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MotoGP Saturday: Martin storms to stunning maiden pole in Doha

By
PB
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Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) achieved something special on Saturday at the TISSOT Grand Prix of Doha. After stealing the headlines early last Sunday with his stunning start, this time around it was a stunning qualifying session as the Spaniard took his first ever premier class pole position.

He joins an exclusive club in doing so for only his second MotoGP™ race, with the other members comprising only Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and MotoGP™ Legend Casey Stoner, so the Pramac Racing rookie is in some fast company. Martin also has a tenth and a half in hand over teammate Johann Zarco as Pramac Racing made it a 1-2 on the grid for the Doha GP, with Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) taking third – as he did last week on his way to the win…

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On a windy day in Doha, Q1 saw some big names fighting to move through, including – once again – reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). But Mir got the job done and with a more clinical show of speed this time around, topping the session to head through alongside Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). And so, the time to fight it out for pole was nigh.

As Q2 began, it was a familiar name making his presence felt. Martin put in a 1:53.892 straight out the traps to impress early, before Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) briefly deposed him. Shadowing Mir, however, Martin hit back quick with a 1:53.597 as Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) slotted himself into P2, just 0.017s behind Martin’s early benchmark.

After the first couple of flying laps, Martin, Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was the provisional front row, with Morbidelli and the Ducati Lenovo Team duo of Francesco Bagnaia and Jack Miller on the second row with just over five minutes remaining. World Championship leader and Qatar GP winner Viñales was a whole nine tenths off in P9 – just behind Mir, who was down in P8. But soon the field rumbled back out for their second runs, and it was Viñales first on a mission. 

Despite a couple of moments for the number 12, he shot from P9 to P1 with under two minutes to go and it was clear there was more in the locker. Sure enough, Viñales was over a quarter of a second up on his next flying lap. He then nailed Sector 2, nailed Sector 3 and taking the chequered flag, the Qatar GP winner extended his advantage to 0.330s. 

Attention then turned to Martin, however, as the rookie was up by 0.015s in Sector 2. It was his final shot at it too, and he seemed the last rider on the roll needed to depose Viñales. In the final sector though, Zarco suddenly gained over two tenths to snatch provisional pole by an absolute whisker – 0.004s – but Martin wasn’t done yet. Out on his own without a tow, in classic Martin style, the new kid on the MotoGP™ block stormed across the line and did it. A tenth and a half clear, it was provisional pole with only Miller and Quartararo in the hunt. Could either spoil the party? Not quite. Firing their way to the chequered flag, neither worried the front row although both improved their times to grab P4 and P5 respectively.

A little history is therefore made in Doha as the ‘Martinator’ shows us how it’s done, with Zarco making it Saturday Night Fever for Pramac Racing in a 1-2 for the team. Viñales once again lines up P3 at Losail, and he’ll be looking to repeat his season opening feat – just maybe this time without the Ducati armada swamping everyone at the start.

Spearheading Row 2 is Miller, who will have wanted more but already proved how quickly he can make up that ground last week. The Australian also suffered a wobble in Q2, so a Row 2 start is a job well done. Quartararo’s fifth place was less than the Frenchman would have expected, but it’s another solid session for the number 20 to get back in the fight at the front. Sixth was another rider who would have wanted a little more after taking pole last week: Pecco Bagnaia. He’ll want to get the most from Ducati’s stellar starts and move up from there.

Leading the third row is Aleix Espargaro after another fantastic performance. With the Yamahas and Ducatis looking strong in Qatar, starting P7 – one place higher than last week – is yet another job well done for the Noale factory. Joining the Aprilia rider on Row 3, meanwhile, are both Team Suzuki Ecstar riders: Alex Rins sits 0.040s ahead of teammate Mir as the GSX-RR duo finish 0.6s shy from pole position. Judging by their progress last weekend on race day, there’s plenty to come from the Hamamatsu factory.

Rounding out the top 10 is Morbidelli, the Italian just 0.009s from the third row, with leading Honda rider Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) and fastest KTM Oliveira completing the Q2 graduates in P11 and P12 respectively. So where’s Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT)? P21 after one of the Doctor’s worst days at the office, so he’ll be looking for a lot more on Sunday.

That’s it from a history-making qualifying, and if Martin gets anything like the start he did last Sunday, then he’ll be into Turn 1 with a couple of hours in hand. He says he’s aiming for the top six though, whereas Zarco is very definitely aiming for the win from second. With Viñales exactly where he was last week though, will history repeat itself?

MotoGP™ front row (Full Results Here)

1 Jorge Martin* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – 1:53.106
2 Johann Zarco* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.157
3 Maverick Viñales – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.161

Moto2
Last weekend’s race winner Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) once again brought his A-game to the table when it mattered at the TISSOT Grand Prix of Doha, with the British rider and Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) going head-to-head for pole position and the number 22 coming out on top.

Lowes’ 1:59.055 sees him head the grid by nearly a tenth and a half, but with Gardner in second on take two in the desert it’s the man who proved Lowes’ closest rival last weekend starting right alongside him. Another familiar face from the fight at the front in the Qatar GP, Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), completes the front row in P3.

There was early drama in Moto2™ Q1 as Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) missed out on a place in the top four, with reigning Moto3™ World Champion Albert Arenas (Solunion Aspar Team) slamming in a personal best lap on his final flyer that was enough for P3. That demoted Vierge to P5 and out of Q2. Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) topped the first part of qualifying with a 1:59.592 though, moving through ahead of Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), Arenas and Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing).

Gardner was the early pacesetter once Q2 got underway, but the times were down on Q1’s best efforts. Red sectors then lit up the timing screens as a big reshuffle took place, with Aron Canet (Solunion Aspar Team) leading the field from Bendsneyder. Bezzecchi took control of the session next with a 1:59.736, but the times would tumble again.

Gardner hit back, Lowes did the same and Dixon made his way up into second. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) soon split the Brits to grab P2, but the Free Practice pacesetter was three tenths down on Lowes – and just 0.002s ahead of Dixon. Fighting back, Bezzecchi slipped into P2 with just over two minutes left, before Gardner muscled his way back into second. A red second split then popped up for Gardner as Lowes backed out, so all eyes turned to the number 87…

Gardner was also up in Sector 3, but could he keep it going all the way to the line? Not quite! The Aussie just lost ground and despite improving his time, pole went to Lowes for the second week in a row. After Gardner started much further back on his way to second in the Qatar GP however, a front row is mission accomplished, as it is for Bezzecchi in P3.

Raul Fernandez ends his second Moto2™ qualifying session in P4, another fantastic job by the rookie, and he’s joined on Row 2 by Q1 graduate Dixon. A late charge from rookie Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) seals a brilliant P6 for the Japanese rider as he makes a big leap up the timesheets on take two in Doha, even getting the better of third place Qatar GP finisher Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) as the Italian is forced to head up Row 3. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Canet slot in behind Diggia, with Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) completing the top 10 in Q2.

Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP 40), Arenas, Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), American rookie Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) and Bendsneyder complete the fastest 15 on Saturday.

Moto2™ front row (Full Results Here)

1 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – 1:59.055
2 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +0.137
3 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – +0.272

Moto3
He left it late but Qatar GP race winner Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) will start from pole at the TISSOT Grand Prix of Doha after a last dash to the top, the Spaniard taking it from Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Gaviota Aspar) by less than a tenth as the Championhip leader proved the only rider under the 2:06 mark.

Garcia was second quickest but will start from pitlane due to a penalty, with third quickest in Q2, Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3), therefore set to start second. His teammate Gabriel Rodrigo was fourth fastest but bumps up onto the front row.

The pitlane start penalties played their part deciding the Moto3™ grid even before qualifying did, with seven riders – including Garcia – given the punishment for their riding in FP2 on Friday evening. The rest are Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride), Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and Riccardo Rossi (BOE Owlride), with a few in Q2 and a few in Q1, complicating life somewhat for those looking to move through.

Once Q1 was underway though, it was the experienced head of Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) who topped the first qualifying session with a 2:06.925, a tenth faster than Leopard Racing’s Dennis Foggia and Xavier Artigas. Jason Dupasquier (CarXpert PrüstelGP) got the job done to earn the final place in the top four and with the windy conditions making a big difference, slipstreaming – an ever-present factor in the lightweight class – was even more important than before.

