Herfoss soars to 3rd ASBK title at The Bend
An excellent closing spherical clear sweep from Troy Herfoss within the 2023 mi-bike Bike Insurance coverage Australian Superbike Championship, offered by Motul, at The Bend has secured the Queenslander a surprising third Australian Superbike title.
The 36-year-old was peerless in spherical seven Alpinestars Superbike motion on the South Australian circuit, along with his most factors haul on the immaculately ready Penrite Honda CBR1000RR-R preserving the door firmly shut on his foremost championship rival, Josh Waters (McMartin Racing with Ok-Tech Ducati V4R).
Herfoss defeated Waters in a decent race one end, earlier than a mid-race crash from Waters within the decider took all of the strain off the brand new 2023 champion, who signed off from his profession with Honda in fairytale trend. After the anguish of shedding earlier ASBK Championships by slim margins, immediately’s victory was all about pure adulation.
Herfoss accomplished the seven-round championship on 344pts, forward of Waters (324) and Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Crew YZF-R1, 260), the latter nabbing third from Glenn Allerton (GT Racing BMW M 1000 RR, 259) on the loss of life knell.
In addition to the 2 race wins and the championship spoils, Herfoss now owns the quickest Superbike lap across the 4.95km circuit – icing on the cake for what was a brutally environment friendly marketing campaign from first observe on Friday till immediately’s heroics. Herfoss methodically piled on the strain little by little, which finally proved an excessive amount of for the opposition – even Waters.
THE BEND SUPERBIKE RESULTS AND STANDINGS
Herfoss’ earlier ASBK titles got here in 2016 and 2018, whereas it’s now a dominant 12 championships for Honda within the 35-year historical past of Australia’s premier street racing class.
“It doesn’t get any higher than this, because the riders I compete in opposition to are so laborious to beat,” stated Herfoss.
“To have the ability to end up with Honda with a championship is simply unbelievable. We have now grown loads as a group this 12 months and simply bought higher and higher. And that is the most effective I’ve ever ridden a bike.
“However I wish to pay credit score to my opposition, and significantly Josh who I additionally battled with within the 2017 championship. He’s such a tricky competitor and actually rode his bike into the bottom to try to beat me. And I do know he’s in quite a lot of ache along with his accidents: I’ve bought a of respect for him and his group.
“I simply love racing and it’s not going to get higher than this.”
Waters, who was chasing a fourth ASBK title, was philosophical in defeat.
“It began to harm us yesterday when Troy bought pole place and the bonus level,” stated Waters.
“Race one was good and I appeared on the positives, after which in race two I wished to guide from the beginning and draw back from the others. Once I crashed I wasn’t pushing that arduous, however the bike had been dangerous into flip six all weekend.
“I’m dissatisfied within the consequence however no less than I do know I gave it all the pieces. Congratulations to Troy on successful the championship.”
The opening 11-lap race noticed Herfoss lead from begin to end, with Waters operating line astern for almost all of the journey save for a short interval when defending ASBK champion Mile Jones (Yamaha Racing Crew YZF-R1) slotted into second.
Waters’ transfer again into second coincided with Herfoss setting a brand new race lap file (1m50.529s), which noticed him stretch his result in just below one second.
Waters dug in his heels, although, and he was operating with Herfoss by the ultimate lap. Nevertheless, Herfoss was impregnable and held on by 0.253sec and elevated his championship result in 6pts, with the slow-starting Halliday third forward of Jones, Allerton, Max Stauffer (GTR Moto Stars YZF-R1), Bryan Staring (MotoGo YZF-R1) and Anthony West (Hooked on Monitor YZF-R1).
Race two noticed Stauffer and Staring each crash out throughout the first two laps, however essentially the most telling departure was Waters after shedding the entrance finish on his V4R at flip six whereas in second place.
He remounted and completed tenth, however Herfoss solely needed to hold his powder dry over the ultimate 4 laps to ensure championship success. He was duly untroubled, and will even acknowledge the group on the ultimate lap – an early reward for a stellar season which yielded eight wins and 12 podiums.
Halliday handed Jones on the ultimate lap within the battle for second, whereas Allerton was fourth from West, Broc Pearson (DesmoSport Ducati V4R), Marcus Chiodo (CBR100RR-R) and Ted Collins (Livson Racing M 1000 RR).
The 2004 ASBK Championship will start from February 23-25 together with the FIM Motul Superbike World Championship.
