Daniel Falzon first rider in the 1m54s at The Bend

Tailem Bend ASBK Test Day Two AM Update

The Bend is not a horsepower track

Hunter Ford was the quickest of the 300cc Supersport riders this morning after dipping in the 2m11s ahead of Olly Simpson, Ben Baker and Oli Bayliss.

Perhaps nothing underlined just how small a factor outright horsepower plays in deciding a fast lap time here more than Cru Halliday’s 1m57.493 in the second Supersport session of this morning. Less than two-seconds off the best Superbike time so far today, and that time good enough to have placed him in the Superbike top ten…

Halliday punted the new YZF-R6 to the fastest 600cc Supersport time of the morning well clear of second placed Tom Toparis while Zac Johnson was also a star of the morning, despite a hefty tumble for the 18-year-old from Jam Jerrup near Phillip Island.

The track has started to clean up more today, again we have been kissed by the weather gods with clear skies and negligible wind to stir up the sand and dust.

With their riders now having an idea which way the circuit goes the teams are now also starting to dedicate time in working towards a suspension set-up. This is paying great dividends in regards to tyre life, which some teams are now starting to get a bit of a handle on. Yesterday a new rear tyre was barely good for two laps, that has improved markedly today as set-ups start to get dialled in. Still, for those have not started to arrive at a decent set-up and Pirelli have completely run out of SC0 rubber. That is no slight on Pirelli, as Bryan Staring was the leading runner on Dunlops throughout the first two rounds of the season, but obviously has major woes here, the Western Australian languishing outside the top 15 on the timesheets and five-seconds off the pace!

Troy Herfoss topped proceedings yesterday and was again quickest in the opening session this morning.

Wayne Maxwell was the first man to drop in to the 1m55s this morning, a 1m55.521 on the fourth of his eight laps in that session.

Herfoss responded though to make the new benchmark of 1m55.398.

The second practice session of today was red flagged before anybody had even managed to get a flying lap in. Matt Harding had gone down softly at turn 13 but him and his machine were in a dangerous position so the session was temporarily halted. They were quickly back down to business but only two laps later there was a red flag stoppage yet again, this time it was David Barker down at the same spot. A short delay again to clear rider and machine before the session was underway again at 1140 (SA Time), with a track temperature of 33-degrees and a pleasant ambient of 21-degrees.

As soon as the riders were into putting flying laps together it was immediately obvious much progress was being made. Herfoss, Waters, Maxwell and Falzon all quickly into the 1m55s and the Honda man again atop the charts, knocking on the door of the first 54 with a 55.010.

That honour though fell to local lad Daniel Falzon. The #25 Yamaha the first machine to lap the 4.95km ‘International Circuit’ in under 1m55, a 1m54.994 on his fifth lap of the session.

That time stood as the fastest of the test thus far when the session came to a close, thus Falzon is still the only man to lap the circuit in a 54.

Superbike Wednesday Practice Two Times

1. Daniel FALZON Yamaha YZF-R1M 1:54.994
2. Troy HERFOSS Honda CBR-RR SP 1:55.010
3. Wayne MAXWELL Yamaha YZF-R1M 1:55.242
4. Josh WATERS Suzuki GSXR-R 1:55.314
5. Troy BAYLISS Ducati Panigale FE 1:55.730
6. Glenn ALLERTON BMW S RR 1:55.778
7. Arthur SISSIS Suzuki GSXR 1:56.539
8. Sam LAMBERT Kawasaki ZX10R 1:57.203
9. Michael BLAIR Yamaha YZF-R1 1:57.421
10. Jay PRESEPIO Suzuki GSXR 1:58.152
11. Mark CHIODO Suzuki GSXR-R 1:58.338
12. Alex PHILLIS Suzuki GSXR 1:58.741
13. Ted COLLINS BMW S RR 1:58.802
14. Kyle BUCKLEY Kawasaki ZX10R 1:58.833
15. Mitch REES Honda CBR-RR SP 1:59.357
16. William STRUGNELL Kawasaki ZX10R 1:59.407
17. Mitchell LEVY Yamaha YZF-R1 1:59.703 2
18. Lucas VITALE Kawasaki ZX10R 1:59.733
19. Brendan MCINTYRE Suzuki GSXR-R 1:59.982
20. Bryan STARING Kawasaki ZX10R 2:00.175
21. Phil CZAJ Aprilia RSV4 F 2:00.739
22. Mason COOTE Kawasaki ZX10R 2:00.846
23. Adam CHRISTIE Suzuki GSXR-R 2:01.267
24. Scott MCGREGOR Yamaha YZF-R1 2:02.640
25. Nathan SPITERI Suzuki GSXR-R 2:02.882
26. Patrick LI Yamaha YZF-R1 2:03.336
27. Trent GIBSON Suzuki GSXR 2:03.529
28. Ashley MANUEL Kawasaki ZX10R 2:05.608
29. Aaiden COOTE Kawasaki ZX10R 2:06.213
30. Simon GALLOWAY Yamaha YZF-R1 2:06.296

Supersport 600 Wednesday Practice Two Times

1. Cru HALLIDAY Yamaha YZF-R6 1:57.493
2. Tom TOPARIS Kawasaki ZX6R 1:58.930
3. Zac JOHNSON Yamaha YZF-R6 1:59.695
4. Giuseppe SCARCELLA Kawasaki ZX6R 1:59.750
5. Broc PEARSON Yamaha YZF-R6 2:00.357 s
6. Max CROKER Suzuki GSXR 2:00.861 5
7. Damon REES Honda CBR RR 2:01.181
8. Dallas SKEER Suzuki GSXR 2:01.839
9. John HUNT Suzuki GSXR 2:02.046
10. Ty LYNCH Yamaha YZF-R6 2:02.205
11. Scott NICHOLSON Suzuki GSXR 2:02.244 4
12.  Jack PASSFIELD Yamaha YZF-R6 2:02.630
13. Rhys BELLING Yamaha YZF-R6 2:03.557
14. Thomas BRYDEN Yamaha YZF-R6 2:05.136
15. Meri MALENA Yamaha YZF-R6 2:11.446

Supersport 300 Wednesday Practice Two Times

1. Hunter FORD Yamaha YZF-R3 2:11.985
2. Oliver SIMPSON (SA) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:12.116
3. Ben BAKER (NSW) Kawasaki Ninja 2:12.566
4. Oli BAYLISS (QLD) Kawasaki Ninja 2:12.821
5. Tayla RELPH (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:12.858
6. Harry KHOURI (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:12.999
7. Tom BRAMICH (VIC) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:13.131
8. Travis HALL (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:13.237
9. Mitchell KUHNE (QLD) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:14.235
10. Yanni SHAW (NSW) Kawasaki Ninja 2:15.025
11.  Dan THOMAS (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:15.573
12. Zane FORD (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:16.312
13. Troy RYAN (NSW) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:16.343
14. Bronson PICKETT (WA) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:16.532
15. Ben BRAMICH (VIC) KTM RC 2:17.390
16. Mitchell SIMPSON (SA) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:17.850
17. Ned FAULKHEAD (VIC) Kawasaki Ninja 2:22.306
18. Jack COUSENS (VIC) Yamaha YZF-R3 2:24.031

Images by TBG and Trevor Hedge