Waters wins interrupted second Superbike bout at The Bend

ASBK 2024
Round Seven – The Bend
Pirelli Superbike Race Two

The best conditions of the weekend so far greeted Superbike competitors as they formed up on the grid for the penultimate battle in the war that is the 2024 Australian Superbike Championship.

Mike Jones had trimmed Josh Waters’ championship lead to 20 points after taking victory on Saturday and the YRT man looked smooth as silk with speed to burn.

Josh Waters was looking very pensive and full of nervous energy on the grid but that didn’t prevent the McMartin Ducati rider scoring the holeshot and leading the field through turn one. Troy Herfoss into second, Mike Jones third, Arthur Sissis fourth, Broc Pearson fifth and Max Stauffer sixth.

Troy Herfoss had been plagued by bike problems all weekend, had a crash while challenging for a podium result in race one, and also had problems in morning warm-up so was starting way behind the eight-ball but with nothing to lose after spending the majority of the year racing in America.

Josh Waters had built a lead of just over half-a-second over the course of that opening lap. Herfoss remained second but was now looking to perhaps be holding up Mike Jones a little through certain sections of the circuit.

Mike Jones was looking for a way past Herfoss but was going to have throw caution to the wind to do it. Herfoss running some strange lines and not looking at all comfortable but still able to keep Jones at bay.

Benefitting was Josh Waters who had clear air up front and stretching away, his lead 1.2-seconds as they started lap three.

The fastest man on track across the first flying lap was Anthony West with a 1m51.287 as he moved up to fifth place and started closing in on Sissis, Jones and Herfoss.

Tom Toparis then crashed and there was the possibility of some fluid on track and his Stop & Seal Superbike in a somewhat dangerous position which brought out the red flag.

That red flag certainly played into the hands of Mike Jones, and much to the detriment of Josh Waters who had looked as though he would run away with it.

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Riders came back around to grid up as their crews rushed to get the tyre warmers on to preserve the temperature in the rubber as much as possible.

The DesmoSport Ducati crew swarming around the bike of Herfoss trying to fix some technical problems that had been holding him back from the first start.

If Josh Waters was nervous first time around he looked even more nervous on the grid waiting for things to get underway again.

Officials declared that the full re-start would be over a shortened seven-lap race distance. That meant we had a real sprint on our hands…

Josh Waters lofted the front a little off the line but that didn’t appear to cost him too much time as he again led the field into turn one. Arthur Sissis second. Much to his frustration Mike Jones was again behind Herfoss as they negotiated the opening lap.  Broc Pearson fifth, Max Stauffer sixth, Cam Dunker seventh and Anthony West a poor start once again down in eighth.

Arthur Sissis looked hot to trot on the back wheel of Waters’ Ducati V4 R, tucked in behind the McMartin Racing bike down the chute.

Mike Jones tried to go up the inside of Herfoss into turn one but had to pull out of it, then tried up the inside again a few turns later but Herf shut the door. Waters not breaking away from the off this time around.

Troy Herfoss sent it up the inside of Arthur Sissis under brakes to take second place late on lap two to move up to second place and push the South Australian back to third. Mike Jones still fourth.

Anthony West was the fastest man on the track once again! Westy up to fifth place and trying to chase down the leading quartet.

Josh Waters was not breaking away up front… Troy Herfoss was getting stronger as the race progressed, setting a new fastest lap of the race on lap four to close to within two-tenths of Waters…

Mike Jones had finally found a way past Sissis for third place and now had two Ducati’s to beat if he was going to keep his championship hopes alive, but he had less than three laps to do it…

Troy Herfoss was clambering all over the back of Waters, and makes a move for the lead but runs wide which allowed Waters to sweep back under and through to regain the lead. Mike Jones now right on the back of Herfoss and was pasting Pirelli on the tarmac in his quest to get the power down and in front of the Italian machines.  Westy had now joined the leading group.

Jones up the inside of Herfoss to take second place, but Herfoss gets him back at the next turn.. Anthony West swept past Sissis for fourth and was keen to inject himself into that podium fight to complicate things even further in the championship fight.

Josh Waters led Herfoss by four-tenths at the last lap board… Jones third… The gap down to three-tenths halfway around the final lap…

Mike Jones up the inside of Herfoss at the final turn to take second place but it was Josh Waters that took the victory to extend his lead back out to 25-points.

With one race to go and 25-points up for grabs, if Mike Jones was to win and Josh Waters no score in the final bout this afternoon, then Jones would take the championship on countback after scoring more wins during the season…

Pirelli Superbike Race Two Results

Australian Superbike Championship Points