Once they headed back out for Q2, Garcia was the early pacesetter but Migno was soon at the summit. The Italian, lapping with the Leopard duo and Dupasquier, then improved on his second lap to go over a tenth clear of Garcia with seven minutes to go. Izan Guevara (GASGAS Gaviota Aspar) was provisionally on the front row too, with the likes of John McPhee, his Petronas Sprinta Racing teammate Darryn Binder and World Championship leader Masia languishing outside the top 10.

The fun and games started as the riders headed out for their second runs though, with everything coming down to the final three minutes and a one-lap dash for the entire 18-strong field. As they thundered over the line, Garcia was the first to take to the top but almost immediately, Masia snatched it back by less than a tenth. Just behind them, Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3 duo Alcoba and Gabriel Rodrigo were able to propel themselves to P3 and P4, with McPhee and Binder also improving in the same gaggle of riders. But no one could beat Masia’s laptime.

That leaves the Championship leader top of the pile in the perfect position to try and complete the double on Sunday, although pole is nearly two seconds off last week, the challenge was a different one in the conditions. Garcia heads for pitlane despite going second fastest, with Alcoba and Rodrigo therefore locking out the front row. 

Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) heads the second row, with Andrea Migno alongside him as the Italian slipped to sixth fastest but fifth on the grid. Last week’s polesitter Binder and teammate McPhee didn’t have the best Q2 but were P7 and P8, and both move up a place in the penalty shuffle: Binder completes Row 2 as McPhee spearheads Row 3.

Rookie Pedro Acosta was the ninth fastest man in Q2, but the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider also has a pitlane start so it’s two positions gained for those directly behind him. The first of those was 10th fastest Izan Guevara who will start eighth, ahead of Jason Dupasquier as the Q1 graduate was 11th quickest and moves up to complete the third row.

Moto3™ top three (Full Results Here)

1 Jaume Masia – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM – 2:05.913
2 Sergio Garcia – GASGAS Gaviota Aspar Team – GASGAS – +0.099
3 Jeremy Alcoba – Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3 – Honda – +0.245

 

MotoGP Firday: Miller heads Ducati armada in Doha

By
PB
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0

Day 1 of the TISSOT Grand Prix of Doha saw one marque very much lay down a marker, with four Ducatis ending the day in the top five. The fastest was Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) as the Australian topped the timesheets, putting in a 1:53.145 to pull three tenths ahead of teammate Francesco Bagnaia in second.

Third went to Qatar GP podium finisher Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing), with the Frenchman less than a tenth further back and top Independent Team rider. His rookie teammate Jorge Martin impressed in fifth to make it that four out of five for Ducati, with only Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) able to spoil the Borgo Panigale party as he took fourth.

Stay up to date with MotoGP news here…

With conditions likely to make improvements difficult in the afternoon heat of FP3, gaining automatic entry to Q2 was the name of the game and that led to a classic last dash shootout at the end of FP2. First though, there was setup work to be done and after a couple of faster efforts from Bagnaia and Martin, most settled into working for the race. With just under 20 minutes to go, however, Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) shot first as the Japanese rider started making moves on brand-new rubber, taking over in P2 and less than a tenth away from Bagnaia.

Martin, not looking like a rookie at all on the GP21, then moved back into P3 with 15 minutes to go and it was game on for time attacks. The Spanish rookie then put in another impressive lap and improved his time to go P1, but the Pramac rider’s time at the summit lasted about five seconds as Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) then landed the first 1:53 of the day and we strapped in for a barnstorming final 13 or so minutes of action on Friday.

Quartararo soon demoted Rins to P2 before Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) moved the goalposts, a 1:53.646 putting the RS-GP rider nearly three tenths clear of the pack. Despite two mechanical issues in FP1, Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) next slotted himself into P2 before Miller, who was on a quick lap, stole the spotlight. Not for all the right reasons though, as the Australian was up with red sectors before having a huge moment out of Turn 14 that rattled him out the seat. He stayed on but headed into pitlane, down in P19 with only five minutes to go.

The turnaround was quick, however, and once back out Miller was firing on all cylinders. Half way around his flying lap, the number 43 was four tenths up and looking to lay down a serious benchmark, with the advantage only getting bigger in the latter half of the lap as Miller put himself 0.501s clear with a minute to go, luckily just avoiding the yellow flags waved for a Nakagami crash at Turn 7.

The final flying laps then saw plenty of movement, but none of it would be in front of Miller. Bagnaia, Zarco and Martin propelled themselves into the top five as the two Qatar podium finishers also avoided the yellow flags, this time for an Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) crash at the final corner. Further back on the road there was bad news for World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) too, with both needing to find time to break into the top 10… and both failing to find enough.

At the end of the shuffle then, it’s advantage Ducati with Miller, Bagnaia and Zarco at the top, with Jorge Martin hanging on to an impressive fifth. Quartararo slips into P4 as top Yamaha, with FP1 pacesetter Aleix Espargaro taking sixth despite not heading out for a final time attack, that first flier enough.

Morbidelli enjoyed a better evening to end up P7, and there were no issues for the Italian in FP2 as he got in some smoother sailing. Just 0.014 behind the Petronas Yamaha SRT rider is Rins, with the top eight covered by half a second. 

World Championship leader Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) only just squeezed into the top 10 in P9 with a late effort, with Marc Marquez’s replacement – and Honda test rider – Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) doing another fine job in P10 to break some hearts, not least those of Mir and Rossi. The reigning World Champion is P13, and Rossi exactly a tenth behind him in P14 as Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) slotted into 11th and 12th respectively.

With Saturday afternoon conditions likely to make a laptime harder to find, the likes of Mir and Rossi face a challenging Day 2 in Doha. Will they be heading through to Q1? Tune into MotoGP™ FP3 at 15:15 local time (GMT+3) to see if anyone is able to find improvements, before the fight for pole position gets underway at 20:00 local time.

MotoGP Friday Top Three (Full results here)

1 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 1:53.145
2 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +0.313
3 Johann Zarco* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.392

Moto2
Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) continues to take the Moto2™ class by storm as the rookie ended Friday at the TISSOT Grand Prix of Doha over half a second clear of his rivals, a sensational 1:58.541 seeing the Spaniard pull clear of second-placed Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2). Fernandez’s teammate and Qatar GP podium finisher Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) completed the top three.

It didn’t take long for the times to immediately be quicker than a very warm FP1, and leading the way in the early stages were two rookies: Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Raul Fernandez. It didn’t last long though, as FP1 pacesetter Di Giannantonio stuck in a 1:59.058, with Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) and Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) joining the Italian in the top three.

The session was then fairly quiet in terms of improvements, with plenty of riders figuring out race settings rather than searching for a quick lap time. The ever-impressive Raul Fernandez then went two tenths quicker than Sam Lowes’ (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) pole time from last weekend with just under four minutes to go though, a lap that put him over half a second clear of the pack. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) made it two rookies inside the top five too as there were a few movers down the bottom end of the top 14, but no one was troubling Raul Fernandez at the top.

The young Spaniard remained over half a second clear of Di Giannantonio to head into qualifying day as the rider to beat and by some distance, with Qatar GP podium finisher Diggia enjoying a good day at the office to take P2. Gardner beat fourth place Bezzecchi by just 0.020s, and then it’s only 0.005s back to fifth place Roberts as the timesheets got incredibly tight. Two more rookies impressed next up, with sixth-placed Ogura and eighth-placed Vietti sandwiching World Championship leader Lowes as the Qatar GP winner ended the day in seventh.

Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) – despite an early crash at Turn 6 – were able to comfortably grab places in the all-important top 14 as they complete the top ten, with those provisionally on for a place in Q2 concluded by Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP 40), Aron Canet (Solunion Aspar Team), Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and rookie Cameron Beaubier (American Racing), who recovered from a small tumble in FP1.

That means some big name riders may miss out on an automatic place in Q2, with conditions likely to be more difficult for a time attack in FP3. Petronas Sprinta Racing pair Xavi Vierge and Jake Dixon are two of those, with Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up), Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and his teammate Bo Bendsneyder also having tricky Friday evenings.

