Josh Waters takes ASBK pole in Sydney

Team Suzuki’s Josh Waters saved his best for last to take pole position at Sydney Motorsports Park

YRT duo Wayne Maxwell and Glenn Allerton round out front row

Team Honda’s Bryan Staring and Troy Herfoss head row two

Yamaha Motor Finance ASBK 2017 – Round Six – Sydney Motorsports Park

Daniel Falzon had topped the somewhat strange morning QP1 session where not many of the leading riders turned many laps. In fact, out of the front runners only Falzon and the two Honda men actually improved on their Friday times.

In the case of Herfoss and Staring that was a huge positive, as both men, particularly defending champion Herfoss, had really struggled for speed on Friday. The bikes were basically turned upside down for today, new suspension settings at both ends and some tuning of the engine braking control systems, allowed them to get back in the game today.

Just as had happened in QP1, very little unfolded in the early stages of the final 30-minute session that would decide the grid for tomorrow’s 2 x 14-lap contests.

In fact ten minutes into the session none of the top three had even turned a wheel. The reason? Tyre wear…  Most of the riders would have tried a softer option on Friday to get a feel for it, but would have only ridden on the harder tyre that they will more likely race with tomorrow, in this morning’s session. 

The first of the leading trio from QP1, Josh Waters, then exited pitlane to try and improve on his third place standing, the Suzuki man straight down to 1m31.06 on his first flying lap.

The big improver was Robbie Bugden, presumably slotting softer option rubber in for the first time this weekend to shoot from 11th up to fifth, knocking almost a full-second off his QP1 time in the process. 

At the halfway stage of the session provisional polesitter Daniel Falzon and second ranked Wayne Maxwell were still yet to lap the circuit. Matt Walters was out and circulating and at that halfway point shot from 10th to fifth, knocking 1.2-seconds off his QP1 best. 

After simply circulating well off the pace for a few laps Waters then found some clear air and dropped the hammer to smash out a 1m30.726 to take that provisional pole position off Falzon and returned to the pits. Then both Falzon and Maxwell joined the circuit to declare game-on. 

Bryan Staring was on a flyer with 13-minutes remaining, fastest through the first sector, as was Walters who was also on another flyer through the first sector, before curiously then returning to pitlane. Staring lost a tiny amount of time through the remaining two sectors but that lap still good enough to promote him up to second overall on the back of a 1m30.830 on what was his fourth lap of the afternoon.

Corey Turner then dropped almost 1.5-seconds off his previous best to catapult himself from outside the top ten into fifth place, ahead of Walters, Bugden and Allerton. 

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Falzon then went for it with eight-minutes remaining in the session. Six-hundredths of a second under at the first split, but lost a little through the middle and final sectors which meant the South Australian failed to improve on his morning benchmark. 

Troy Herfoss then decided it was his time to shine and was quickest through sector two before crossing the stripe with a 1m30.83 to move up to second place just behind his #67 teammate. 

After a clearly frustrating Q1 Cru Halliday had the red mist on when with six minutes remaining he set a new fastest sector one time but then dropped half-a-second in sector two, still it had been enough to push him forward to fourth place ahead of Falzon and Maxwell. There were now five minutes to go…

Glenn Allerton then shot from tenth to second with a 1m30.765 just as Wayne Maxwell started his first serious flyer, and quickest man thus far Waters was also back into it.  Maxwell was quickest through the first sector but failed to maintain that rage while Josh Waters smashed out a 1m30.464 to strengthen his position at the top of the timesheets. 

Maxwell though was on another flyer, quicker again through sector one, and this time maintained that pace through the second sector, 0.161 of a second up, then at the line stopped the clocks at 1m30.458 to pip Waters by six-thousandths of a second!

Waters responded, with a minute to go he was quickest at first split, quicker again at the second split then lowered the benchmark for the day to 1m30.197. There were now only 30-seconds remaining in the session…

Josh Waters – P1

“I’m really happy with today, to get the team and my first pole position for the year is awesome. Tomorrow’s two races are going to be tough for everyone I think but I hope the preparation we have done yesterday and today will help us.”

That was it, job done for Waters and Team Suzuki. Wayne Maxwell will start tomorrow’s opening 14-lap bout alongside Waters and Glenn Allerton will round out that front row when the lights go out at 1100 tomorrow morning. 

Wayne Maxwell – P2

“This second position is pretty good as a front row start is important for us. I have done a few practice starts and we seem to be able to get away pretty well. Tomorrow we’ll try and get away with the front guys and hopefully go with Josh (Waters), as he has been super-fast and consistent in every session today.

“I believe our main battle will be with Josh. Throughout qualifying we changed the bike and it seems to be getting better. It’s now a lot better on the used tyres, which is important for us. We’ll just have to keep working away and get the tyre better and better as well as the  Yamaha R1M and hopefully that will help us over race distance.”

