Mike Jones claims final Superbike victory at Phillip Island MotoGP
Troy Herfoss scored the holeshot as the third and final Australian Superbike race got underway beneath sunny Phillip Island skies at the 2015 Australian MotoGP event at 0940 this morning.
Jamie Stauffer tagged on to the back of Herfoss around the back of the circuit and then took his teammate for the lead in a brave move at turn 11.
Daniel Falzon pulled off the circuit to retire from the race due to a broken chain.
Team Yamaha’s Glenn Allerton and Cube Racing Kawasaki’s Mike Jones slipstreamed past both Honda men at the end of the main straight to take the lead as lap two of the eight lap race distance commenced.
Mike Jones took Allerton on the exit of Siberia but the Yamaha man took the lead right back as things really started to hot up at the front.
Wayne Maxwell had been watching on from fifth place, right behind that leading quartet but then declared his challenge at the start of lap three by slipping past Stauffer for fourth place at the end of the chute.
Mike Jones then took the lead from Allerton, as Herfoss and Stauffer tussled over fourth place after pushing Maxwell back to fifth.
Mike Jones actually managed to take a couple of bike lengths out of his pursuers on the next lap as Allerton and Herfoss gave chase. Allerton then lost grip on the exit of Siberia, allowing Herfoss through to second place, the Goulburn man immediately then gapping Allerton, Maxwell and Stauffer, Herfoss’ sights firmly set on chasing down Jones.
Wayne Maxwell took third place from Glenn Allerton towards the end of lap five, and put the hammer down to try and close the gap to Herfoss and Jones ahead of him.
The leading trio then stepped the pace up even further, all dipping into the 1m32s. Stauffer and Allerton could not quite match that pace and were left behind tussling hard over fourth place, but now that battle was unfolding around 150 metres behind the closely packed leading trio. Up front, nothing separated Jones, Herfoss and Maxwell as they got the last lap board.
Maxwell took Herfoss for second place early on the final lap. Herfoss nearly had a go back at Maxwell on the change of direction at The Hayshed but wisely thought better of it, as it was almost certain to end in tears.
Mike Jones kept Maxwell behind him around Lukey Heights, the Kawasaki man got a great run around turns 11 and 12 to take the win by two-hundredths of a second.Â
Wayne Maxwell put in the fastest lap of the race on the the penultimate lap, a 1m32.449 to the Yamaha Racing Team man who then backed it up with a 1m32.672 on the final lap, but it was still not enough to steal the glory from Mike Jones, the Queenslander taking a hard fought, well raced and brilliantly executed win. Troy Herfoss crossed the stripe two-tenths behind to claim the final step on the rostrum.
Race one winner Jamie Stauffer took fourth place two-seconds behind the podium finishers while race two winner Glenn Allerton lost ground on the final lap to finish three-seconds behind the winner.
The race win put Jones on equal points for the round with Glenn Allerton but Jones taking the overall honours thanks to winning the final race of the three.
Mike Jones also clinched the overall Phillip Island Championship, points for which were scored at both this MotoGP event this weekend, and also the World Superbike support races earlier in the year, with a tally of 97 points edging out Troy Herfoss by a slender three point margin. Â The Yamaha Racing Team men were not in the running for the Phillip Island Championship overall as they did not take part in the World Superbike support event.
Australian Superbike Race Three Results – Phillip Island MotoGP
- Mike Jones
- Wayne Maxwell 0.023
- Troy Herfoss 0.207
- Jamie Stauffer 2.006
- Glenn Allerton 3.093
- Linden Magee 16.041
- Ben Henry 16.34
- Cru Halliday 19.12
- Adam Christie 35.02
- Trent Gibson 43.33
- Phil Czaj
- Alastair Loomes
- Jason Martin
- Chris Perini
- Ryan Lawes
