ASBK 2022 – Round Four – Hidden Valley
After three rounds of the ASBK title for 2022, at Phillip Island, Queensland Raceway and Wakefield Park, the championship is starting to take some shape as the series hits the half way point this weekend in Darwin. With a three-race format for this event with the V8 Supercars, it is set to have a major influence on deciding this years title.
Defending champion Wayne Maxwell, along with fellow triple champions Glenn Allerton and Josh Waters are all aiming to become the first rider in history to claim four Australian Superbike Championship crowns. While Maxwell is striving to become the first rider since Shawn Giles at the start of the century to claim three titles on the trot.
Mike Jones is equally determined to grab his third title to back up his 2015 and 2019 crowns and has been in stellar form this season after finding the switch to YRT a fortuitous one.
After a challenging start to the season as he overcomes his injuries suffered at Darwin last year, Troy Herfoss is now ready to stake his claim on a third title, while Bryan Staring is keen to add another trophy to his 2010 title and a few, like Jones’ team-mate Cru Halliday, would like to bag their first ASBK Superbike title.
Heading to the Darwin round Jones sits on 132 points, leading Maxwell by 23 points with Desmo Ducati’s Staring in third place, a further seven points adrift.
New Maxima Racing Oils BMW rider Josh Waters sits fourth on 94 points, four ahead of Halliday, and six in front of his Maxima Racing Oils BMW team mate, Glenn Allerton. South Australian Arthur Sissis (Yamaha) is seventh, and only one point behind Allerton.
Herfoss is in the unfamiliar position of being down in eighth on 81 points, that’s a 51-point deficit to 2022 pace-setter Jones but write-off Troy Herfoss at your peril. With three races and 76 points up for grabs, including the vital point for pole position, this is the perfect opportunity for Herfoss to claw back ground, and for others at the top to consolidate and improve.
It will be 12 months since the Honda rider has been back to full strength. Herfoss has put the incident behind him and the round at Darwin should see him fighting for the win. While he might be somewhat off the points lead Herfoss has been improving at each outing and at Wakefield scored his best results since his return, two fourth places and missing out on a podium in race two by less than half a second.
None of the above should be discounted as a race winner while the likes of Daniel Falzon and Anthony West who sit in ninth and 10th respectively, will also be aiming to be right in the mix.
Sissis is currently the leading privateer. Due to his experience and success in Speedway, where fast starting is especially key, combined with his light weight, means that generally he is a gun starter and so often the leader at the first turn. Since his switch to Yamaha machinery and some changes in the team, his race consistency has improved dramatically and for 2022 he finally has two bikes in the truck, so if something does go awry at least he has some back up.
The most successful rider over the course of the seven visits – or 14 races – since 2010, is Josh Waters, now riding for the Maxima Racing Oils BMW team.
Josh has seven wins and one second place in Darwin, with the last win coming in the second race of 2017 on his way to title number three. Since then, the podium pickings have been non-existent but he appears to have recently settled into the BMW well and with recent software updates to the engine management systems, and his affinity with the track Josh is certain to be right in the hunt from the opening session.
His team-mate this year Glenn Allerton who along with Maxwell have been very consistent at the front for over a decade and are keen to continue the roll.
In the top six of the title chase, Jones, Staring and Halliday are yet to spray the victory champagne in Darwin, unlike Maxwell, Allerton and Waters. With that stat and current 2022 season form, there is an odds-on chance that we will see more than one new race winner this weekend.
After moving to new teams this year, Jones and Staring are eager to add to their win tally for 2022. While after some frustrating recent seasons Waters will fight tooth and nail with his team-mate for bragging rights in the BMW pit box.
As for Staring on the DesmoSport Ducti, he has big shoes to fill in Darwin as team co-owner Troy Bayliss was on pole and took a race win in 2018. Last year Jones was third in qualifying before having to withdraw from the event while his team-mate, young Oli Bayliss won a race and holds the lap record. Staring never needs any encouragement but rest assured he is well aware of the past!
Cru Halliday has carded more third places in recent seasons than he would care to remember and is very eager to climb on to the top step. He has been overshadowed by his new team mate this year, but he could be in a lot stronger position considering it was a bike problem that caused his retirement from race two at QR, and he comes fresh off a brace of third places at the previous round at Wakefield.
With three races at Hidden Valley and 48 laps in total, every single one of those laps will be keenly fought and feature hard as nails battles at the front. The question will be as to how many will be in that leading group, who they will be, and how long they will be able to stay there as the laps count down towards the chequered flag in each contest…?