Glenn Allerton – P3

“It’s an amazing feeling to be up here. You just go through so many emotions when you have a massive injury like what I had. Then the doubts sets in… In saying that, I never doubted myself, but the doubt sets in with everyone around you. You always need a good team of people around you that trust you. I have had so much help from my family, friends and the entire Yamaha Racing Team. Kev (Marshall), and everyone in the team have always believed in me and that has really helped me to come back strong. Everyone has always been positive and aware of my injuries and are trying to help me.

“Today is a result of all that faith in me and I really want to thank everyone for sticking by me. Hopefully tomorrow I can deliver them a race win.  Anything can happen. The races will be hard for me as its going to be a long race. I believe if I can get away with Wayne and Josh and get a gap on the rest of the field I can then hang with them, it’s possible I can get a win.”

Bryan Staring heads row two alongside teammate Troy Herfoss and Yamaha supported privateer Cru Halliday. 

Daniel Falzon heads row three alongside Corey Turner and fastest Kawasaki qualifier Matt Walters while Josh Hook rounds out the top ten ahead of Robbie Bugden and Michael Blair. 

Yamaha Motor Insurance Superbike – Final Qualifying Results

1. Josh Waters – Suzuki 1m30.197
2. Wayne Maxwell – Yamaha 1m30.458
3. Glenn Allerton – Yamaha 1m30.765
4. Bryan Staring – Honda 1m30.830
5. Troy Herfoss – Honda 1m30.831
6. Cru Halliday – Yamaha 1m30.886
7. Daniel Falzon – Yamaha 1m30.909
8. Corey Turner – Ducati 1m31.055
9. Matt Walters – Kawasaki 1m31.187
10. Josh Hook – Ducati 1m31.366
11. Robert Bugden – Kawasaki 1m31.428
12. Michael Blair – Yamaha 1m31.692
13. Matthew Harding – Kawasaki 1m31.733
14. Alex Phillis – Yamaha 1m31.821
15. Kyle Buckley – Kawasaki 1m32.098
16. Beau Beaton – Ducati 1m32.297
17. Troy Guenther – BMW 1m32.414
18. Sloan Frost – Suzuki 1m32.611
19. Lachlan Epis – BMW 1m32.673
20. Mitch Levy – Yamaha 1m32.987
21. Adam Senior – Yamaha 1m33.771
22. Brendan McIntyre – Suzuki 1m34.813
23. Trent Gibson – Yamaha 1m34.939
24. Aaiden Coote – Kawasaki 1m35.296
25. Joel Rhodes – Yamaha 1m36.628
26. Nathan Spiteri – Kawasaki 1m37.454
27. Rowan Smith – Kawasaki 1m37.852
28. Hamish McMurray -Kawasaki 1m39.831
29. Ashley Fleming – Aprilia 1m40.016

Yamaha Motor Insurance Australian Superbike Championship Points Standings

1. Wayne Maxwell 193
2. Troy Herfoss 188
3. Robbie Bugden 172
4. Daniel Falzon 171
5. Josh Waters 170
6. Cru Halliday 154
7. Bryan Staring 131
8. Corey Turner 114
9. Mitch Levy 103
10. Beau Beaton 92

Motul Supersport 600 – Final Qualifying

Mark Chiodo continued his dominating form of the weekend thus far to top the final qualifying session for the Motul sponsored 600 Supersport category while Tom Toparis and Aaron Morris round out the front row.  

Chiodo has taken pole position at every round this year bar one. 

Championship leader Ted Collins will start from the outside of second row and requires only mediocre results tomorrow in order to be crowned 2017 Australian Supersport Champion with a round still remaining.

The opening Supersport 12-lap race starts on Sunday at 1000 while the second bout is slated to commence at 1310.

Motul Supersport 600 – Final Qualifying Results

1. Mark Chiodo – Triumph – 1m34.028
2. Tom Toparis – Kawasaki – 1m34.226
3. Aaron Morris – Yamaha – 1m34.465
4. Sam Muldoon – Kawasaki – 1m34.547
5. Mason Coote – Yamaha – 1m34.671
6. Ted Collins – Suzuki – 1m34.887
7. Sam Condon – Yamaha – 1m34.954
8. Chris Quinn – Yamaha – 1m34.976
9. Hayden Spinks – Kawasaki – 1m35.571
10. Nic Liminton – Yamaha – 1m35.625
11. Cambridge Olivier – Yamaha – 1m35.759
12. Thomas Bryden – Yamaha – 1m35.939
13. Jordan Carlsson – Yamaha – 1m35.973
14. Jake Pruiti – Kawasaki – 1m35.982
15. Aidan Hayes – Kawasaki – 1m36.068
16. Rhys Belling – Yamaha – 1m36.234
17. Simon Rees – Kawasaki – 1m36.332
18. Mick Hefferan – Kawasaki – 1m36.705
19. Grant Davis – Kawasaki – 1m37.009
20. Mitch Rees – Honda – 1m37.609

Hi-Tec Batteries Supersport 300 – Final Qualifying

KTM youngster Billy Van Eerde dominated the Supersport 300 final qualifying session in the absence of QP1 pacesetter Tommy Edwards. The latter of that pairing choosing to sit out the final session but his QP1 time still good enough to retain second spot on the grid.