Moto2™ Top Three (Full results here)

1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 1:58.541
2 Fabio Di Giannantonio – Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 – Kalex – +0.517
3 Remy Gardner – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – +0.647

Moto3
With an automatic slot in Q2 on their minds, the Moto3™ field left it late to try and make one last dash count in FP2 at the TISSOT Grand Prix of Doha… but many didn’t even make it to the line in time. That left Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) on top of the pile, although the South African held onto it by 0.040 ahead of Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Gaviota Aspar Team) as the Spaniard just made it over the line to improve.

Pretty good conditions welcomed Moto3™ back on track at Losail International Circuit, and after a scorching FP1 it all came down to pushing for that laptime in FP2. Binder did just that to put in a time around seven tenths off his Qatar GP pole lap, with quiet then falling in the final few minutes as the field filed back into pitlane. Filing back out, however, is where the idea of a last dash came undone as many didn’t manage to cross the line in time to set that final fast lap. The result? A few key names out of position, including Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) set to miss the cut in P15 and Qatar GP frontrunner Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) in P27.

Behind Binder, Garcia and Rodrigo at the top though, John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) ends Friday in fourth as he got back up to the sharp end following bad luck in the Qatar GP, and fellow veteran Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) completes the top five. Qatar winner Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) slots into sixth overall ahead of rookie sensation Izan Guevara (GASGAS Gaviota Aspar Team), with 2020 Rookie of the Year Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) in P8 as he moved up from ending FP1 very out of position in last place.

Second superstar rookie and Qatar GP podium finisher Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was ninth and safely holding onto a provisional place in Q2, with Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) – the first rider out in the freight train dash – completing the top ten. Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) and Ryusei Yamanaka (CarXpert PrüstelGP) were 11th and 12th, with the last of those currently moving through to Q2 comprising two former Qatar GP winners: Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3).

Moto3™ Top Three (Full results here)

1 Darryn Binder – Petronas Sprinta Racing – Honda –  2:04.781
2 Sergio Garcia – GASGAS Gaviota Aspar Team – GASGAS –  +0.040
3 Gabriel Rodrigo – Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3 – Honda – +0.112

 

MotoGP: Friday Reports From RD1 at Qatar

By
PB
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0

Day 1 of MotoGP action in 2021 is in the history books, and leading the way on Friday at the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar is Ducati Lenovo Team’s Jack Miller as the Australian picked up where he left off.

Miller’s 1:53.387 was just 0.007s away from the all-time lap record, and teammate Francesco Bagnaia made it a Borgo Panigale factory 1-2. An infinitesimal 0.035s split the two red machines, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completing the top three after ending the day 0.188 off Miller.

After a scorching FP1 was completed earlier in the day, the Losail floodlights were switched on for FP2 and Miller, Bagnaia, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) all almost immediately set laptimes quicker than Franco Morbidelli’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) FP1 pace. That was before the Red Flag came out due to track conditions, with some debris scattered across the track on the start/finish straight. However, after a quick clean up operation, the MotoGP™ riders were back out with one thing on their mind: securing a place in the top 10 and therefore a provisional place in Q2.

Aleix Espargaro was the first rider to venture into the 1:53s under the evening lights and briefly went an incredible seven tenths clear, before Rins then cut the deficit to just under half a second. It then fell a little quieter at the top but with just under 15 minutes to go on the opening day, Quartararo slotted into within a tenth of Aleix Espargaro to make it four manufacturers in the top four: Aprilia, Yamaha, Ducati, and Suzuki. Soft front and rear rubber was the choice for pretty much every rider as the first shootout of the year began.

On his next lap, Quartararo made good on his earlier threat and did demote Aleix Espargaro to P2, with Quartararo’s fellow Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP rider Maverick Viñales taking over in P3. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) and Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) were next to climb the ladder into P5 and P6, with rookies Enea Bastianini (Esponsorama Racing) and then Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) enjoying some time in the top 10 too.

With nine minutes left, Bagnaia then took charge and did so by an almighty 0.275s. That lap was within half a tenth of Marc Marquez’s (Repsol Honda Team) all-time lap record, a 1:53.380, and Miller was next to challenge as he crossed the line within just 0.007s of Marquez’ time and took over in P1. It was soon a Ducati 1-2-3 as well, with Zarco going 0.199s behind Miller and the top 10 positions chopping and changing.

Quartararo was then glowing the timing screens with red in the opening three sectors, but the Yamahas were losing touch in the last sector as the superior grunt of the Ducatis kicked in. Nevertheless, El Diablo was able to grab P3 to break the Ducati trio apart. Bagnaia then threatened to reclaim top spot but Pol Espargaro’s (Repsol Honda Team) second crash of the day, this time at Turn 15, meant he couldn’t complete his lap due to yellow flags.

In the end then, it’s Ducati and Miller who take first blood in 2021 and Bagnaia is forced to settle for second. The Italian makes sure it’s a Bologna 1-2 at the top though, with Yamaha looking good and Quartararo the quickest YZR-M1 rider so far in third. Zarco is looking like a serious contender on the GP21 too and finishes Friday in P4, with Rins going well on the soft tyres – something that bodes well for Suzuki to shrug of their sometime Achilles’ heel of one-lap pace – to claim P5.

Viñales and Morbidelli were close in sixth and seventh, respectively, finishing within three tenths of Miller as Aleix Espargaro slipped to P8 at the end of play. Valentino Rossi finished inside the top 10 for the second session in a row, the nine-time World Champion taking ninth, and Pol Espargaro grabbed a vital P10 despite his late tumble. Two crashes in one day aren’t what HRC’s new recruit would have been looking for, but the number 44 has some good speed.

Reigning World Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) misses out on what could prove to be a crucial top 10 place as his title defence begins, but the gap could hardly be smaller: just 0.013s. With the cooler evening temperatures allowing the riders to set their best times of the day compared to when the sun was beating down in FP1 though, the same could well happen again in FP3 – so will an automatic place in Q2 be a struggle for Mir?

MotoGP Friday top three:

1 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 1:53.387
2 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +0.035

3 Fabio Quartararo – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP – Yamaha – +0.188

Moto2
Two familiar names ended the opening Moto2™ Free Practice Friday at the top of the timesheets: Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46). Thanks to a 1:58.959, Lowes takes charge of proceedings at the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar, his FP2 best beating 2020 title rival Bezzecchi to the honour by 0.104s. New Italtrans Racing Team recruit Joe Roberts claims P3 at the end of Day 1, the American 0.313s shy of Lowes’ time.

As the sun fell below the horizon and the floodlights lit up Losail International Circuit, every rider was immediately able to better their morning times. Lowes was lapping extremely consistently and with 20 minutes to go, 2020’s third place finisher was over half a second clear of his nearest rivals. Roberts, last year’s polesitter, did then cut the gap to 0.4s as we started to see some riders push for quick times, with plenty of eyes turning towards the top 14 places and automatic Q2 promotion.

Bezzecchi then slotted into P2 with just under 10 minutes to go, the difference down to little over a tenth, but the Italian remained the only rider to get near to Lowes’ effort. Plenty of chopping and changing occurred inside the top 10, but the fastest duo from FP1 would lead the way again – this time the opposite way around.

Roberts finished P14 in FP1 but strung together a good run at the end of the day to finish third, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) rounding out a very strong fastest five at the end of the first day of Moto2™ action in 2021.

After a P4 in the opening Free Practice session, Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) continued to impress on the Kalex chassis and finished Day 1 in P6, just under half a second from Lowes. Seventh fastest Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) rose up from P18 to safely cement a place in the top ten as Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claimed quickest rookie honours on Day 1 once again in eighth. Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up) finished P9 and P10, with the leading 10 competitors are split by 0.597s heading into qualifying day.

Moto2 Friday top three

1 Sam Lowes – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – 1:58.959
2 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex – +0.104
3 Joe Roberts – Italtrans Racing Team – Kalex – +0.313

Moto3
After the first full day of 2021 race weekend action for Moto3™, it’s Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) who heads the timesheets after an impressive day’s work from the 2019 Qatar GP winner. It was almost unbelievably close at the top, however, with Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 0.042 back, followed by Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) 0.068 off, Sergio Garcia (GASGAS Gaviota Aspar Team) within 0.096 and Jason Dupasquier (CarXpert PrüstelGP) impressing to end the day just 0.099 off the top. Even the man in sixth, Niccolo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse), was only three thousandths further back…

The morning session opened with Pedrosa Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) on top as the rookies continued to impress, but the veterans turned the screw on the timsheets by the end of play. Izan Guevara (GASGAS Gaviota Aspar Team) also suffered his first World Championship crash in the afternoon, but rider ok. There were no other incidents to report, helping most get in a full day of running and every rider improved by the end of play.

