Mike Jones runs away with final NT bout to extend series lead

ASBK 2022 – Round Four
Hidden Valley – Superbike Race Three

Wayne Maxwell overcame one of his worst ever race starts and a fuel breather hose pumping fuel all over him to take a brilliant come from behind victory in the second race of the Hidden Valley race weekend on Sunday morning in Darwin.

This came after an emotionally charged second place for Troy Herfoss in Saturday’s weekend opener that set the scene for a thrilling weekend of ASBK action in the Top End.

While the headlines had not really gone his way, Mike Jones had been continuing his brilliant form and racking up the points. The return of Herfoss to the fore had overshadowed what had been a dominant performance by Jones on Saturday, and the YRT man was only a quarter of a second away from the win in race two.  The YRT YZF-R1M and Jones have been flawless all season and they are continuing that trend in Darwin.

Going into the final encounter on Sunday Bryan Staring had two third place finishes on his dance card, but was still feeling somewhat disapppointed that he had not gone better and was determined to go harder in this one.

Josh Waters had shown podium pace in both encounters before overheating problems robbed him of his potential on Saturday, and then sixth place on Sunday morning was still not enough to satisfy his hunger. Team-mate Glenn Allerton had his own problems with a collapsing seat unit falling on to the rear tyre costing him plenty of points in race two. Both men have good pace but things have not gone their way so far this weekend and they will both be hoping for a change of fortune in this one.

While on Saturday Troy Herfoss had got quicker as the race progressed, on Sunday morning the Penrite Honda man scorched out of the blocks to immediately be challenging for the lead but ultimately just missed the podium. Herfoss is lacking drive grip from the Honda, particularly out of the final turn, and rates his chances better in this afternoon’s hotter conditions when his competitors also start to suffer more grip problems that might bring them back to him.

Cru Halliday has been displaying enough pace to be in the mix for a podium but after carding sixth and fifth place finishes he will be hungry for much more in this one and will have to get a ripper start to ensure he is in that mix.

Arthur Sissis led the opening laps on Sunday morning before ultimately slipping down the order to seventh place in the second half of the race. The Unitech Racing Team will be in two minds, hugely excited with their early pace and potential, while being disconsolate with the drop in performance over the long run.

A more careful start for Maxwell this time, it was smoother and faster, but still not great. Mike Jones entered turn one first but ran in a little deep which opened the door for Maxwell to take the lead. Bryan Staring then started challenging Jones for second, Glenn Allerton was fourth, Arthur Sissis fifth, Cru Halliday sixth, Troy Herfoss had work to do in seventh.  Josh Waters ran off the circuit and was pushed right down the field after nearly hitting the back of Sissis in the run to turn one.

Mike Jones took the lead into turn one on lap two and Allerton moved past Staring to take third place.  Cru Halliday moved up to fifth. Maxwell followed Jones down the chute but didn’t have enough to best him into turn one and had to settle for staying in second place, but Maxwell also now had an eager Glenn Allerton right on his pipe should he leave the door open anywhere. Allerton the quickest on that first flying lap with a 66.077.

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Cru Halliday was quickest on lap three with a 65.700 and was still in fifth place. Maxwell back in the lead from Jones but the YRT man so much quicker into the tighter turns than the defending champ.

Mike Jones slip-streamed past Wayne Maxwell once again next time around and Glenn Allerton then saw enough space for him to squeeze through at turn one also, pushing Maxwell back to third. A second covered the top six but Herfoss in seventh had a little work to do from slightly further back.

Jones then put the hammer down and started to inch away from Allerton and Maxwell. A little further back Herfoss started his charge, passing Sissis and starting to hound Halliday.

Allerton then went wide into turn one which allowed Maxwell back through to second place. Maxwell then went down on the exit of the tight right-hander around the back! He picked the Boost Mobile Ducati back up and rejoined the race way down in 14th place.

Mike Jones was now really out on his own. At half race distance he had two-seconds on Glenn Alerton, the BMW rider leading a busy group that including Bryan Staring, Cru Halliday and Troy Herfoss while Arthur Sissis tried to also stay in touch.

Bryan Staring moved past Allerton for second place with six laps to run and Herfoss was now clambering all over the back of both of them. Halliday was still right there too and so was Sissis.

Mike Jones was out on his own running his own race, his buffer more than three-seconds with five laps to run. The contest for second though was intense with five riders that all wanted it…

Troy Herfoss went under Allerton for third place and now had his sights set on the DesmoSport Ducati piloted by Bryan Staring. Herfoss went under Staring late on that lap, but struggled for grip yet again onto the straight which allowed Staring to take the lead again into turn one. But Herfoss goes under him again on exit to take that second place right back again. Allerton then under Staring to push the Western Australian back to fourth. Halliday and Sissis also still right there on the back of them with half a second covering that five riders.

Herfoss held Allerton off into turn one next time around and was deeper than he would have preferred into turn one but kept it together to maintain sway.  He then inched away ever so slightly around the back of the circuit but Allerton then went under him at turn one to take that second place back yet again.

At the last lap board Mike Jones had an incredible 6.5-seconds over those battling for second.

Herfoss under Allerton around the back but Allerton comes right back at him to hold on, Staring on the pipe of Herfoss down the chute but the Penrite Honda had enough horsepower to hold him off and secure that podium.  The race for second sensational, but Mike Jones was in another race further up the track…

Allerton triumphant in that heady battle for second place and Herfoss on the podium. Bryan Staring oh so close as was Cru Halliday and Arthur Sissis. There would be some frustration amongst some of those riders that they could not just have found that extra tenth or two that would have secured them more points. Sissis pipped Halliday for fifth at the line.

Josh Waters recovered from that trip out to the boondocks on the opening lap to secure seventh, a brilliant recovery.

Daniel Falzon eighth but being more than a second a lap down over race distance will not see them satisfied.

Anthony West home in ninth while Mark Chiodo rounded out the top ten over the recovering Wayne Maxwell.

Mike Jones arrived in Darwin with a 23-point advantage over Maxwell and departs the Northern Territory after extending that buffer to 40-points. As I wrote in the build up to the race report further up this page, while Jones had not claimed the headlines in the opening two races, he had been faultless, winning one and coming second in the other. And he then followed them up with an utterly dominant win, a performance that demonstrated absolute class. The Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1M and Mike Jones looks to be a marriage made in heaven.

What his rivals will be finding truly scary is that this was a track where we all suspected Jones and the Yamaha to perhaps struggle. And when next up we go to Morgan Park, a place that Mike has worn his own groove around, it is safe to say he has the competition very worried indeed.  Mike has been rock solid all season, and his YRT bike has been the same. Mike, his crew chief and all his mechanics can take a bow, where others have made mistakes on or off the track, they’ve been flawless and fault free. Mike leaves here as firm championship favourite. 

ASBK will reconvene in Queensland on the weekend of August 7th at Morgan Park. Then there is an even longer three month break until Phillip Island hosts round six on November 20, before the series finale plays out in South Australia the following weekend.

Hidden Valley Race Three Results

Hidden Valley Round Points

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Alpinestars Superbike Championship Points Standings

mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance
2022 ASBK Calendar