Josh Waters streams away in rain interrupted final Superbike bout

ASBK 2023

Round Two – Sydney Motorsport Park

Alpinestars Superbike Race Two

There was a long break between Superbike bouts as the track signage was prepared for the live night racing to be broadcast on SBS and Stan.

The break also allowed for the sun to descend proper from the rider’s sight lines and it truly to become night. The bikes looked absolutely sensational as they rolled out under lights, the contrasts in the colours so stark and dynamic. The tension in the air was palpable.

The engine failure of Jones’ YZF-R1M in the opening bout a costly loss of points for the defending champion.  On the upside for YRT, Cru Halliday showed that he had the pace to run with Josh Waters all the way to the chequered flag.

The potential of Troy Herfoss was dulled by a missed shift that left him with too much work to do in the opening bout. Glenn Allerton was strong early on but couldn’t maintain the pace throughout the race as his rear tyre went away only a few laps into the race.

Complicating things a bit further ahead of the second bout were showers of drizzle that drifted across the circuit a couple of hours before the start of race two. The drizzle ebbed and flowed, stopped and started, over the next hour so but stopped well before riders gridded up for the second and final 13-lap Superbike bout of the weekend.

Still, the circuit had plenty of damp patches and the SMP surface is known to be very slippery in such conditions. In the preceding Supersport race riders on wets had the distinct advantage, but riders on slicks finished strong, but not strong enough to get anywhere near chasing down the quick guys on wets over the 11-lap race distance.

By the time Superbike riders gridded up the track had dried out much further, and they had a 13-lap distance in front of them and the race had been declared dry so the grid was on slicks. The track was still a little sketchy in certain areas though so it will be a fine line they tread between hero and disaster…

Troy Herfoss got an amazing launch off the line to lead Arthur Sissis through turn one. Josh Waters then moved up to second place but at turn three Glenn Allerton then swept around the outside of all of them like they were standing still to take the race lead.

Cru Halliday passed Sissis, Waters and Herfoss to move up to second place but at the end of the first lap Allerton led by over a second!  Broc Pearson up to sixth place behind Bryan Staring.

Troy Herfoss barged up the inside of Josh Waters and made the championship leader take evasive action but it didn’t take long for the Ducati man to take that third place again. Up front Cru Halliday was chasing Glenn Allerton, only a few bike lengths separated them. Mike Jones was eighth.

RelatedPosts

Recapping the Nolan Superbike Masters finale from The Bend

November 15, 2024

Aussie wildcard stars in bLU cRU Asia-Pacific finale

November 14, 2024

Josh Waters reeled in Cru Halliday on lap three and immediately started to challenge for that second place. Herfoss then gazumped Waters again, Pearson also followed him through…

Riders put their hands up to indicate that drizzle was falling but there was no indication from officials that they would stop the race… Cru Halliday leading Herfoss by two-tenths with ten laps to run, Allerton third, Waters fourth, Staring fifth, Pearson sixth…

Red Flag!

The drizzle had by now almost became rain at some points around the circuit… Riders returned to pit-lane where there were decisions to be made in regards to tyre changes, and a flurry of activity to effect same. The race would be restarted for an eight-lap contest with riders gridding up in the order they were the last time they crossed the line before the red flag came out.

The rain had stopped during the interlude but with no wind to help dry the surface the track will remain wet.

Away again…

Cru Halliday started from P1 while alongside him were Glenn Allerton and Troy Herfoss. Broc Pearson headed row two ahead of Josh Waters and Bryan Staring. Sissis seventh, Jones eighth and Stauffer ninth.

Troy Herfoss tipped into turn one first but coming out the other side in the lead was Arthur Sissis but then they were three wide with Cru Halliday as they braked for turn two…

Halliday then took the lead a few turns later as he seemed to have an advantage through some turns while Herfoss had advantages elsewhere.. Herfoss into the lead again at turn nine and around that section of the circuit it seemed to be raining once again…

Herfoss leads them across the stripe to start at lap two, Halliday in close company, Allerton now third ahead of Waters and Pearson. Allerton then had a hot run into turn one and challenged Halliday at turn two, their battle allowing Herfoss some clear air.

Herfoss ran very wide and off the circuit at turn six after losing the front, the track I think wetter that time around than it was on lap one. Josh Waters the new leader, Allerton second, Halliday gathered it up in third place, Pearson fourth, Sissis fifth and Herfoss sixth.

Once at the front Waters immediately started to pull away. A lap later he led Allerton by 1.8-seconds, the BMW man then had half-a-second on Halliday with five laps to run in this shortened race.  The next time across the stripe Waters led by 2.4-seconds, he was gone and the others were left to fight over the remaining steps on the rostrum.

With four laps to run Glenn Allerton still headed that battle for second place but little separated him from Halliday, Herfoss, Sissis and Pearson. Waters was lapping three-seconds quicker than them at this halfway point of the race and led by six-seconds.

Troy Herfoss moved up to second place as the race entered its second half, a great recovery from that early mistake. Herfoss then ran very wide at turn two next time around but just managed to hold onto that position.

Herfoss and Halliday then started to stretch away from Glenn Allerton, the BMW man started to come under attack from Sissis. The South Australian made his move to take that fourth place then started to reel in Halliday and Herfoss.

At the last lap board Waters led by almost ten-seconds. Halliday was all over the back of Herfoss and looking to steal that second place before the chequered flag. Further back Broc Pearson was trying to steal fifth from Glenn Allerton.

Troy Herfoss had enough speed up his sleeve to prevent Halliday from being able to challenge him on that final lap and takes second place.

Josh Waters backed it off on the final lap, to the tune of three-seconds, but still took the win by 6.3-seconds. Halliday rounding out the podium. Arthur Sissis fourth, Allerton fifth and Pearson sixth.

Ted Collins seventh ahead of Max Stauffer, Bryan Staring and a disappointing tenth for Mike Jones who after that mechanical DNF in the opening race only scores 11-points for the round.

Josh Waters of course the round winner. Halliday second for the round with a point more than Herfoss.

Five wins from five starts for Josh Waters so far in season 2023. In varying conditions, through many different challenges, every time he has proved to have the goods. The signs are ominous for the competition as there has not been one chink revealed in his armour.

Josh Waters will take a 35-point lead over Troy Herfoss to Queensland Raceway.  Glenn Allerton remains in third place on 83-points, four ahead of Halliday.

Can anyone stem the flow of Waters and turn the tide…? We will find out late next month at Queensland Raceway.

Alpinestars Superbike Race Two Results

Alpinestars Superbike Championship Round Points

Alpinestars Superbike Championship Points

2023 ASBK Calendar