Behind the five riders – six, being generous about three thousands for Antonelli – within a tenth at the top, Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) was P7 and only 0.182 off Toba, flanked by John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) as the Scotsman was 0.037 in further arrears. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Maximilian Kofler (CIP Green Power) completed the top ten, the gap between the two an infinitesimal 0.005.

If Q2 were decided now, it would be Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – who didn’t run much in FP1 – Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and the aforementioned Acosta who would be heading through. Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was the first to miss out, Guevara was 20th, and the returning Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in P24 after Day 1, so they’ll be some of the key names looking to move forward in FP3. 

With a top 14 on Friday split by just over half a second, there’s everything to play for. Tune in on Saturday at 13:25 (GMT +3) as the first Q2 entrants are decided in FP3, before qualifying for the Moto3™ class from 17:30.

Moto3™ Friday top three

1 Kaito Toba – CIP Green Power – KTM –  2:04.839
2 Jaume Masia – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM –  +0.042
3 Gabriel Rodrigo – Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3 – Honda – +0.099

 

 

MotoGP: Jack Miller ends Qatar Pre-Season Test on top

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PB
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Five largely hectic days at Losail International Circuit see Jack Miller and Ducati Lenovo Team head into Round 1 as the combination to beat, with Miller’s 1:53.183 taking the honour of the fastest ever two-wheel lap in Qatar.

The Bologna factory are chased by a trio of Yamahas who are all within a tenth and a half, as Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), teammate Fabio Quartararo and Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) enjoy a successful pre-season to complete the top four.

Unfortunately, the final day of the Qatar Test flattered to deceive. High winds caused dust to scatter across the track, which in turn meant barely anyone ventured out. With just over two hours of the first and only pre-season test remaining, Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) were the only two riders to have set a lap time, but eight seconds slower than Miller. The red flags then came out as cleaning machines ventured out to try and improve the conditions, but the majority of the work was already done and dusted for the teams and it was an early pack up.

Stay up to date with MotoGP news here…

In the hands of a charismatic Australian, Ducati will head into the first Grand Prix as the fastest. Miller’s blistering time attack lap on Wednesday evening was proof that he and the new GP21 are looking like a formidable partnership this season, with the innovation kings of MotoGP™ – of course – bringing plenty of new parts to test in Qatar. The most notable was some new front aero, a significant change and something we’ve not seen before. Elsewhere, the famous ‘salad box’ is a different shape on the new bikes, and another big change we’ve seen in 2021 is the front holeshot device that most of the factories have now got. Ducati, along with Aprilia, Honda, KTM and Suzuki have been seen launching off the line with the bike squatted at the front as well as the rear.

Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) ends testing inside the top five behind his factory teammate and the trio of Yamahas, and sounded very positive about his work at Losail. Pecco was visibly pleased with the race pace work he had done throughout and when he pushed for a qualifying-esque time, he wasn’t far away at all – 0.261s to be exact.

Thanks to Johann Zarco’s (Pramac Racing) 1:53.899, Ducati have all their non-rookie riders inside the top 10 ahead of Round 1. Consistently the quickest rider through the speed trap – Thursday seeing him reach a new unofficial record of 357.69km/h down the start/finish straight – Zarco was another rider who seemed happy with his performance overall. The Frenchman commented on Thursday that he had worked a lot on race pace and had plenty of things to try, not all of which were good, but that they got through a lot.

Zarco’s Pramac Racing teammate Jorge Martin ended the Qatar Test as the fastest rookie. The Spaniard sits P14 thanks to his 1:54.483, an incredibly respectable time from the Moto2™ graduate who is just 1.3s away from Miller’s all-time – unofficial – lap record. Reigning Moto2™ World Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) finished just 0.022s behind Martin in P15, with Luca Marini (Sky VR46 Avintia) claiming P21 – 1.839s shy of Miller.

For the Ducati trio, the week in Qatar has been largely positive with lots of laps completed by all: Martin clocked 159 in the Official Test, Bastianini 178 and Marini 204. All will have been a learning curve as the trio now head back to Europe, do some homework and get set for their MotoGP™ Grand Prix weekend debuts.

Factory Team Manager Davide Tardozzi rated Ducati’s Qatar Test as a 9/10, the Italian was pleased with every aspect: speed, attitude, and morale of the team. Confidence is brimming in the red camp but one thing that must be said is that traditionally, Losail is a great circuit for Ducati…

At Yamaha, the marque once again proved that their one-lap pace is meteoric. The aforementioned Viñales, Quartararo and Morbidelli all pushed for a fast lap time when they set their best times of the test, and even though they lost out to Miller, things are still looking good for Yamaha in that department. However, it’s race pace and lots of other intricate details that all four of their full-time riders have been working on most in Qatar.

On Wednesday, Yamaha rolled out a new aero fairing and new mudguard. Top speed is still a slight weakness, and these updates seem aimed at reducing the gap to the likes of Ducati and Honda. Moreover, the Yamaha riders have been testing a new chassis and the signs have been positive. It looks like the decision has been made to use it this season.

Second fastest Viñales was seen working hard on his practice starts. On Wednesday and Thursday, pitlane reporter Simon Crafar reported that the number 12 must have been into double figures with the number of times he’d come to the end of pitlane, sink the rear of his Yamaha and launch himself down into Turn 1. It’s a point that Viñales has been focusing on in pre-season testing, as well as the opening handful of laps. We’ll see if his hard work will come to fruition in due course…

New factory recruit Quartararo said it took him a good 30-40 laps to get reacquainted with his YZR-M1 monster on Saturday, but once the Frenchman had regained his confidence at the controls, all seemed to go well. The 2019 Rookie of the Year said he felt comfortable on the new chassis and had tried “many things”, much like teammate Viñales, with race pace looking fantastic for all the Yamahas. Team Manager Massimo Meregalli said both of his riders are feeling very confident, with parts like the chassis and aero body approved!

Morbidelli and Valentino Rossi (Petronas Yamaha SRT) join their factory counterparts in looking good in race trim. Rossi, judging from the timesheets, was the only rider out of the quartet who didn’t look at slamming in a time attack, but The Doctor is sounding in very good spirits heading into his 26th Grand Prix season. The nine-time World Champion ends pre-season testing 11th overall, with his 1:53.993 proving his best-ever lap at Losail.

Sixth on the combined timesheets was Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro. As has been heavily reported, their 2021 RS-GP is almost completely new: the engine, chassis, two aero designs, exhausts and ‘salad box’ have changed, and Aprilia also have their first carbon swingarm – which means Suzuki are the only manufacturer that doesn’t have this feature. In addition, the aforementioned front holeshot device was being used to great effect by the Spaniard. A 1:53.640 best time was enough to get Espargaro within half a second of Miller, very promising signs indeed.

Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO, gave their pre-season a 7/10 rating. Understandably, the factory are trying to keep their feet on the ground after a promising 2020 season didn’t materialise into results in the season proper, but he was pleased with the progress shown in Qatar. Rookie Lorenzo Savadori ended the test in P26, 2.571s away, but the Italian has been nursing a shoulder injury throughout.

Meanwhile, it’s fair to say that World Champions Team Suzuki Ecstar have gone under the radar somewhat at the beginning of 2021. Reigning MotoGP™ World Champion Joan Mir finished P7 overall, one place and 0.033s ahead of teammate Alex Rins. A new chassis and a new swingarm have been used in Qatar as well as all the other little bits that all riders and teams play with, and Suzuki also get a head start on next season with Mir, Rins and test rider Sylvain Guintoli giving a 2022 engine a run…

Mir has admitted that both Ducati and Yamaha look better on overall pace as it stands, but the GSX-RR duo aren’t far away at all. Losail International Circuit isn’t one that naturally goes hand in hand with Suzuki, but the riders are feeling good and have made improvements from last year’s bike – a worry for the other teams. In Mir’s own words: “We are competitive, we are not slow, and it’s only testing.”

