ASBK 2018 – Round Seven – Phillip Island
Friday wrap from FP1/2/3
The third and final Superbike session got underway at 1545 this afternoon but the red flag came out only laps into the session. The infamous Cape Barren Geese decided they wanted to hang out on the Phillip Island tarmac and thus were causing a hazard to riders and they were forced to return to pitlane.
Next time around the riders had hardly got a lap in before the red flag was produced again, this time for oil at turn three. Not really the place you want to encounter a lack of adhesion, as Ted Collins found out much to his dismay. A lengthy delay then ensued that saw the time remaining in the session reduced to ten-minutes, in order to try and fit things in and save some time before the noise curfew came in to force.
By the time the riders were on track and up to speed the clock only had seven-minutes remaining, but the pace was hotting up.
Bryan Staring dropped in a 1m33.005 to top the session just before the red flag was produced yet again. This time around due to Lachlan Epis going down at turn one. The session was then declared, robbing the chances for the other riders to improve on their FP1/2 times.
Thus topping the day overall was Josh Waters courtesy of that 1m32.762 in FP2 ahead of Wayne Maxwell, the only other rider to dip into the 32s today.
Cru Halliday continued his season long domination of the Supersport category, topping all sessions and laying down a series of 1m35s lap, the best of which was a 1m35.594 in FP3.
Curioulsy though, most of the Supersport runners recorded their best time today in the earlier FP2 session. Tom Toparis was P2, as he has been for most of the season, while Callum Spriggs showed that he has not lost much of his form since his time away from the sport by finishing the day third quickest.
Oil Bayliss ended Friday on top of the Supersport 300 charts with a 1m49.558 and Locky Taylor was the only other rider to join the youngster in the 49s today. Long distance award winner Callum O’Brien ended the day in P3 ahead of Max Stauffer and Tom Bramich.
Aaron Morris set the pace in Superbike Masters with a 1m38.084 in FP2 and failed to improve on that time in FP3, but was still clocking off 38s in the final session. Morris remained the only rider to get in that bracket all day.
Beau Beaton was second on the back of his 1m39.502 in FP2, that time coming just before the Irving Vincent spectacularly dropped its lunch. The bespoke machine did not turn a wheel in FP3.
The final YMF R3 Cup session of the day was topped by Locky Taylor and it was the young Queenslander that also took the day overall honours with his 1m49.512 from FP2 ahead of Hunter Ford and Callum O’Brien.