ASBK Team reports from Phillip Island season opener

ASBK 2024
Round One – Phillip Island
ASBK Team Reports

Yamaha Racing Team

Despite not landing on the podium, the Yamaha Racing Team duo of Cru Halliday and Mike Jones showed plenty of fighting spirit at round one of the Australian Superbike Championship, held at Phillip Island over the weekend.

Contested right alongside the first round of the World Superbike Championship, it was a busy and eventful weekend for the team as their 2024 season got underway in perfect conditions.

The weekend was slated down for three, twelve lap races on the freshly laid Phillip Island circuit, but the new surface proved to be very aggressive on tyre wear and after the first race, the final two legs were reduced to eleven laps.

Halliday had proven he was fast around the iconic circuit in recent outings and got right down to business in the first session on Friday setting some fast laps and topping the timing sheets. He then went on to take P4 in qualifying but all that means little when the lights go out and it was time for Halliday to strut his stuff in racing.

He completely missed the start on race one and plummeted back through the field. He was barely inside the top fifteen as the 26-rider field crossed the finish line on lap one. It was time to go to work and Halliday began the long climb back towards the front. He sliced his way through the field and made it all the way through to fourth by the checkered flag in a sensational ride.

Race two saw him get a better start and the field stayed tight as the jostling for positions and elbow rubbing was on. It lasted the entire race with the top six riders shuffled about continuously as the ASBK boys put on a show. Again, he flashed across the line in fourth but right in the fumes of the top three.    

The third and final race was just beginning to heat up when a rider had a bike issue and caused oil to be dumped on the circuit between turns one and two. As a result, the race was called off after lap four with Halliday in fifth.

His 4-4-5 results weren’t what he was after coming into the weekend, but the riding was good, and he is determined to cash in at round two on his home circuit at SMSP.

“There was a lot going on over the weekend on the track with every race having some issues,” Halliday begins. “The shocking start in race one was on me, I simply wasn’t ready and missed the jump. Race two was good and I really liked the fact there was so much passing going on. I felt I had a real chance of getting the win in that one but just passed the halfway point, I ran wide in a turn, and it caused me to drop a couple of spots. It then took me two laps to get those back and that time could have been put into passing front guys.

“And race three was over before it started when the oil went down, and it was the right call to me. There was a lot down over a 300-metre area and on a high-speed section directly on the race line. So, all up, I’m a little frustrated with the result, but think we have what it takes to fight for the championship this year,” Halliday ends.

Jones finished the round in seventh place and like Halliday, the results don’t always tell the whole story and he was often right up the front and creating havoc with the race leaders with his aggressive riding. He qualified in P3 with a personal best time around PI and was keen to keep the momentum going into the races.

The three-time champion finished with 5-12-6 results in a weekend that didn’t go his way. Races one and two saw Jones right up the front and fighting for the lead. He continually forced his way past riders and kept moving forward, but ultimately in both races, lost feel and grip in the rear end to continue challenging for the podium.

In race three, he elected to stayed calm in the opening half of the race and save his tyre to fight it out at the finish, but the race was canned as things were just about to get interesting.

“I actually like this track, but I have struggled here a bit in terms of results,” Jones begins. “I have definitely improved, and my laps show I have gotten better every time we race here, but there is still so more improvements to be made here and myself and the team will continue to work through them.

“I like the next round isn’t far away as I’m desperate to get back on the track and make up for this weekend, so I’m already looking forward to SMSP and getting back up the front where I should be.”

Round two of the ASBK championship is a day / night affair at Sydney Motorsport Park on March 22 and 23. Last year was the first time ASBK went under lights and it went down well with the riders, teams and crowd.

DesmoSport Ducati

The DesmoSport crew have launched into the 2024 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) showing strong form from the outset with Broc Pearson, Troy Herfoss and the entire team working together for strong qualifying results, both under the previous lap record, and challenging at the front for track position in the three races despite a red flag due to oil on the circuit ultimately cutting the final race short at Phillip Island.

Ben Henry

“Round one is run and done and it was a great weekend for us. Broc has really taken a step forward, and that’s because of the change to our structure, Troy’s experience and working in some new directions to keep progressing. I’m proud of the effort the entire team put in this weekend, I’m grateful to our partners, both new and those that have been with us for a long time and I’m excited to get to Sydney for round 2 and I’m excited to watch Troy (Herfoss) race the Bagger and Super Hooligan bikes in the US.”

