ASBK 2023
Round Three – Queensland Raceway
Penrite Honda
What a weekend for Penrite Honda Racing and Tory Herfoss at Round Three of the Australian Superbike Championship at Queensland Raceway over the weekend. The team took pole, completed the fastest-ever lap recorded and set a qualifying record on their way to a double victory.
Saturday saw the team carry Friday’s momentum into FP4 with a best time of 1.07.582, smashing a track record as he went. Herfoss charged into Qualifying on Saturday afternoon where he came away with a qualifying lap record of 1.07.655, delivering the team Pole position and a front-row start for racing on Sunday.
Race 1 treated fans to some show-stopping moments where Herfoss battled between second and first position for 16 laps, to ultimately take the well-deserved victory.
With the potential to finish the weekend with a perfect scorecard, Herfoss knew what he needed to do and went to work in Race 2. Rocketing his CBR1000RRR-R SP Fireblade to the front where another epic battle ensued, but the victory was Herfoss’s and Herfoss’s alone, finishing the race in first, to take first overall for the round.
Troy Herfoss – Pole, P1-1
“We’ve finally ticked all the boxes, we had raw speed, we had consistency, we had race craft, and we halved the gap in the championship battle. Oh man I can’t believe we’re leaving round three on top! The whole team is just working so well, I’ve made a big step forward and so has the team. The bike is working well and I’m really putting the final pieces of the puzzle together and this felt like old times to me. I can confidently say I’m back! Yeah it was great to win a race last year but this is validation, we were fast all weekend and it was so much fun! I’m also really happy for Honda, race two was my 100th ASBK Superbike Race start on a Honda, and I was able to win that and race one as well. It’s been a long journey with Honda, all my success has been with Honda and I feel like we are in a position where we might be able to win another championship with Honda this year if we can keep pushing the way we are.”
Deon Coote – Penrite Honda Racing Team Owner
“What a weekend! Our results in free practice set the tone for what was to come and gave us a good indication of where we were placed in the field. We went into qualifying full of confidence and to come away with pole, after two years, was a great achievement and something we’ve been struggling with for the last couple of years. Then to top that off with two hard-fought wins, that came down to the last corner, we couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. Looking forward to Darwin.”
Yamaha Racing Team
Mike Jones and Cru Halliday finished second and third respectively in an enthralling two races in the Superbike division that had the large crowd gathered at QR engrossed in some of the best Superbike action Australia has seen in recent times, with both riders starting from the front row of the grid for the two, seventeen lap races.
Race one saw Jones, Halliday and Herfoss unleash full throttle on their Superbikes and the three flashed across the finish line with just .162 separating the trio – Herfoss taking the win, Jones second and Halliday in third.
Just a few hours later and the Superbike stars were gridding up for race two. Again, Jones battled his way to the front in the first two turns and tried to break clear of the pack.
By the time they both hit the final turn, Jones pushed in hard, Herfoss slammed on the brakes and crossed behind Jones and the pair again engaged in a drag race to the finish line that saw Herfoss take the win by .056 of a second and the Queensland crowd erupted with respect for two Superbike races they had just witnessed.
The second place on the day lifts Mike Jones to fifth place in the championship as he recovers from a tough round two.
Mike Jones – P2-2
“I gave it everything I had and I’m sure that Troy and Cru will say the same. Coming here as a rider, you know you are going to be in for some intense racing and that is what today produced. Clearly, I would have loved to have got the win in both races so that’s a little disappointing but I know I left everything I had on the track so I leave the weekend with my head held high. The team did a great job and we turned what was a bit of an average start to the weekend into a positive rebound on race day feel I have got a bit of momentum back in my riding. Thanks to all my friends and family who came out over the weekend to watch me race, the support is awesome and I hope they enjoyed their day at ASBK.”
Cru Halliday has moved to third in the ASBK championship and has strung a very consistent line of results together after his DNF in the opening race of the championship.
In the past six races, Halliday hasn’t been off the podium with DNF-2-2-2-3-3-3 results to his name so far this season and proving he is a genuine contender in 2023.
Cru Halliday – 3-3
“I had never started from the front row or finished on the podium in an ASBK event at QR, so it was good to tick those boxes on the weekend and continue my good run of results. My start in race one let me down as once I got clear track, I was able to make time on Troy and Mike, but it was just a bit too little, too late. Then in race two, I had to find my way around Josh Waters who was riding well and has been around a long time. Once I got around him, the gap to the front pair was just too big although I gave it a go and trying to hunt them down. I have worked hard this year and the team have my back. The DNF in the first race of the championship has hurt me, but I’m going to keep swinging to the very last race of the season as I feel my bike and my riding is as good as it’s ever been and I’m motivated more than ever to get some race and round wins before the year is out.”
McMartin Racing
Josh Waters pushed through the obstacles to record two strong fourth place finishes on the McMartin Racing Ducati V4R and maintain and 18-point championship lead after the third round of the ASBK Championship at Queensland Raceway over the weekend.
