Eight different manufacturers represented at ASBK season 2017 launch at Phillip Island
An official launch for the 2017 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship was staged in the World Superbike paddock yesterday lunchtime and one rider from each of the eight brands that will participate this year previewed the season ahead.
Troy Guenther
“I’m very excited about the year ahead. I’d like to say a big thankyou to BMW and NextGen Motor Sports for giving me this opportunity. I’m going to be giving it everything I can and I’m looking forward to it. The S1000RR is just great, I’ve had some time to do some testing. I just can’t wait to get out there. I don’t want to limit myself, but I just want to try and learn as much as I can from the experienced guys and try to move forward and see where we end up.”
Chas Hern
“It was all petty last minute, that we decided to put the F4 out there. Obviously, Leon Camier has had some success with it in the WSBK where it showed some good pace. The championship is as strong as it’s ever been and it’s great to have all manufacturers all out there and I can’t wait to get out there. We are hoping that out of the box the F4RC is a competitive package. I’ve been riding a few bikes and cutting some laps but today’s going to be the first time I have ridden an F4. I’m going to be on the P6 bike as well so I’m going to get a few laps out and there and it’s going to be fun.”
Callum Spriggs
“It’s going to be a big weekend for me, being the first race of the year on the Desmo Sport Ducati. Thanks to Ben Henry and Ducati for the opportunity to ride this. The speed, the torque of it, and how it handles, I just have to keep riding it and hopefully get better and better. It’s going to be a challenge for me, but I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t spoken to Troy too much about it this weekend, but I’m sure I’ll get some advice from him.”
Alex Phillis
“It’s a great opportunity. I’ve got to ride a few bikes around the place, but this is the first opportunity I’ve had on a Superbike in Australia. It’s good to get an opportunity to get amongst it with the big boys. We got 25 laps at Winton earlier last week. The bike felt great and I could see the potential, Steve Mudford has done a really good job of setting it up. It was great to come back and be on some good machinery and have some good battles with some guys at the Island Classic, I just hope we can match what we did at the classic.”
Troy Herfoss
“It’s my third year as the number one rider. Last year was hard, and this year’s going to be just as hard. But we will have the new bike arriving through the year, so that will give me some new confidence and motivation. It’s really exciting to have some regulars return and some new faces join the ASBK. It’s going to be really fun. The new bike – We don’t know exactly when we will get it, but we anticipate we will be racing the new bike somewhere around the middle of the year.”
Glenn Allerton
“It’s really important to me to win a championship this year, I’m not getting any younger. So it’s really important to put my best foot forward. I’ve got a mongrel of a team mate, he never gives up, so it’s going to be really hard to do that’s for sure. Plus, we have Kawasaki with a fast rider and we have Josh back and he’s fast. Plus Troy has two championships on the trot now. But I want to be number one, and that’s what we are here for. There’s been a lot of hard work from people. The sponsors who sponsor the series, they deserve a big thanks. For me it sort of sucks because I am in the last part of my career. I wish it was like this when I came into the sport, it’s looking good for the young guys. As long as I’m winning the races when we are live streaming it’s all good for me. I’ve invested a lot this year, a lot of riding, a lot of tracks days. Lots of time on my bike, putting in new tyres and I am really looking forward to getting out there.”
Robbie Bugden
“I think we are in a pretty good position. We’ve learned the bike and gelled as a team last year and now we are here back in the big game. It’s pretty exciting for us and it’s going to be a good year. One thing we do know is we have got a really good bike. We have a good bunch of guys in the team and we all believe in each other. I think we are a bit of an underdog, but I think we are a real threat this year. Whoever can win this championship at the end of the year, they can say they are the best rider in Australia.”
Josh Waters
“It’s great to be back with Suzuki. Great to be working with Phil Tainton again, that’s who I had all my success with. Also my brother (Brodie), who used to be my teammate, I had him at the end of last season and it was great to have him there. The bike was quite good as a standard bike, but it’s going to be a bit different as a race bike. But I’m nervous. That’s the difficult thing, there’s not many parts available for it, but for sure it’s going to get better and better. Phil’s been working on it, it’ll be good enough this weekend and it won’t let me down.”
ASBK 2017 – Round One – Phillip Island – Superbike First Practice
- Wayne Maxwell 1m33.952 / Yamaha
- Glenn Allerton 1m33.979 / Yamaha
- Daniel Falzon 1m34.128 / Yamaha
- Josh Waters 1m34.472 / Suzuki
- Robbie Bugden 1m34.826 / Kawasaki
- Troy Herfoss 1m34.856 / Honda
- Bryan Staring 1m35.286 / Honda
- Cru Halliday 1m35.415 / Yamaha
- Matt Walters 1m35.955 / Kawasaki
- Beau Beaton 1m36.003 / Ducati
- Michael Blair 1m36.172 / Yamaha
- Callum Spriggs 1m36.255 / Ducati
- Sam Lambert 1m36.663 / BMW
- Paul Byrne 1m37.091 / Honda
- Aaiden Coote 1m37.296 / Kawasaki
- Chas Hern 1m37.402 / MV Agusta
- Simon Galloway 1m37.593 / Yamaha
- Kyle Buckley 1m37.646 / Kawasaki
- Mitch Levy 1m37.703 / Yamaha
- William Davidson 1m37.955 / Yamaha
- Troy Guenther 1m38.010 / BMW
- Corey Turner 1m38.284 / Yamaha
- Albie Wheeler 1m38.496 / Yamaha
- Trent Gibson 1m38.571 / Yamaha
- Adam Senior 1m38.613 / Yamaha
- Brendan Schmidt 1m39.516 / Kawasaki
- Alex Phillis 1m39.615 / Aprilia
- David Barker 1m39.688 / Kawasaki
- Paul Dutton 1m40.391 / Yamaha
- Nathan Spiteri 1m40.459 / Kawasaki
- Ashley Manuel 1m41.176 / Kawasaki
- Jack Baker 1m41.727 / Kawasaki
- Gary Smith 1m42.004 / Yamaha
- Heath Griffin 1m44.199 / Ducati
- Max James-Beatsonbell 1m45.064 / Yamaha
- Jake Drew 1m45.309 / Yamaha
- Hamish McMurray 1m46.392 / Kawasaki
- Tracey Davies 1m49.120 / Ducati
- John Quinn 1m52.117 / Suzuki
- Ashley Fleming 2m02.484 / Aprilia