Yanni Shaw rounded out the front row while Jack Mahaffy leads row two from Oli Bayliss and Reid Battye. 

Broc Pearson recovered well from his QP1 tumble to head the third row from Hunter Ford and Max Croker while Zac Levy rounded out the top ten ahead of Corey Briffa. 

Hi-Tec Batteries Supersport 300 – Final Qualifying Results

1. Billy Van Eerde – KTM – 1m43.506
2. Tommy Edwards – Yamaha – 1m44.023
3. Yanni Shaw – Kawasaki – 1m44.168
4. Jack Mahaffy – Yamaha – 1m44.278
5. Oli Bayliss – Kawasaki – 1m44.325
6. Reid Battye – Kawasaki – 1m44.330
7. Broc Pearson – Yamaha – 1m44.882
8. Hunter Ford – Yamaha – 1m45.073
9. Max Croker – KTM – 1m45.144
10. Zac Levy – Yamaha – 1m45.344
11. Corey Briffa – Yamaha – 1m45.606
12. Tom Bramich – Yamaha – 1m45.759
13. Locky Taylor – Yamaha – 1m46.010
14. Ben Bramich – Yamaha – 1m46.128
15. Brandon Demmery – Yamaha – 1m46.471

Hi-Tec Batteries Supersport 300 – Race One

Billy Van Eerde capitalised on his pole position to blast his KTM RC390 from pole position and into the race lead from Tommy Edwards and Max Croker as Jack Mahaffy, Oli Bayliss and Broc Pearson gave chase. 

Van Eerde and Edwards crossed the stripe at the end of lap one side-by-side, both putting in 1m51s lap times from a standing start and then backed that up with 1m45s on their first flying lap of the 3.93km Eastern Creek circuit. The quickest rider on that second lap though was Broc Pearson who put in a 1m44.422 in sixth place to move ahead of Hunter Ford.

Max Croker upped his pace to make it a KTM 1-2 at the head of the field with six laps to go but was quickly gazumped by Edwards and Mahaffy to be shuffled down the order again. Reid Battye was the new fastest man on the circuit in fifth place just ahead of Oil Bayliss and Broc Pearson. Battye was quickest again next time around and moved up to fourth place. 

Van Eerde was still pushing clear air out in front which saw the youngster recording one of the slowest trap speeds amongst the front runners but was still just managing to keep a couple of bike lengths ahead of his pursuers, the lead of which with three laps to go was Jack Mahaffy and Tommy Edwards, that duo battling each other hard while Oli Bayliss and Reid Battye looked to close in on them and wreck that party.

Oli Bayliss then put in a new fastest lap of the race to move up to third position, a 1m44.057 to the young Queenslander, and the pack started to tighten up once again. 

At the last lap board Edwards was again all over the back of Van Eerde, just how the race had started, and for the run to the flag they were joined by Mahaffy, Bayliss, Croker, Battye, Levy and Ford, who had just put in a new fastest lap of the race, 1m32.975, to improve his chances on the final lap. Less than a second covering that top eight.

At the flag though it was young Billy Van Eerde the winner! The KTM youngster was never headed throughout the entire nine-lap race but certainly had to work for it. Oli Bayliss finished strongly to take second place at the flag, and the honour of being the first ‘Under 300cc’ machine home, while Tommy Edwards rounded out the overall podium. 

Hi-Tec Batteries Supersport 300 – Race One Results

1. Billy Van Eerde – KTM
2. Oli Bayliss – Kawasaki +0.262 (Under 300)
3. Tommy Edwards – Yamaha +0.284
4. Jack Mahaffy – Yamaha +0.537
5. Max Croker – KTM +0.875
6. Zac Levy – Yamaha +1.126
7. Reid Battye – Kawasaki +1.581 (Under 300)
8. Hunter Ford – Yamaha +1.692
9. Yanni Shaw – Kawasaki +4.500 (Under 300)
10. Broc Pearson – Yamaha +8.967
11. Tom Bramich – Yamaha +11.990
12. Ben Bramich – Yamaha +11.993
13. Jarred Brook – KTM +19.975
14. Brandon Demmery – Yamaha +20.383
15. Locky Taylor – Yamaha +25.643

Yamaha Motor Finance R3 Cup  – Final Qualifying Results

Jack Mahaffy took pole in the R3 Cup contest ahead of Tom Edwards and Hunter Ford. 