The Queensland Raceway round is always a challenge for riders and teams due to the unique layout of the circuit, Josh was able to secure a second-row grid position on Saturday to set the McMartin Racing Team Ducati V4R up for a solid points haul over the weekend.
Race one saw Josh get a great jump off the line and complete the first lap in third place behind Mike Jones and Troy Herfoss. The nature of Queensland Raceway’s layout ensures multiple overtakes per lap and lap two saw Josh relegated to fifth position with both Glenn Allerton and Cru Halliday pushing past on the brakes. Josh managed to get the better of Allerton on lap seven to move back into fourth position, half a second behind Halliday in third. The gap stayed constant for a few laps with Josh posting consistent lap times, remarkable consistency from the Pirelli tyres and chassis setup on the McMartin Racing Ducati V4R saw Josh set his fastest lap on lap eleven before ensuring a safe finish and a solid haul of 17-points.
The McMartin Racing Team made a few changes to the Ducati Panigale V4R for race two to allow Josh to challenge for the podium. Race two started well with Josh holding down third position despite constant pressure from Halliday for the first thirteen laps. Halliday was able to finally find his way past as Josh had been setting extremely consistent lap times throughout the entire race, differing by only .5 of a second until the final lap when Josh rode sensibly to secure another fourth place and the solid championship points that accompany it.
Josh and the McMartin Racing Team Ducati V4R continue to lead the ASBK Championship by 18-points heading into round four at Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway in June.
Josh Waters – P4-4
“I would have really liked to be on the podium for at least one of the races. We were quite close, and we made a step forward for race two but just wasn’t enough. But this round was always going to be difficult, and I knew yesterday in Q2 I was on the limit and I did crash so in the two races today I needed to be smart. The team did a lot of work early in the weekend, even early this morning we were going through information to work out how we could make the bike better, so as always, a massive thanks to the team for all their effort this weekend. We now move on to Darwin, it won’t be easy either, but I look forward to the challenge and I’m really looking forward to riding the McMartin Racing Ducati V4R around there”
Craig McMartin
“The weekend wasn’t what we were hoping for, but we tried our best and we are just disappointed that we couldn’t give Josh the bike that he needed to win both races. I honestly think that Josh is good enough to win at every track if we give him the right bike. The team worked really hard all weekend and I really want to thank them all, we’ve been working really hard and Josh rode really well, but we move on to the next one and hopefully get a better result. Fourth is still not the end of the world so you’ve got to be smart he got two strong finishes so we’re quite happy, you can’t win them all”.
DesmoSport Ducati
Round three started strong for DesmoSport Ducati with Broc Pearson steadily improving in each session aboard the Panigale V4 R despite a crash in FP3.
Qualifying 8th, Broc raced to 8th and 13th respectively in the two 16-lap races to finish 11th overall, improving his overall championship standing, despite a crash and corresponding stop in pit lane during race two.
Broc Pearson – P8-13
“We had a strong start to weekend getting faster in each session as we made changes to the bike. In qualifying, I thought we could be a little stronger than 8th, but in the end, I was only 0.687 from the pole time, and I had confidence in our race pace. In race one, I lost some track position in the opening stages and had to work hard to gain them back again. I had a small problem with a fuel tank vent in the later stages of the race that saw me give up some of that track position and bring it home 8th. With the second race, it was a simple mistake, and I dropped the bike and was forced to bring it to the pits so the team could patch it up and get me back out on track for some points. I’m frustrated that we didn’t get a better result here this weekend, and I feel lucky that we actually gained a position in the championship.”
Troy Bayliss – DesmoSport Ducati Team Co-Owner
“We had some pretty high, but realistic expectations this weekend based on the Sydney results and the way Broc tested, but in the end we fell short which is frustrating. But in the end, we’re on a program of developing, and we believe that Broc has what it takes to make those steps forward if we can give him the tools he needs. Crashes happen when riders are doing their job and trying hard and there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s a part of racing so now we’ll get the bikes back to Cube and start preparing for Darwin.”
Ben Henry – DesmoSport Ducati Team Co-Owner
“That’s a tough one today if I’m honest. I believed heading into the weekend, that we had a strong chance of making the top 5 and racing with the lead group, and I really still think we should have been. Broc progressed in each Free Practice session, set a personal best lap time during Qualifying and although 8th, showed strong sector times and gave us a lot of confidence coming into the race, but it just didn’t happen. An issue with a breather on the fuel tank in race one caused Broc to slow up, while a small crash and quick stop in pit lane to check the bike over ruined any chance of a stronger overall result.”
GT Racing
Saturdays Qualifying was a mixed bag for the GT Racing outfit. Glenn Allerton was unable to get the most out of the soft tire in the final minutes of qualifying, taking sixth starting position on the grid.
Race one, Allerton was off to a great start fighting his way into third position and challenging the leaders early in the race, but as the race got into the later laps, rear grip issues raise their head, and he was unable to maintain the leaders pace, finishing in fifth position.
