy Herfoss managed to hold off that final charge from Mike Jones, the championship leader taking fifth place ahead of Bryan Staring while Glenn Allerton won the battle for seventh.

That victory sees Maxwell reduce the gap to Jones by an important eight-points, but Jones still enjoys a considerable 31-point buffer over the defending champ. There are still 76-points to play for…

Alpinestars Superbike Race Two Results

Alpinestars Superbike Championship Points

Live Broadcast Information

On Sunday, both SBS and Stan Sport will air a highlights package from 1300-1500 that will show the opening two Australian Superbike and Supersport races in replay, before then airing the final Superbike encounter of the weekend live.  We believe that the Supersport 300 category will not get TV air-time.

Phillip Island WSBK/ASBK Round Schedule