Maxwell puts in eight sub-lap-record times in succession

ASBK 2021 Wakefield Park

Friday Superbike Practice

Wayne Maxwell had topped the opening two sessions and Glenn Allerton had joined him in the 56-second bracket during FP2 to underline his potential ahead of Sundays two 20-lap races. Would Herfoss come out all guns blazing in FP3 to set another new benchmark? Or would he instead play his cards a little closer to his chest than customary? 

Track temperature in FP3 was actually a few degrees cooler than the 35 registered in FP2. A breeze had come across the circuit to take a little heat out of the tarmac. 

Wayne Maxwell was back in the 56s again ten-minutes into the session with a 56.922 then immediately backed it up with a 56.962, 57.182, 57.094, 57.272, 57.177 and 57.329 before returning to the pits. He had recorded a 57.041 immediately before the 56 so all up it was a scintillating sequence of eight laps all under the existing race lap record… He came back out late in the session to put in another couple of low 57s. That eight-lap run under the lap record might be making his competitors more than a little nervous this evening.

Mike Jones was making progress, dropping almost half-a-second off his previous best to join the front runners with a 57.103 on his tenth lap, halfway through the session. He then put in a few mid 57s but didn’t improve on that 57.1 before the end of the day.

With ten-minutes remaining in the session Herfoss was third on 57.284 and Oli Bayliss fourth on 57.442 but neither rider improved on that before the chequered flag. Cru Halliday’s FP2 time split that pair on the combined results. 

Glenn Allerton failed to reproduce that 56-second form that he displayed in FP2 and ranked only eighth in FP3 but was second on combined times off the back of his 56.943 earlier on in the day. 

Anthony West effectively lost FP1 with a mechanical fault that put him in the kitty litter but started to gain some experience on the bike and muster some speed in FP2 for a best of 59.017. Unfortunately Westy then effectively lost another whole session in FP3 with bike problems. 

Superbike Friday Combined Times

Supersport

Broc Pearson tried a stiffer fork set-up in FP2 to allow him to get on the brakes harder but the valving was all wrong so they lost most of the session swapping another set of forks back into the bike. In the last flying lap of the session though Pearson topped proceedings with a 59.149 to top the time-sheets. 

FP3 saw Pearson straight down to business with a 59.3 backed up with a 59.014 before dropping in a 58.855 on his next lap, two-tenths quicker than the Supersport qualifying lap record here at Wakefield Park. He then returned to the pits to make some more changes before dropping in another 58, a 58.941.  Pearson particularly fast in the tricky middle of the lap compared to the opposition. 

Tom Edwards was second quickest today on 59.242 and Max Stauffer third on 59.251 (FP2) while Jack Passfield was fourth overall on 59.784 (FP2). Dallas Skeer was the only other rider to record a sub-minute lap.

Supersport Friday Combined Times

R3 Cup Friday Combined Times

Supersport 300 Friday Combined Times

bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Friday Combined Times

Sidecars Friday Combined Times

2021 Wakefield Park ASBK Schedule

2021 Australian Superbike Championship Standings

2021 Australian Superbike Championship Calendar