Next, we come to Honda. It was a somewhat mixed Qatar Test for the Japanese giants, but the main and overriding positive is the efforts of Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team). The Spaniard set the exact same time as ninth place Zarco to finish just inside the top 10, but the outright lap time shouldn’t be the main thing to look at – and that goes for all riders. Espargaro’s adaptation from KTM to Honda has been seamless; the number 44 impressing just about everybody in the paddock with his performance so far. Closing out the test, Pol Espargaro described his debut as a “pain release” from a winter full of anticipation.

Tech-wise, Honda brought three different chassis to Qatar: one ‘standard 2020’, one with carbon bonded onto the frame and a completely new one. Some new aero was testing by Stefan Bradl (Honda Test Team) and Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in the opening exchanges of the test, and we’ll wait and see if HRC bring it to the opening race.

Nakagami was the second best Honda rider on the overall timesheets in P12, just ahead of Bradl in P13. Both of these riders suffered more than one crash, and a Turn 2 tumble on Wednesday saw Bradl sit out the afternoon session. Honda saw their riders hit the deck 10 times in total – more than any other factory. Unfortunately for Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), a big highside at Turn 9 on Thursday evening resulted in a small right foot metatarsal fracture, but the two-time World Champion should be fit to ride at the Qatar Grand Prix.

Repsol Honda Team Manager Alberto Puig didn’t want to give much away about his feelings regarding the Qatar Test, but he was very pleased with how “smooth” his new rider has adapted. One huge talking point over the next 14 days will also be whether Marc Marquez will be on the bike in Qatar after his latest check-up went very well. Are the signs there for the eight-time World Champion to link up with impressive teammate Espargaro and the rest of the Honda camp in the near future?

After an outstanding 2020 season, KTM haven’t hit the ground running in 2021 on the timesheets as yet, but it is testing. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was the fastest RC16 rider and the double 2020 race winner was P16, 1.343s away from the time set by Miller. Teammate Brad Binder finishes 0.165s behind Oliveira on the timesheets in P17, but the Austrian factory have little data in Qatar: no race here last year with their new package has seemingly hampered them and Losail isn’t KTM’s strongest layout.

They did bring plenty of new items to test though. Simon Crafar called them the “winners on the hardware front” and the most notable changes from the naked eye was the slimmer new front fairing that – seemingly – has a few more ‘shark teeth’ carved in. As well as this, test rider Dani Pedrosa was the first seen sporting KTM’s new seat unit.

Oliveira didn’t seem downbeat at the end of the test as the Portuguese star said there have been positive things to take and there are no specific worries at this stage. The number 88 did point out that KTM are struggling to exploit the maximum from the package at the minute, but it’s the timesheets don’t tell the story.

Danilo Petrucci, meanwhile, has completed his first test on a KTM machine and the Italian is pleased with the progress he’s made over the four proper days on track, with some clear ideas of what is needed to improve on his 1:54.895 best. Teammate Iker Lecuona says he has learned a lot and has improved a lot too, but also recognises that there is work to do to close down the faster guys.

So just like that, MotoGP™ 2021 pre-season testing is over. Next up: the Barwa Grand Prix of Qatar. In two weeks’ time the premier class warriors will be back on track at Losail, but it will be during a race weekend. Before that, the Moto2™ and Moto3™ riders will be taking part in a three-day Official Qatar Test.

MotoGP Gallery: Looking Back – The Best of 2020

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Last season was compressed due to COVID-19, but that didn’t stop some incredible racing. Us fans were lucky enough to enjoy back to back race weekends and it was one of the closest and most exciting MotoGP seasons in history…

ASBK Superbike: Sunday Reports, Rd3, Wakefield Park

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PB
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Round 3 of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance ASBK Superbike Championship, Presented by Motul, was held over the weekend. A record crowd witnessed the closest and most thrilling racing in ASBK for years, with the Superbike Finale a highlight. Report: MA Pics: Optikal.

SUPERBIKE
Wayne Maxwell and Troy Herfoss have c each taken a race victory in the Alpinestars Superbike class at Round 3 of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, at Wakefield Park today. In the opening race, Maxwell and Herfoss ran nose-to-tail in the top two positions, gradually extending their lead over third-placed Mike Jones. However, the race was cut short after 13 laps when a nasty crash for Brendan McIntyre at turn one necessitated a red flag stoppage.

Maxwell and Herfoss were both left disappointed by the race’s premature conclusion. “It’s not ideal, obviously with people crashing and yellow flags makes its difficult,” Maxwell said. “But it was another great battle between Troy and I on different bikes, with different tyre brands.”
“I was disappointed by the fact we had to stop racing, when for us the race hadn’t essentially started yet,” Herfoss said. “I could tell Wayne was in a groove there and I felt like it could have been anyone’s race. We were going really fast at the start, which was a bit scary.”

In Race 2, Mike Jones led initially, but was soon overtaken by Maxwell into the final corner. Herfoss slipped back to third off the line and spent the first two thirds of the race behind Jones, before finally passing the DesmoSport Ducati rider on the exit of turn two. With just a handful of laps remaining, the stage was set for an epic chase between the long-time rivals. Herfoss was able to close down the margin and launched a successful attack on Maxwell at turn eight on the final lap, much to the delight of the Goulburn crowd. With Maxwell having announced his retirement at the end of the 2021 season, Herfoss basked in the thrill of their final on-track battle at the Wakefield Park circuit.

“I always believed that in a fight to the end I could win it, but there were a few laps there, after I passed Mike, where I was struggling with grip and thought I would have to settle for second,” Herfoss said. “I was really strong over the top of the track, Wayne was really strong in the last section. When I passed him, I was right on the inside line because he was so strong into the last turn. “It’s a bit sad to think it’s our last battle around Wakefield – I want to say a big congratulations to Wayne because since 2014, we’ve gone toe-to-toe around here.”
Jones was again third in Race 2 ahead of Cru Halliday and Glenn Allerton.

 

SUPERBIKE POINTS

  1. Wayne Maxwell – 91
  2. Troy Herfoss – 81
  3. Mike Jones – 74
  4. Cru Halliday – 65
  5. Glenn Allerton – 64
  6. Bryan Staring – 54
  7. Jed Metcher – 47
  8. Arthur Sissis – 46
  9. Oli Bayliss – 45
  10. Matt Walters – 42

    Full Sunday Superbike Results can be found here.

 

SUPERSPORT 600
Broc Pearson has moved into the MotorsportsTV Supersport Championship lead after taking the overall win in Round 3 at the Wakefield Park round of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, while Max Stauffer scored his first victory in the category. Pearson led the early stages of Race 1 before a red flag due to an incident; when the race restarted, Pearson slipped back to third behind Stauffer and Tom Edwards, but was able to recapture the positions before the finish. In the second race, Pearson again led initially but Stauffer stayed within striking distance, despite a big moment at turn seven at one stage. With a few laps remaining, Stauffer seized the lead with a breathtaking move on Pearson into the first corner, before riding to victory.

“After the first race, I was a bit down on myself, only coming third after leading with a few laps to go,” Stauffer said. “The whole team worked so hard after Winton, so it’s very satisfying to reward them like this”.

SUPERSPORT POINTS

  1. Broc Pearson – 91
  2. Tom Edwards – 84
  3. Max Stauffer – 78
  4. Luke Power – 63
  5. Dallas Skeer – 62

    Full Sunday Supersport 600 Results can be found here.

SUPERSPORT 300
Ben Baker continued his winning streak with another two race victories ahead of Zackary Johnson, who chalked up another pair of second-place finishes. Angus Grenfell and Cameron Dunker were third in today’s two races, but it was Archie McDonald who scored the final overall podium position with a trio of third-place finishes.

“This is by far the best weekend of racing I’ve ever had,” Baker said. “Wakefield has always been my favourite racetrack and now it’s even more special”.

SUPERSPORT 300 POINTS

  1. Ben Baker – 136
  2. Zackary Johnson – 101
  3. Reece Oughtred – 98
  4. Cameron Dunker – 86
  5. Carter Thompson – 76

Full Sunday Supersport 300 Results can be found here.

R3 CUP
Ben Baker’s perfect weekend carried over to the R3 Cup, where he also won all three races and broke the lap record. Archie McDonald was second overall ahead of Angus Grenfell, who edged out Cameron Dunker for the final podium position by a solitary point.

“This is as good as it gets – a massive thanks to Yamaha and all my other supporters, I can’t wait for Morgan Park,” Baker said.