1. Jack Mahaffy 1m44.686
2. Tommy Edwards 1m45.264
3. Hunter Ford 1m45.884
4. Broc Pearson 1m45.971
5. Ben Bramich 1m46.695
6. Corey Briffa 1m46.980
7. Locky Taylor 1m47.361
8. Tayla Relph 1m48.078
9. Jonah Sita 1m48.640
10. Troy Ryan 1m49.097
11. Boyd Hocking 1m49.194
12. Andrew Hannan 1m50.751
13. Jake Brett 1m54.156
14. Chris Dobie 1m54.635
15. Jonathan Henderson 1m54.850
16. Keegan Pickering 1m57.329

Yamaha Motor Finance R3 Cup – Race One

Jack Mahaffy, Tommy Edwards and Hunter Ford quickly broke away from the pursuing pack in this one and with three laps to go that trio had more than three-seconds on Broc Pearson who was enagaged in battle over fourth with Corey Briffa.

At the last lap board that leading trio were virtually side-by-side but it was Hunter Ford that took the advantage around the first few turns before Edwards slotted his nose in front around the back of the circuit and kept that advantage to the flag and took victory by 0.070 of a second over Ford while Mahaffy rounded out the podium a similar gnat’s whisker further behind. Broc Pearson fourth, Corey Briffa fifth.

Yamaha Motor Finance R3 Cup – Race One Results

1. Tom Edwards
2. Hunter Ford +0.070
3. Jack Mahaffy +0.122
4. Broc Pearson +5.997
5. Corey Briffa +7.426
6. Locky Taylor +22.749
7. Ben Bramich +22.795
8. Tayla Relph +37.567
9. Jonah Sita +37.573
10. Boyd Hocking +38.503

Moto3 / 125GP  – Final Qualifying

Aussie Crane Trucks sponsored rider Dylan Whiteside topped the Moto3 second session with a 1m40.345 on the final of his ten laps but it was his 1m40.017 that earned him pole position ahead of Joel Kelso and the Ron Angel sponsored Dallas Skeer.

Scott Topping was the quickest 125 Grand Prix rider ahead of fellow Western Australian David Doughty. 

Moto3 / 125GP  – Final Qualifying Results

1. Dylan Whitewise – Moto3 – 1m40.017
2. Joel Kelso – Moto3 – 1m40.059
3. Dallas Skeer – Moto3 – 1m43.953
4. Scott Topping – 125GP – 1m47.112
5. David Doughty – 125GP – 1m48.633
6. Travis Hall – Moto3 – 1m48.878
7. Dave Manson – 125GP – 1m49.043
8. Taran Ocean – 125GP – 1m49.388
9. Jeremy Huddletone – 125GP – 1m49.542
10. Ross Taylor – Moto3 – 1m50.990
11. Mark Laing-Hughes – 125GP – 1m51.244
12. Nick Mathias – 125GP – 1m52.694

Moto3 / 125GP – Race One

Pole sitter Dylan Whiteside capitalised on that advantage to take the race lead when their first eight-lap encounter got underway at 1422 this afternoon at Sydney Motorsports Park. It quickly became a two horse race with Kelso joining Whiteside and running away from the field to the tune of almost five-seconds a lap.

As the race broached the half way point Kelso dropped the hammer to set a new fastest lap of the race and claw himself right up on to the tailpipe of Whiteside’s Honda NSF250R. Both riders then put in 1m40.6s before then backing those up with 1m40.5s laps next time around before then going quicker again on the penultimate lap, a 1m40.071 to Whiteside and 1.40.159 to Kelso as they got the last lap board.

After a titanic tussle over the final 3.93km lap of the Eastern Creek circuit it was Whiteside in front by a nose at the chequered flag to take the victory ahead of Kelso.  Dallas Skeer rounded out the podium 35-seconds behind that duo while Scott Topping was the first 125 GP machine home and fourth overall.

Moto3 / 125GP  – Race One Results

1. Dylan Whiteside – Moto3
2. Joel Kelso – Moto3 +0.028
3. Dallas Skeer – Moto3 +34.173
4. Scott Topping – 125GP +52.657
5. David Doughty – 125GP +65.033
6. Travis Hall – Moto3 +65.179
7. Taran Ocean – 125GP +65.298
8. Ross Taylor – Moto3 +65.817
9. Jeremy Huddlestone – 125GP +67.302
10. Dave Manson – 125GP +83.427

Sidecar Race One Results

1. Boughen / O’Kane
2. Ford / Menzies +8.550
3. Alton / Clancy +8.671
4. Brown / Sheldrick +24.617
5. Collins / De Angelis +24.828
6. Stronach / Marshall +28.831
7. McKinnon / Gorrie +46.641
8. Rayner / Campbell +66.319
9. Clancy / Grubb +74.400
10. Reynolds / Warne +1 lap