The action promises to be as hot as the tropical sun that will shine on the drama that is sure to unfold. Let’s pray to the racing gods that it is nowhere near as dramatic as 2021.
Hidden Valley ASBK results since 2010
2010
Race One – Waters, Allerton Bugden
Race Two – Waters, Staring, Allerton
2011
Race One – Waters, Allerton Stauffer
Race Two – Allerton, Waters, Attard,
2012
Race One – Waters Bugden, Maxwell
Race Two – Waters, Maxwell, Allerton
2013
Race One – Maxwell, Stauffer, Hook
Race Two – Stauffer, Bugden, Maxwell
2017
Race One – Waters Herfoss, Maxwell
Race Two – Waters, Herfoss, Staring
2018
Race One – Bayliss, Herfoss, Staring
Race Two – Herfoss, Staring, Maxwell
2021
Race One – Herfoss, Maxwell, Allerton
Race Two – Abandoned
Race Three – Bayliss, Maxwell, Allerton
ASBK On-Track Schedule Darwin
Add half an hour to times for eastern seaboard AEST
Friday
Free Practice 1: 8:50am (30 min)
Free Practice 2: 11:45am (30 min)
Free Practice 3: 2:55pm (35 min)
Saturday
Qualifying 1: 9:10am (20 min)
Qualifying 2:9:35am (15 min)
Race 1: 1:10pm (16 laps)
Sunday
Race 2: 10:00am (16 laps)
Race 3: 1:55pm (16 laps)
Hidden Valley ASBK TV Schedule
The slightly different format of the Hidden Valley event – where there are three races instead of the usual two- also has slightly different TV times and broadcasters.
In 2022, Fox Sports Australia will broadcast live nearly every on-track session plus all races.
As has occured in previous years, Channel 7 will broadcast races one and three live-to-air alongside the regular Supercars TV coverage.
Post event, ASBK TV will work with TV production partners AVE to create a special edition replay of ASBK Round 4 – Darwin. This special edition will be broadcast on SBS – Sunday 3rd July 1300 – 1500 AEST.
As well as the always epic racing, this special edition will feature exclusive behind the scenes action, colour stories and all the thrills and spills from one of the great rounds of any season; Hidden Valley, NT.
ASBK Live Broadcast information
Fox Sports Australia
Friday – Free Practice 2 and Free Practice 3
Saturday – Qualifying 1 & Qualifying 2, plus Race 1
Sunday – Race 2 (Exclusively Live on Fox) & Race 3
Channel 7
Saturday – Race 1
Sunday – Race 3
SBS
Sunday 3rd July 1pm- The ASBK Darwin Show
Check the Event Schedule and your local guides for exact times
mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance
Alpinestars Superbike Championship Points Standings
| Pos | Name | Total |
| 1 | Mike JONES | 132 |
| 2 | Wayne MAXWELL | 109 |
| 3 | Bryan STARING | 102 |
| 4 | Josh WATERS | 94 |
| 5 | Cru HALLIDAY | 90 |
| 6 | Glenn ALLERTON | 88 |
| 7 | Arthur SISSIS | 87 |
| 8 | Troy HERFOSS | 81 |
| 9 | Daniel FALZON | 73 |
| 10 | Anthony WEST | 70 |
| 11 | Aiden WAGNER | 47 |
| 12 | Jed METCHER | 39 |
| 13 | Max STAUFFER | 38 |
| 14 | Mark CHIODO | 37 |
| 15 | Matt WALTERS | 32 |
| 16 | Broc PEARSON | 31 |
| 17 | Beau BEATON | 27 |
| 18 | Michael EDWARDS | 25 |
| 19 | Chandler COOPER | 21 |
| 20 | Lachlan EPIS | 20 |
| 21 | Luke JHONSTON | 7 |
| 22 | Corey FORDE | 3 |
mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance
2022 ASBK Calendar
| Round 1 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC 25 – 27 February |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300, R3 Cup, OJC, SBK Masters |
| Round 2 Queensland Raceway, Ipswich QLD 18 – 20 March |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300, R3 Cup, OJC, Sidecars |
| Round 3 Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn NSW 22 – 24 April |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300, R3 Cup, OJC, Aussie Racing Cars |
| Round 4 Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin NT 17 – 19 June |
| * With Supercars – SBK Only |
| Round 5 Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick QLD 5 – 7 August |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300, R3 Cup, OJC |
| Round 6 Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Cowes VIC 18 – 20 November |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300 |
| Round 7 The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend SA 25 – 27 November |
| SBK, SSPT, SS300, R3 Cup, OJC |
| ASBK Night of Champions Dinner – The Bend 27 November |