R3 CUP POINTS

  1. Ben Baker – 131
  2. Cameron Dunker – 96
  3. Reece Oughtred – 89
  4. Brandon Demmery – 76
  5. Caleb Gilmore – 72

Full Sunday R3 CUP Results can be found here.

OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP
Cameron Swain may have won the overall OJC round, but his streak of race wins finally came to an end in the third and final race when he was relegated to third position by Hayden Nelson and Ryan Larkin in a photo finish, the three riders separated by just 0.012s. Nelson was thankful to chalk up a race win after a crash ruled him out of the previous round at Winton. “It was pretty crazy out there – we were touching a lot,” Nelson said. “I crashed at Winton, had concussion and couldn’t race, so it was good to come here and get my first win of the season”.

OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP POINTS

  1. Cameron Swain – 143
  2. Levi Russo – 92
  3. Nate O’Neill – 86
  4. Ryan Larkin – 84
  5. Riley Nauta – 83

Full Sunday Oceania Junior Cup Results can be found here.

SIDECAR
Corey and Danyon Turner notched up another win in the final Sidecar race of the weekend, with Pat Clancey/Stephen Bonney scoring another second place finish to win the F2 Class. Stuart and Brad Gorrie were third outright (second in the F2 class).

F1 POINTS

  1. C. Turner/D. Turner – 147
  2. S. Bayliss/C. White – 65
  3. H. Ford/L. Menzies – 56

F2 POINTS

  1. P. Clancy/S. Bonney – 122
  2. D. Rayner/K. Warne – 114
  3. B. Collins/P. De Angelis – 113

ASBK News: Saturday Reports, Rd3, Wakefield Park

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PB
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Wayne Maxwell has secured the Elite Roads Pole Position Award for Round 3 of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance ASBK, presented by Motul, with another scorching lap around Wakefield Park Raceway in this afternoon’s qualifying session. Report: MA, Pics: Optikal Photography

Maxwell’s supremacy at the top of the timesheets was tested by Troy Herfoss, the form rider at Wakefield Park in recent times, but in the end Maxwell recorded a 56.920 lap, virtually matching the 56.916 he achieved during practice yesterday. Herfoss ended the session 0.021s adrift in second position while Mike Jones was a further 0.4s back in third.

Maxwell said the tyre and bike combination were well-suited to the track conditions. “It’s a massive credit to Boost Mobile Racing With K-Tech – we’ve worked really hard on the back of the success we had at Winton,” Maxwell said. “Sometimes it’s not down to the rider so much as the tyre, and whether it suits the conditions or not. I know tyres are going to be a massive challenge for us tomorrow, but we’ve put in a fair bit of work and we know we’re up to the challenge.”

Glenn Allerton was unable to match the 56-second time he achieved in practice yesterday and was only able to qualify seventh; instead, it was Allerton’s team-mate Lachlan Epis who led the BMW brigade, qualifying an impressive fourth ahead of Cru Halliday and Bryan Staring. Oli Bayliss, Josh Waters and Arthur Sissis completed the top 10.

Full Saturday Superbike Results Here…

SUPERSPORT 600
The pole position scoreboard for the MotorsportsTV Supersport class stands at one apiece between Broc Pearson and Tom Edwards, after Pearson scored pole in qualifying at the Wakefield Park round of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, today. Pearson set his fastest lap during the first of the two qualifying sessions. Edwards was second-fastest for most of the two sessions before Max Stauffer punched out a fast lap towards the end of the second session to slot into second position. Jack Passfield and Dallas Skeer completed the top five. “The bike has been really strong all weekend, but I’m expecting the races to be challenging – the times are extremely close between the top three,” Pearson said.

Full Saturday Supersport 600 Results Here…

SUPERSPORT 300
After topping the qualifying times by a handy margin, Ben Baker rode to a comprehensive win in the opening Dunlop Supersport 300 race, extending a sizeable lead over his rivals in the first couple of laps as he broke the lap record on multiple occasions. “In training, I’ve been working hard on going fast straight away, as well as my braking,” Baker said. Zackary Johnson was initially embroiled in a fierce contest for second position but managed to pull clear, leaving Reece Oughted to fend off Archie McDonald, Glenn Nelson, Cameron Dunker and Caleb Gilmore for the final spot on the podium. “It was a hard one at the start, but once I got up to second it became more comfortable – my start was not the best,” Johnson said.

Full Saturday Supersport 300 Results Here…

R3 CUP
Ben Baker’s winning form translated to the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, where he took a 6.6 second race win ahead of Archie McDonald and Angus Grenfell. However, Baker’s race was not without some drama in the early stages. “I made a good start, but into turn three my foot slipped off the peg and I almost crashed,” Baker said. “Archie came up behind me and I knew he was going to have a dive into the last corner, but he came in a bit too hot, ruined his exit and I was able to pass him back.”

Full Saturday R3 Cup Results Here…

OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP
After being narrowly beaten to pole position by Hayden Nelson, OJC points leader Cameron Swain asserted his authority as soon as the lights went out, jumping into the lead and pulling clear. Nelson also surrendered second position to Ryan Larkin and had to resist a late attack from Nate O’Neill for the final spot on the podium. “I felt comfortable on the bike, so I just tried to pull away as hard as I could at the start,” Swain said. “That was an awesome race,” Larkin added. “I had a couple of big slides but managed to stay on track!”

Full Saturday Oceania Junior Cup Results Here…

SIDECARS
Brothers and reigning Sidecar champions Corey and Danyon Turner won both today’s races from pole position, also taking out the F1 Class. Second outright in each race went the way of Patrick Clancy and Stephen Bonney, who also won the F2 class on both occasions. In Race 1, Phillip Underwood/Stephen Ford were third but retired from Race 2, handing the final podium position to Howard Ford/Lee Menzies.

Full Saturday Sidecar Results Here…

ASBK News: Friday reports, Rd3, Wakefield Park Raceway

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PB
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Day one of Rd3 of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance ASBK, presented by Motul, was held in perfect weather at the twisty Wakefield Park Raceway in Goulburn, NSW, where Superbike times dropped into the 56s for the first time ever!

SUPERBIKE
Wayne Maxwell has set the fastest-ever lap for a Superbike around Wakefield Park Raceway, punching out a blistering 56.916 lap time in practice for Round 3 of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul. Maxwell’s pace was ominous from the very first practice session for the Alpinestars Superbike class, when he recorded a 57.1s lap, before he dipped into the 56s in the other two sessions of the day aboard his Boost Mobile Ducati V4R.

The reigning ASBK Champion paid tribute to his team for giving him such a strong package from the outset. “You can’t do those sorts of lap times without a good machine and a good crew underneath you – the boys at Boost Mobile Racing with K-Tech have done a fantastic job,” Maxwell said. “For us, it was about the consistency – we did a lot of consistent laps and we have a lot of data to work with.

“There were some crashes this morning in some of the other classes and I was a bit concerned, but when we went out, the lap times were there straight away. To get into the 56s in the other two sessions was a big commitment though.”

Glenn Allerton also dipped into the 56s aboard his Maxima Racing Oils BMW, ending the day just 0.03s shy of Maxwell once times were combined from the day’s three sessions, while Mike Jones made it a pair of Ducatis in the top three. Local hero Troy Herfoss was fourth for the day, ahead of Cru Halliday, Oli Bayliss, Lachlan Epis, Bryan Staring, Matt Walters and Josh Waters.

Full Friday Superbike Results can be found here.

SUPERSPORT 600

The epic duel between Tom Edwards and Broc Pearson that captivated spectators in the opening round of the MotorsportsTV Supersport Championship at Winton looks set to resume at Wakefield Park this weekend, with Pearson topping today’s practice times ahead of Edwards. Max Stauffer was also on the pace, recording a best time just a fraction slower than the top two. Jack Passfield and Dallas Skeer completed the top five.

Full Friday Supersport 600 Results can be found here.

SUPERSPORT 300

Ben Baker was comprehensively the fastest rider in all three of today’s Dunlop Supersport 300 sessions and finished up with the fastest overall time by more than a second from his nearest rival, Zackary Johnson. Angus Grenfell (returning from injury), James Jacobs and New Zealander Caleb Gilmore rounded out the top five on the timesheets.

