DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R
The season opener for DesmoSport Ducati at Phillip Island was disappointing for all concerned. The team, TB himself, along with everyone involved in ASBK and the spectators.
Troy worked so hard in the off-season, training off and on the bike in pre-season testing. In the lead up to season 2019 it is fair to say they were better prepared than they were in 2018.
TB was quick out of the blocks at Phillip Island, topping first practice, but then a broken finger on his left hand, followed by a broken finger on his right hand in the opening race, made it difficult for him to operate the brakes properly, and the tough decision was made to park the bike for the weekend. Troy underwent surgery earlier this week in preparation for round two at Wakefield Park on the weekend of March 24.
A full season of racing under their belt, a year of set-up data with the 1299 Panigale R Final Edition and a fit and motivated Troy raring to go suggested that this would be their year. With no points from the three-race opening round though they definitely face an uphill battle from here.
It was this set-up data and plenty of time on the bike that had seen the team make the decision to race the big L-Twin at the Phillip Island season opener. There were not enough spares and Troy had not enough time on the bike, suggesting that it was very much a different animal than the big twins that powered him to success on the world stage.
There is another hurdle before it can be raced in the ranks of ASBK though. It still needs to be officially homologated by Motorcycling Australia. To satisfy those requirements Ducati, or DesmoSport Ducati, need to supply M.A. with all the necessary documentation in regards to the official number of bikes coming into the country, and confirmation of its ADR compliance etc. As of now, that is yet to have happened.
The team are still not yet in a position to confirm when they will race the new Panigale V4 R at Wakefield Park, but they did uncover the delectable machine in front of fans during the World Superbike weekend. A gallery of images showcasing the new DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4 R can be found at the bottom of this page.
DesmoSport Ducati’s Ben Henry
“I’m really excited to unveil the V4R. There’s been a lot of demand from fans to see it, so I’m glad we were able to pull together as a team, get it done and show race fans what we’ve been working on. We’re not in a position to confirm when we’ll debut the bike on track, but we’re working hard to make it happen as soon as possible. This a special bike, and I’m as excited as everyone else to see it at full noise with Troy in the seat.”
At the bottom of the page find a gallery of images showcasing the DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4R.
2019 ASBK Championship Points Standings
| Pos | Name | Machine | PTS |
| 1 | Aiden WAGNER | Yamaha | 71 |
| 2 | Cru HALLIDAY | Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha | 55 |
| 3 | Josh WATERS | Team Suzuki ECSTAR Australia, Suzuki | 50 |
| 4 | Mike JONES | K& R Hydraulics, Kawasaki | 49 |
| 5 | Bryan STARING | BCperformance, Kawasaki | 48 |
| 6 | Troy HERFOSS | Penrite Honda Racing, Honda | 41 |
| 7 | Wayne MAXWELL | Team Suzuki ECSTAR Australia, Suzuki | 40 |
| 8 | Glenn ALLERTON | Next Gen Motorsports, BMW | 40 |
| 9 | Daniel FALZON | Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha | 32 |
| 10 | Ted COLLINS | Next Gen Motorsports | 31 |
| 11 | Matt WALTERS | Kawasaki Australia, Kawasaki | 30 |
| 12 | Glenn SCOTT | GSR, Kawasaki | 28 |
| 13 | Max CROKER | Mladin Racing, Suzuki | 27 |
| 14 | Mark CHIODO | Penrite Honda Racing, Honda | 24 |
| 15 | Alex PHILLIS | Team Suzuki ECSTAR Australia, Suzuki | 19 |
| 16 | Arthur SISSIS | Suzuki | 18 |
| 17 | Sloan FROST | FILTA NZ, Suzuki | 12 |
| 18 | Damon REES | Tony Rees Motorcycles, Honda | 11 |
| 19 | Lachlan EPIS | BCperformance, Kawasaki | 10 |
| 20 | Phillip CZAJ | Eco Light Up, Aprilia | 8 |
| 21 | Ryan YANKO | Force 8 Contracting, Ducati | 3 |
| 22 | David BARKER | Kawasaki | 1 |
| 23 | Matt TOOLEY | Phillip Island Ride Days, Yamaha | 1 |
Images by M33 Productions
