ASBK 2015 Rnd 1 Phillip Island Gallery H

ASBK 2015 Round One Phillip Island Gallery H – Images by Russell Colvin

ASBK 2015 Round One Phillip Island Gallery H – Images by Russell Colvin

Troy Herfoss wins ASBK Race Two at P.I.
Words by Trevor Hedge

Troy Herfoss was the only rider on the front row of the grid with both Jamie Stauffer and Sean Condon sidelined with injuries.  Herfoss capitalised on that front row to lead the field away while Josh Hook and Linden Magee traded paint at Southern Loop then through turn three as Michael Jones and Daniel Falzon tussled over fourth place.

It didn’t look as though Herfoss was going to pull and escape act though with that top four covered by only a single second after Jones put in the fastest lap of any rider on lap two to pull away from Falzon, whose fifth place started to come under attack from Matt Harding.

Jones went under Liam Magee for third place at turn one with nine laps to run, but Magee came right back under him at Southern Loop with Magee up for the fight.  That tussle had allowed Daniel Falzon to close to within striking distance of that duo while up front Herfoss and Hook started to pull away from their pursuers.

Hook made his move on Herfoss with seven laps to run but Herfoss returned the favour right away. The fight for the lead was hotting up. Hook got Herfoss down the chute next time around and this time around held on to the lead through Southern Loop and turn three. 

Daniel Falzon had closed on to the battle for third place but went down at turn four with six laps to run and rejoined the race down in 11th place.

Hook was holding on to the lead and appearances suggested his Team Honda Fireblade had a little more mumbo than Herfoss’ machine.

Mike Jones had broken Linden Magee and with five laps to run was in a fairly lonely third place, two-seconds behind the leading duo but 4.5-seconds ahead of Magee as the leaders started to negotiate lapped traffic.

Herfoss was right on Hook’s tailpipe through turn 11 and 12 with two laps to run but could still not match Hook’s speed down the chute.  Hook’s normally slightly wide line at Southern Loop was then a few inches wider than normal which opened the door for Herfoss to sneak through and take the lead.  Herfoss led through MG Hairpin and turns 11 and 12 and across the stripe to receive the last lap board and this time around kept Hook out into Southern Loop for the final time.

A lot of lapped traffic on the final lap but Herfoss retained the advantage over Hook throughout the final lap, Hook pulled out of the slipstream on the way to the flag but Herfoss pointed his Fireblade towards the pit wall and Hook was forced to also take the long run to the flag, the pair nudging dangerously close to the pit wall but that was exactly what Herfoss had to do in order to keep his young teammate from stealing the win on the line.

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Michael Jones took third place 5.2-seconds behind the Team Honda duo with Linden Magee coming home fourth 13.5-seconds behind the winners. Kiwi Sloan Frost finished fifth ahead of Ben Burke and Matt Harding while Falzon made a great recovery from his earlier mishap to bring the JD Kawasaki home in eighth place.

ASBK 2015 Round One Phillip Island Race Two Results

1. Herfoss
2. Hook 0.018
3. Jones 5.249
4. Magee 13.507
5. Frost 22.86
6. Burke 28.239
7. Harding 28.363
8. Falzon 31.04
9. Hampton 31.35
10. Lovett 31.63
11. Jones N 37.822
12. Jones T 42.893
13. Hern 43.160
14. Perini 50.31
15. Barker 53.303
16. Czaj 54.708

ASBK 2015 Round One Phillip Island Championship Points

1. Herfoss 45
2. Hook 45
3. Jones 36
4. Magee 34
5. Frost 31
6. Falzon 29
7. Harding 27
8. Burke 24
9. Hampton 24
10. Jones N 20
11. Hern 19
12. Jones T 17
13. Henry 14
14. Perini 13
15. Czaj 12
16. Lovett 11