Full Friday Supersport 300 Results can be found here.

R3 CUP

Ben Baker’s rapid form from Supersport 300 continued into the Yamaha Finance R3 Cup, where he was also the fastest rider in all three sessions. Angus Grenfell was second overall ahead of Archie McDonald, another rider returning from injury. Jai Russo and the experienced Brandon Demmery were fourth and fifth respectively.

Full Friday R3 Cup Results can be found here.

OCEANIA JUNIOR CUP

The times in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup were extremely tight, with Levi Russo ending the day just 0.017s clear of points leader Cameron Swain. Not far behind were Hudson Thompson and Hayden Nelson, who set times within 0.2s of Russo, with Ryan Larkin finishing fifth for the day.

Full Friday Oceania Junior Cup Results can be found here.

SIDECAR

Brothers and reigning Sidecar Champions Corey and Danyon Turner were fastest overall for the day, also topping the times for the F1 (1,000cc) Class ahead of fellow F1 runners Phillip Underwood/Stephen Ford. Patrick Clancy and Stephen Bonney topped the times for the F2 (600cc) class and ended the day third outright.

Full Friday Sidecar Results can be found here.

Moto2 & Moto3 Testing: Gardner deposes Canet on Friday

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PB
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Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) starts 2021 where he’ll want to go on: at the top. The Australian put in a 1:59.074 to go fastest on Friday at the Official Moto2™ and Moto3™ Qatar test, pipping Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) to the post as he took over late on. 

They say it’s hot in the city but it was also hot just outside it on Friday, with the conditions in Doha a marked improvement on those that greeted the final day of MotoGP™ testing a week ago. By the end of the day that was more than apparent, with the laptimes dropping from 2:02s to Gardner’s 1:59 dead. Roberts’ pole lap last year was a 1:58.136, so it’s far from a slouchy beginning to proceedings.

Gardner moves to the Red Bull KTM Ajo team this season, one of the biggest names in the class, and the landmark year has certainly started well. So too has it for Canet, as the 2020 standout rookie came screeching out the blocks. Roberts was another who moved up later in the day, and another who’ll be wanting to take a key step forward this season; glad of the good start.

In fourth, Elf Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes was up at the sharp end and only a tiny 0.020 off Roberts despite a crash for the Brit in the afternoon, rider ok – as was Hafizh Syahrin (NTS RW Racing GP) as the Malaysian also took a tumble. Fifth went the way of Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) by an even smaller 0.009, with Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) taking sixth and only another 0.051 in arrears. In short, it was extremely close in the mid top ten…

Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) took P7 a couple of tenths back, with Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) hot on his heels to the tune of 0.045. Just two thousandths back came Jake Dixon in ninth, the Petronas Sprinta Racing rider coming back from injury and off to a good start.

Tenth was an impressive rookie showing from Raul Fernandez. The winner of the final Moto3™ race of 2020 blasted out the blocks in Moto2™ to put in a 1:59.990 on his new, bigger Red Bull KTM Ajo machine, within less than a tenth of Dixon ahead of him and beating Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) to it by just 0.008. ‘Diggia’ changes chassis this year and was off to a solid start.

Veteran Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) was P12 on Friday, ahead of Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing). Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was 14th but set the same best lap as Corsi, with that contest decided by their second best efforts.  Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team), another who changes teams and, in his case, chassis, started the year in 15th and edged out Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) by half a tenth.

With so many rookies in Moto2™ this season – most making the leap from the Moto3™ class – Raul Fernandez shone, but many did themselves proud. Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) was P17 only 0.010 off Bezzecchi – a race-winning benchmark – and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) only another 0.069 back. Reigning Moto3™ World Champion Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) headed up another gaggle of rookies in P23, ahead of Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Cameron Beaubier (American Racing). 

Day 2 Moto 2 Test
The leader of the Moto2™ pack was Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), and the rivals within 0.089 Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team), Jorge Navarro (MB Conveyors Speed Up), Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46)… whetting appetites for the race weekend ahead quite considerably.

It was windier on Day 2 and once again the morning session was a quiet one – lonely, even, for Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP 40) as the Italian was the sole rider to set a time. By Session 2 though, the ante was upping and the pack heading out, with the final session of the day then seeing all but one improve to set the combined timesheets. At the top was Vierge’s late charge with that five-rider gaggle on his tail, with Canet forced to settle for second for the second day in a row but looking threateningly fast, Navarro making waves up the timesheets, Gardner present once more, Dixon improving as he comes back from serious injury, and Bezzecchi leaping into the higher echelons after a more muted Day 1…

The gaps didn’t exactly get huge from there on out. Two and a half tenths off the super six, Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) slots into P7 as he settles in at his new team and on his new chassis, looking ever more impressive as track time goes on. Likewise the man in eighth: Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The Spanish rookie impressed on Day 1, so a grander word is needed for Day 2 as he ended Saturday just 0.019 off Bendsneyder. Fernandez’ 1:59.204 is only just over a second off the 2020 pole lap…

Two veterans came next, with Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) in ninth by just 0.007 and Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), setter of the aforementioned pole, completing the top ten by 0.034. Both have shown good pace on both days so far too, and will likely be pushing for a statement time attack on Sunday.

Tony Arbolino (Liqui Moly Intact GP) continued his impressive adaptation and was the second fastest rookie on Saturday, taking 11th and within 0.115 of Roberts. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) slots into 12th ahead of another impressive rookie in the form of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), the Japanese rider only another tenth in arrears.

The aforementioned Manzi ends the day in 14th as he adjusts to life at Flexbox HP 40 and on a Kalex, with Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) rounding out the top 15 after Day 2. Rookie American Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) leapfrogged a few of his rivals from Day 1 to take 19th and get the better of reigning Moto3™ World Champion Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) by just 0.021, with the timesheets necessitating the use of hundredths or thousandths to measure the gap through almost the entire field.

Day 3 Moto 2 Test
Sunday at the Official Moto2™ and Moto3™ Qatar Test saw Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) snatch P1 in the intermediate class, but the top three was covered by just 0.048 as Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46) took second and Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) third. All three will likely be starting the year expecting to challenge for wins, and their tests only underlined their speed.

The conditions were fair on Sunday once again, and Lowes’ best is the quickest lap of the test as preparations continued for the coming race weekend(s). The gaps one again show we have a stunner in store, across the top three and throughout the timesheets. Lowes, Bezzecchi and Gardner will leave the test happy, and so too will Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) as the Brit rounded out Sunday in fourth. After a wrist injury that could have been a career-threatener, getting straight back into the top five is no mean feat. That top five on Day 3 of the test was completed by Dixon’s teammate Xavi Vierge.

Sixth place goes to Bo Bendsneyder on Day 3 as the Dutchman continues to impress upon his move to Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team and Kalex. He was only 0.033 off Vierge as he made a late leap up the timesheets, and is another who has been consistently improving. Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) ends Sunday in seventh, another late to move up the timesheets but doing so in style.

Style is also a good word to describe the start of Raul Fernandez’ (Red Bull KTM Ajo) Moto2™ career. Fastest rookie throughout, the Spaniard is on course for an incredibly impressive debut race weekend. So too, now, is Albert Arenas (Inde Aspar Team) though as the reigning Moto3™ World Champion shot up into the top ten on Sunday, only 0.052 off fellow rookie Fernandez. Arenas’ teammate Aron Canet completes the top ten, sliding down from second on Day 1 and Day 2 but another with some key consistency.

Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP40) takes P11 by just 0.003 ahead of another impressive rookie in the form of Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), with yet another right behind him: Cameron Beaubier (American Racing). The American was only 0.016 off Ogura too… and pipped compatriot Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) by 0.011. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the fastest fifteen, just edging out teammate Tony Arbolino.

Moto3 Testing Day 1
Day 1 of the Official Moto2™ and Moto3™ Qatar Test at Losail International Circuit saw Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) go fastest in the lightweight category, putting in a best of 2:05.750 on the combined timesheets. It was incredibly close though, with the South African hitting back late on against teammate John McPhee as the Scot was forced to settle for second but only 0.026 back. Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) completes a top three on the Day 1 timesheets split by an infinitesimal 0.040.