Race two and changes were made to the bike to try and help rear grip, with a solid start in the lead group until lap seven and then lost contact, managing to come home again in fifth position. The weekend’s results were a good points haul, and keep Allerton in equal third position in the standings.
Glenn Allerton – P5-5
“I have mixed emotions about how the weekend went. If we look at the sector splits we were actually very strong, although our result in fifth position is not what I wanted. We did show sheer pace in the race. We have to get on top of our rear grip issues, especially towards the end of the race. I do believe we have what it takes to win the race. We just have not been able to get the bike setting correct so far. Thank you to all our sponsors and we look forward to Round 4 of the series in Sunny Darwin, in conjunction with the V8 Supercars at the Hidden Valley circuit June 17-18.”
Trevor Groeneveld
“Overall the weekend was challenging, particularly when we know we are capable of a better result. While we ended up with some good points keeping us in the title chase, there is clearly work we need to do so that we can give Glenn the bike he needs to compete for the win. Glenn rode the bike to its limit for every race. The positives were our top speed was excellent, along with our sector times – we just couldn’t overcome the tyre degradation. We will be working hard on resolving the issues with the bike so that at Darwin we don’t suffer the grip issues we had at QLD.“
Stop & Seal – SuperSport
Teturning racer Aiden Wagner, aboard the newly founded Stop & Seal SuperSport R6, raced to 12th and 15th, respectively, in the two 14-lap races around the 3.1km Ipswich race track.
Aiden Wagner – SSP P12-14
“It was great to be back at the track and racing again. If I’m honest, it wasn’t the results I expected this weekend, but then, we came into the weekend with very little experience on the new bike. We had some teething issues, headed in the wrong direction with bike setup in free practice, and really only started finding our feet in qualifying itself. Some of these young kids are setting a fast pace at the front, faster than I even expected, but it’s great to see the talent pool so strong. I’ll take the time now to work on my fitness while Robbie (Bolger) and I chat about the next step in the Stop and Seal race program. I can’t thank Robbie, Pacey, and everyone else who helped me over the weekend enough to get back on track again. I loved being back competing, and I can’t wait to line up on the grid again.”
Robbie Bolger – Stop & Seal Team Owner
“Our first weekend of racing is done, and while we weren’t at the front of the pack competing for podium spots, we learnt a lot this weekend, and I’m looking forward to growing together as a team from here. Aiden’s now got some clear direction on what he needs to do off-track, and I’ve learnt a lot about the championship and what it will take to achieve the goals we’re setting. The pace in both SuperSport and Superbike for that matter is impressive, in particular to someone like me whose exposure is more based in Supercars and world-level motorcycle racing.”
Round four of the ASBK is scheduled for June 16-18 at Hidden Valley Raceway.
Superbike Round Points
| Pos | Rider | Pole | R1 | R2 | Points |
| 1 | Troy HERFOSS | 1 | 25 | 25 | 51 |
| 2 | Mike JONES | 20 | 20 | 40 | |
| 3 | Cru HALLIDAY | 18 | 18 | 36 | |
| 4 | Josh WATERS | 17 | 17 | 34 | |
| 5 | Glenn ALLERTON | 16 | 16 | 32 | |
| 6 | Max STAUFFER | 15 | 15 | 30 | |
| 7 | Ted COLLINS | 14 | 13 | 27 | |
| 8 | Anthony WEST | 12 | 12 | 24 | |
| 9 | Bryan STARING | 8 | 14 | 22 | |
| 10 | Matt WALTERS | 11 | 11 | 22 | |
| 11 | Broc PEARSON | 13 | 8 | 21 | |
| 12 | Michael EDWARDS | 9 | 10 | 19 | |
| 13 | Paris HARDWICK | 10 | 10 | ||
| 14 | Michael KEMP | 9 | 9 | ||
| 15 | Scott ALLARS | 7 | 7 |
Superbike Championship Points
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Josh WATERS | 160 |
| 2 | Troy HERFOSS | 142 |
| 3 | Cru HALLIDAY | 115 |
| 4 | Glenn ALLERTON | 115 |
| 5 | Mike JONES | 104 |
| 6 | Ted COLLINS | 95 |
| 7 | Bryan STARING | 88 |
| 8 | Broc PEARSON | 82 |
| 9 | Arthur SISSIS | 72 |
| 10 | Max STAUFFER | 69 |
| 11 | Matt WALTERS | 68 |
| 12 | Scott ALLARS | 51 |
| 13 | Michael KEMP | 50 |
| 14 | Paris HARDWICK | 48 |
| 15 | Anthony WEST | 24 |
| 16 | Michael EDWARDS | 19 |
| 17 | Mark CHIODO | 16 |
| 18 | Jack DAVIS | 16 |
| 19 | Josh SODERLAND | 15 |
| 20 | Dominic DE LEON | 13 |
| 21 | Nicholas MARSH | 12 |
| 22 | Leanne NELSON | 4 |
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 |
