Hook takes ASBK first blood at Phillip Island

Josh Hook takes ASBK first blood at Phillip Island
Words by Trevor Hedge – Images by Russell Colvin

Pole sitter Jamie Stauffer was missing from the grid as the rescheduled ASBK Race One got underway beneath warm blue skies at Phillip Island this morning. Instead the Kurri Kurri based rider was holed up in Melbourne’s Austin Hospital nursing a broken pelvis following a massive high-side at Lukey Heights yesterday afternoon while leading the second attempt at the running of the ASBK season opener. The race had already been stopped once after an incident at Southern Loop and with the Stauffer incident then cancelling the second attempt the race was eventually rescheduled to Sunday morning

Troy Herfoss got away well with teammate Josh Hook in tow while Linden Magee and Daniel Falzon gave chase. Phil Lovett ran very wide and rejoined at the back of the field, the veteran pulling double duty here this weekend across ASBK and the Baylisstic Scramble. A lap later Lovett pulled into pitlane to retire.

Herfoss ran wide onto the the chute for the first time which allowed Hook to close alongside his Team Honda compatriot along the main straight and the pair stayed side-by-side through turn one. Only the two Honda men dipping under the 1m40s barrier on the opening standing start lap but Magee looked the most likely to try and go with the Fireblade SP men.

Michael Jones got the better of Daniel Falzon for fourth place on lap two and as they crossed the stripe to start lap three Hook had his nose in front of Herfoss but Magee also looked as though he was up for the fight, a 1m33.45 promoting him right into the midst of the Honda duo. Jones putting in a great effort after breaking his hand only a week ago, riding through gritted teeth this weekend and afer passing Falzon immediately started pulling away.

Magee’s challenge for the win had evaporated by half race distance, his lap times backing off to high 1m34s while the Honda continued to set 1m33.5s. Jones had the sniff of the chase and was starting to close on Magee to challenge for third place.

Hook had led the middle stages of the race and Herfoss was about to take the lead with three laps to go but had to pull out of the move when he saw a yellow flag.

With two laps to run Jones was all over the back of Magee and set to challenge for the final step on the podium on the final lap.

The leading Honda duo were still running together a full four-seconds ahead of that battle for third place, and with two laps to run in the reduced eight-lap distance they were already encountering backmarker traffic.

Josh Hook set a new fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap, a 1m33.170 but it was not enough to break away from Herfoss who had also put in a 1m33.286 to keep his challenge for the win alive. Herfoss perhaps even keeping his powder dry for that last lap challenge…

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Herfoss was very hot through Lukey Heights for the final time and wound it up through turn 11 and 12 to be right on Hooky’s pipe on the run down the chute but it was not enough, Hook the winner by 0.099 of a second.

Equally exciting was the tussle for the final spot on the rostrum with Mike Jones mugging Linden Magee on the line in a photo finish for third place.

The Team Honda riders clearly a step above the competition here this weekend, taking the race win by six-seconds over third place despite the race distance being only eight laps.

With this race being run at such an early hour the WSBK television crews were not present so I think it unlikely any vision will be available to be shown on the pending ASBK TV coverage package. The action in the can from the two earlier attempts at running the race though will certainly provide plenty of action, thrills and spills to keep people happy.

Josh Hook – “It was a good race, was stoked to come out with the win, been struggling earlier in the weekend to match the pace of Troy and Jamie. My new mechanic came over from Japan to help build our working relationship which has been great as I look forward to taking on the Japanese Superbike Championship this year. Taking it step by step and see how we go, but I am looking forward to developing my international career. As long as we can get the good results I am sure it will all sort itself out. I will be focusing on the Japanese Superbike Championship and the Suzuka 8 Hour so will be based in Japan all year.”

Troy Herfoss – “The only place I could pass Josh was at turn two, on the last lap he was smart enough to block that while on the two previous laps there was a yellow flag, that probably shouldn’t have even been there. Team Honda did a great job and the Pirellis are hanging in there, be good to see how fast the World Superbike boys can go this afternoon.”

Mike Jones – “Was a good race, the guys in front of me were a bit quicker, I managed to hold my own, caught up to Linden Magee as he looked to be struggling. I couldn’t pass in the normal braking areas with my injured wrist but was close enough to slipstream to the line. The wrist isn’t strapped up in the gloves, but the adrenalin along with the painkillers took over and I had my mind on the job and not on my wrist.”

ASBK Race One Results