It was a warm but fairly calm day to begin proceedings in the desert, although many didn’t head out to turn laps in anger until the second session of the day. The first Moto3™ session also saw a Red Flag at the end due to an oil spill from Yuki Kunii (Honda Team Asia), but the clean-up was a quick one. Each class had three stints each on Friday, and the laptimes – somewhat predictably – only got quicker. From 2:09s in session 1 to Binder’s best of 2:05.750, it was a good day’s work for most as they got back down to the business of testing and, for a good few on the grid, settling into their new teams. 

Binder certainly seems to have managed that early enough. The South African’s switch to Honda machinery is off to an impressive start, and at the end of the day he and teammate McPhee ruled the roost, as well as doing a few laps together. Salač continues the Honda domination in third, another late to hit the higher echelons of the timesheets, with Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) slotting into fourth just 0.002 off Salač. Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) completed an all-Honda top five, the Argentinean 0.112 off Binder’s best lap.

Jaume Masia is another veteran switching machinery in 2021 and he slotted into sixth overall as he settles in at Red Bull KTM Ajo, and the Spaniard was still only 0.114 off the top as the timesheets tightened considerably late on. Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) was next up after a day bothering the top of the timesheets fairly consistently, with compatriot Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing) putting Husqvarna into P8 overall.

Ninth place goes the way of GasGas Gaviota Aspar’s Izan Guevara as he and GasGas make their 2021 debut in the top ten. The rookie impressed immensely on Day 1 and early signs show his stratospheric rise is likely far from over as he takes on Moto3™ fresh from winning the European Talent Cup in 2019 and then the FIM Moto3™ Junior World Championship in 2020. Guevera was just 0.376 from the top and bookended a second group on the timesheets, with tenth placed Niccolo Antonelli next up but ending his first day with Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 0.245 in further arrears.

2020 Rookie of the Year Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) ends day one of his sophomore year in P11 but only half a tenth off Antonelli, with another rookie on his tail: Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The 2020 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup winner put his KTM in P12 to impress, having been the fastest rookie on track for a while on Day 1, until Guevara’s late strike for glory. Sergio Garcia (GasGas Gaviota Aspar), Riccardo Rossi (BOE Owlride) and Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) complete the fastest fifteen.

Moto 3 Testing Day 2
Day 2 saw John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) rise to the top of the timesheets, the British rider leaving it late but able to pull out a gap of three tenths to impress once again, having also been second quickest on Friday. That honour went the way of Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), the Italian 0.306 down, with Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) taking third.

Saturday at Losail International Circuit saw windier conditions greet the grid, and once again there was a little less action in the first session as only 18 riders headed out. McPhee wasn’t one of them, but the Brit was back up to speed backing up his Friday pace in the afternoon, with no one able to provide an answer for his 2:05.286 and the gap from first to second proving the biggest of the day. He did suffer a small crash late on, but rider ok. Foggia was another fast on both days, Migno likewise – but Saturday saw a different rookie take over as the fastest debutant.

2020 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had an impressive Friday as the second quickest rookie, but the Spaniard moved even further up the timesheets on Day 2 to take fourth and get into the 2:05s. Also quick in the morning and second only to teammate Jaume Masia, there are some impressive performances coming in from the 2021 rookies already. Izan Guevara (GasGas Gaviota Aspar Team) was also quickest in the second session of the day.

Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) was fifth quickest and just 0.070 off Acosta, with a close group forming behind the Czech rider. Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3) was sixth by 0.093 despite a crash – rider ok, as was fellow tumbler Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power). Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) was seventh by 0.014, and he in turn got the better of Masia by just 0.017. Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) kept Husqvarna in the top ten in P9 and was a further 0.078 off, with Saturday’s second fastest rookie, Izan Guevara, completing that top ten by another tiny margin of 0.005.

Guevara’s teammate Sergio Garcia slots into 11th, again by a tiny 0.068, with Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) a further tenth back in P12 as the Japanese rider made a huge leap up the timesheets after ending Friday outside the top 20. Friday’s fastest man, Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing), was next up by only 0.003 as the South African got the better of Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3). Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) completed the fastest fifteen, getting up to speed as he begins his first full season in Moto3™ as, curiously, both a rookie and a podium finisher thanks to his incredible wildcard at Valencia in 2019 on his first Grand Prix appearance.

Moto 3 Testing Day 3
Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) went quickest on Day 3 of testing, topping the combined timesheets by three tenths and with a lap quite a chunk faster than the previous record, although it will remain unofficial as it was set in testing. His rookie teammate Pedro Acosta, as both the 2020 Red Bull Rookies Cup winner and 2020 FIM Moto3™ Junior World Champion Izan Guevara (GasGas Gaviota Aspar Team) continued their incredible rookie form, with Acosta second and Guevara taking fourth. 

The conditions were good once again on Day 3, with Masia’s best lap taking a second off the fastest effort on Saturday. That best lap came late in the day but it was a cracker, a 2:04.263 as he pipped teammate Acosta by three tenths and set that new, unofficial scorcher. The two Red Bull KTM Ajos have been consistently quick, as have Guevara and Foggia, with the mix of veterans and rookies at the top making for interesting reading.

Gabriel Rodrigo (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) was fifth quickest, 0.072 off Guevara, who was in turn only 0.015 off Foggia. Sixth went to Day 2’s quickest man John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing), ahead of 2020 Rookie of the Year Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3). Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) kept his consistency to end the day eighth for Husqvarna, ahead of Filip Salač (Rivacold Snipers Team) in P9. Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing), quickest on Friday, rounds out the top ten.

11th was third rookie Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) as he settles into Moto3™ as a debuting full time rider with a podium already under his belt, with Jason Dupasquier (CarXpert Pruestel GP) putting in a solid 12th on Sunday. Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia Esponsorama Moto3), Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) and Sergio Garcia (GasGas Gaviota Aspar Team) completed the top 15, the latter despite a crash – rider ok.

 

Maxwell Takes Winton Round Win After Epic Battle With Herfoss

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Wayne Maxwell has taken the round win in the Pirelli Superbike class in a stunning start to the 2021 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, at Winton Motor Raceway.

Maxwell took the round win in the Pirelli Superbike class at Winton after riding fantastically.

Check out our report from Race One at Winton here…

In stunning sunshine and a spectacular first race of the season, Maxwell aboard the Boost Mobile Ducati scored the win after Penrite Honda’s Troy Herfoss crashed on the last corner of the last lap, managing to get back on the bike and finish 11th, while Desmosport Ducati Mike Jones claimed 2nd and Yamaha Racing Team’s Cru Halliday 3rd.

It was a wild restart as Specialist Suzuki rider Yanni Shaw crashed out on turn two, causing a restart.

Team Specialist Suzuki Yanni Shaw crashed on turn two, which caused a red flag. On the restart Herfoss quickly gained a small gap between himself and Maxwell while Jones, Maxima Racing Oils BMW Lachlan Epis, Yamaha Racing Team’s Cru Halliday, Unitech Racing’s Arthur Sissis and Desmosport Ducati’s Oli Bayliss fought over 3rd position.

Herfoss had a comfortable lead and only continued to widen the gap from Maxwell and Mike Jones.

Herfoss crossed the line comfortably, and celebrated at the podium with a stoppie, Maxwell 2nd and Jones, despite having gear issues throughout the race finished 3rd after managing to hold off the hungry pack behind him.

Wayne Maxwell was happy with the round win as he has always shown strong results at Winton throughout his career.

Wayne Maxwell: “Troy was too good then, congratulations to him and his team, we need to work on a few bits and pieces to improve… I’ll take the points, the round win, take the Championship lead, and I’m pretty stoked to be able to do that,” he said. “To lead the Championship after the first round is a great start.”

Herfoss was very happy to take the race 2 win. Only just missing out on a round win over Maxwell.

Troy Herfoss: “We showed our potential over the weekend, I just made a mistake in the end of race 1. I showed my hand a little early. I’m so happy in race 2, I was in the sub 20 bracket on my own and just having too much fun, I wanted the race to keep on going.”

Keep up to date with the latest news on the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, via their website and following ASBK on Facebook and Instagram.

Updated ASBK Championship Calendar

  • Round 6 – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC (SBK Only 2+4 with Supercars) October 22 – 24
  • Round 7 & 8 – The Bend Motorsport Park, SA November 11 – 14* (Double Header Round) *Except SBK who will have a single round x3 races = 1x Race Saturday and 2x Sunday)
  • Round 9 – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC December 3 – 5
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