Josh Waters wins thrilling opening Superbike bout at P.I.

MotoGP 2022 – Round 18 – Phillip Island
Friday Support Class Race Reports/Results

The four riders that had failed to make the qualifying cut-off this morning were permitted to start the race by the Clerk of Course.  

Troy Herfoss had some electronic problems this morning with the auto-blipper not working on the Penrite Honda. Something the crew had been trying to rectify ahead of this opening ten-lap bout by changing out some components. 

The weather had been quite pleasant this afternoon at Phillip Island, but a shower came through ten minutes before the Superbikes were due to form up on the grid. Nice for the nerves I’m sure…

Cru Halliday lined up on pole position ahead of Josh Waters and Mike Jones, while Bryan Staring fronted the second row ahead of Troy Herfoss and Broc Pearson after Jed Metcher was demoted to the rear of the grid.

The lights went out right on schedule at 1640 and it was Cru Halliday that got a great jump off the line but leading the field through turn one was DesmoSport Ducati’s Bryan Staring. Josh Waters quickly up to third, Herfoss fourth and Metcher up to fifth ahead of ASBK Championship leader Mike Jones.

Across the stripe for the first time Staring had a couple of bike lengths over Halliday and Waters, but Waters then slipped the Boost Mobile Ducati under Staring to take the race lead at turn four on the second lap of this ten lap race. Chasing them hard were Cru Halliday and Troy Herfoss.

Waters then set a 1m33.111 to stretch away from Staring over the second half of that lap. A little further back Mike Jones had started to make progress, slipping past Herfoss and Metcher to move up to fourth place.

With seven laps still to run Staring was keeping Waters honest and not allowing the Boost Mobile Ducati stand-in rider to get away. Halliday was also managing to stay in touch while Jones was getting quicker as the race progressed, a 1m32.930 fastest lap of the race declaring his speed…

Cru Halliday and Mike Jones then both got the better of Bryan Staring as the race broached the halfway marker.  That little tussle had given Waters plenty of clear air, and he capitalised on it to stretch his gap to almost a full-second.

Broc Pearson then went down at Lukey Heights out of seventh place, rider okay.

Cru Halliday started to reel Waters in over the next couple of laps. With three laps to run the gap was down to only a couple of tenths. Mike Jones was coming with him…

Halliday started to nip at the exhaust of Waters’ Boost Mobile Ducati as the pair negotiated lapped traffic. Waters with the edge through the final turns and down the chute but Halliday closing up around the turns, especially through turns one and two where the Yamaha man clawed all that ground back up.

Halliday then went around the outside of Waters between turns four and five to take the race lead. The YRT man held on around the Hayshed, across Lukey, through MG, and led Waters onto the main straight and then managed to keep the Ducati at bay down the chute as they started the final lap of the race.

Waters right behind Halliday through Southern Loop, the two almost clash at turn four after Halliday took a sweeping line in from outside, still Halliday through Siberia and Hayshed… Still Halliday across Lukey Heights, still in front through MG, they tip into 11 and they wind up through the final turns… Waters right on his tail coming onto the main straight for an almost photo finish… Waters the winner by a nose!

A great debut for Waters on the Boost Mobile Ducati after only having one day on the bike prior to this meeting. Still, a brilliant race by Halliday, and Jones showed good speed but could not recover from a poor start to put his hat in the ring proper.

Early race leader Bryan Staring finished fourth, but with an eight-second buffer over Herfoss.

Superbike Race One Results

OJC Cup Race One Results

OJC Cup Qualifying Results

Phillip Island MotoGP Schedule

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