ASBK Superbike/Supersport round ups from Friday morning at SMP

ASBK 2024
Round Two – Sydney Motorsport Park
Australian Superbike / Supersport FP1

After the three opening races of the season at Phillip Island, we are back to the regular two-race weekend for Superbike and Supersport this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park. This round also presents its unique challenges with a hectic two-day-night schedule.

As normal, the categories outside of Superbike and Supersport, get three races over the course of the round. Three support categories have their first races under lights late on Friday evening; bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup racers have their first six-lap race scheduled to start at 2055, followed by the popular Superbike Masters at 2120. Supersport 300 competitors round out Friday night with their opening eight-lap contest of the weekend at 2140. This season, the YMF R3 Cup only contest the Morgan Park, ONE Raceway (Wakefield Park) and The Bend rounds.

The Superbike and Supersport competitors were first to take to the 3910-metres of bitumen that make up the long straight and 11 turns of Sydney Motorsport Park on what was a very overcast morning in western Sydney. The ambient temperature was just over 20-degrees, while the track temperature was around 36-degrees.

Josh Waters went 1-1-1 at Phillip Island last month, and last time out here at SMP, the McMartin Ducati rider also dominated with a perfect score.  In the lead-up to this year’s contest at SMP, Waters has done less laps around the circuit than any of the other top Superbike riders.  Where most have contested multiple rounds of the St. George Motorcycle Club’s popular Summer Series, Waters only completed the practice sessions at one of those events, but did not take to the grid to race.  Always a wily character of few words, Waters plays his cards close to his chest. He is the current race lap-record holder here, with a 1m29.001 set on his way to victory last year.

Alongside Waters in the McMartin garage this weekend, is Harrison Voight. The youngster has little Superbike experience, but every time he has ridden the V4 R, he has shown scintillating pace. Can he put one over his much more experienced team-mate?

DemoSport Ducati also has a ring-in this weekend. Troy Herfoss didn’t expect to defend his championship this year after committing to racing both the King of the Baggers and Super Hooligan Championships in America. He stepped onto the DesmoSport Ducati at round one, though, and was right on the pace. Ultimately, he didn’t have the speed to take it to Waters, but now, he may have bridged that gap with more time on the bike. However, Herf picked up some lurgy on his way back from America and is distinctly under the weather.    His experience has also helped the team along a little further, with Broc Pearson now determined to show his mettle and shake up the established pecking order.

Cru Halliday has shown absolutely scintillating one-lap pace around here many times and set a new qualifying lap record here last year at 1m28.970. He was the first man into the 29s today, a 1m29.498 on his tenth lap of the session. He then cruised the next lap before putting his head down once again to lower the marker to 1m29.194.

No other rider attempted a proper fast lap during the 30-minute sessions. Only loading practice rounds into their breeches while keeping their bayonets firmly in their scabbards.

Team-mate, Mike Jones, generally saves his best for race day. He did 17 laps this morning, more than any other rider, as he worked towards a race set-up for tomorrow’s two 13-lap contests.

Which one of the YRT boys will push the Ducati runners hardest this weekend when the lights go out?

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Glenn Allerton is largely over his pre-season ankle injury and made some steps forward in set-up during recent testing. This is his backyard, and he is ready to rock. Can he muster podium pace this weekend on the GT Racing BMW?  This morning, he lost the front at turn three and crashed, he will be on the spare bike next time out.

Fellow veteran, Bryan Staring, had his own pre-lunch struggles. The West Australian didn’t get out until late in the session due to clutch problems, only to then immediately go down. He resumed to put in a mid-32, but it is early days yet.

The Penrite Yamaha squad is showing off a new look in the pit garages this year, with some impressive signage to match the evocative paint scheme that adorns their YZF-R1M machines.  Max Stauffer broke his wrist only three weeks ago, but claims that won’t hold him back. His young rookie team-mate, Cam Dunker, has been seriously impressive so far this season, staying on the bike, plugging away, learning all the time, and banking solid results along the way.

Anthony West is on a much better package this season, and that looks to have spurred him on in his training. The 42-year-old is looking fitter than I have seen him in quite some time.

Arthur Sissis also can’t be discounted, and always seems just on the cusp of climbing that next step that will enable him to be genuinely competitive. Fellow South Australian Ty Lynch is also keen to take that next step.

A special congratulations must go out today to veteran, Michael Edwards. This weekend marks the 100th round of the Australian Superbike Championship the Queensland Yamaha dealer has contested.

The Superbikes are out again next for FP2 at 1510, followed by FP3 at 1720. Final Qualifying is slated to get underway at 2050 on Friday evening.  Race One is scheduled to start at 1655 on Saturday, followed by the second and final 13-lap bout under lights at 2110 on Saturday night.

Superbike FP1 Times

Supersport FP1

There were a few early fallers in the opening 25-minute Supersport practice session. First Simone Boldrini, then quickly followed by Luke Sanders.

The Supersport category perhaps offers more interest this season than it has in many years. Entry numbers are good and there is a good mix of talent as some category stalwarts are set to do battle with plenty of young talent stepping up from the Supersport 300 category.

Young Jonathan Nahlous made a big statement at the Phillip Island season opener. The 17-year-old took pole position and then dominated all three contests to score a perfect 76-points.

That weekend, though, Tom Toparis was contesting the World Supersport races as a wildcard, while this weekend, he is back in the domestic ranks and out to reassert his dominance of the category.

Jake Farnsworth has shown impressive pace here and will be a contender.

After stepping back from the Superbike ranks Mark Chiodo has a point to prove on the new Honda CBR600RR. He started out on the right foot this morning by topping FP1 ahead of Toparis.

Sean Condon is back in the Supersport ring and is most definitely an SMP specialist, he can’t be discounted from the podium contest.

Then there is Olly Simpson, Tom Bramich, Jack Favelle, Archie McDonald, Marcus Hamod, Glenn Nelson, Hayden Nelson, Corey Snowsill, Corey Turner, Jacob Hatch, Hunter Ford, Brandon Demmery and Luke Jhonston. Many of those names are certainly podium contenders when the cards fall their way, the category is looking good this year.

If conditions allow, we can expect both new qualifying lap records and race lap records to be set here this weekend. Toparis went well under the lap record here late last year at a St. George MCC Summer Nights round with a 1m32.348, but that is not counted towards ASBK lap records.

Supersport FP1 Times

ASBK Superbike Championship Points

ASBK Supersport Championship Points

Supersport 300 Championship Points

2024 Australian Superbike Championship Calendar

• Round 1: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC Feb 23-25
• Round 2: Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW Mar 22-23
• Round 3: Queensland Raceway, QLD Apr 26-28
• Round 4: Morgan Park Raceway, QLD Jul 12-14
• Round 5: Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC Sept 7-8
• Round 6: One Raceway, NSW Oct 4-6
• Round 7: The Bend Motorsports Park, SA Nov 8-10