Broc Pearson

“It was a good weekend for us to open the championship. We’ve made some steps forward as a team and I’m feeling really confident in my ability to be racing for wins this season. Unfortunately for me, my best feeling on the bike all weekend was in the final race, and after being shortened, I didn’t really get a chance to show that. I leave the weekend 6th in the championship, but with some direction on making even more improvements between now and Sydney next month.”

Troy Herfoss

“I never thought I could have a weekend like that at Phillip Island. I’ve improved my PB lap time by more than 1.5 seconds on Ben’s bike and leave with three podiums, which is just incredible to think about. We were challenging at the front and I’m really grateful to both DesmoSport for the opportunity and my team in the US for allowing me to ride the bike. I head straight to Miami Speedway to begin preparing for King of the Bagger in Daytona in a few weeks, and I’m excited for the year ahead!”

Penrite Racing

Penrite Racing leave Round 1 of the Australian Superbike Championship at Phillip Island inside the top ten, with an eighth-place finish for Superbike debutant Cameron Dunker and a ninth place for Max Stauffer.

Stauffer took to the track on Friday for the first Free Practice sessions of the 2024 season, setting times 1:32.109 in FP1 and 1:32.005 in FP2 (P6 and P8.)

Qualifying saw Stauffer shake off some nerves after an early minor crash in the opening laps of the session. The team quickly re-adjusted and he got back to work, achieving a best time of 1:32.002, placing him in P9 on the grid for the weekend’s three races.

Stauffer launched off the line in race one, where he was set to position himself within the front pack. Unfortunately, he was boxed in as the group charged towards turn one, which relegated him to twelfth.  Stauffer worked his way back through the field to ultimately finish in P10, hot on the tail of x3 time Australian Superbike Champion Glenn Allerton in P9.

Sunday race 2 saw Stauffer off to a strong start, before settling into the pack and finishing the race in 9th.

Cameron Dunker’s first outing on a Superbike filled the team with confidence; as he took to the track ready to prove himself amongst a stacked field.

Friday’s free practice, saw the young rider clock times of 1:34.824 in FP1 and 1:33.865, for P13 in both sessions. Dunker improved his times further when he rolled out for qualifying, placing himself in P11 on the grid for the race, with a best time of 1:32.422.

Race one saw Dunker fly out of row four and into fifth position, where he held his own for four laps setting a new personal best lap time of 1:31.373.  On lap five he overshot the entry to turn four, which cost him 2.5 seconds and pushed him back to P7. A battle ensued between Dunker and ex-Moto GP rider Anthony West, with both riders passing each other multiple times with the number #3 ultimately finishing in eighth.

Dunker took another step forward on Sunday, with an impressive performance in race two. After a tough start, he pushed his way through the pack from 10th and held on to finish 7th.

Race three was red-flagged after five laps, where Stauffer was in 7th and Dunker in 10th. A restart was initially called, only to be cancelled once all bikes got back to the grid.

Overall placings for the weekend saw Dunker finish in 8th, and equal points with Mike Jones. Stauffer wrapped up the weekend in 9th after a very promising five laps in race three which could have resulted in a top-five finish had the race not been red flag.

The team are extremely pleased with both rider’s progress and determination in their debut with Penrite Racing, and will now shift focus to round two of the championship to be held at Sydney Motorsport Park, on 22-23rd March.

Max Stauffer

“Certainly not the weekend I was looking for overall. Friday threw its challenges and then the crash in Qualifying on Saturday morning hampered my chances of a competitive grid position,  Starting back in the third row wasn’t ideal and made life tough in the races, given the strength and depth of talent in ASBK at the moment. The first two races were a struggle with a few mistakes on my behalf but in the last race we made some good steps forward and I was chasing down the top guys. I’m so thankful for such a great team and for having Penrite Racing behind me, I can’t wait to continue into the season and look forward to Sydney.”

Cam Dunker

“It was a good weekend overall, but I didn’t qualify the greatest and we had a few things to sort out with the bike set-up on Friday. We made some good steps forward though through the weekend and I learnt a lot so I’m really happy with how the weekend went, the racing was so good. I’d also like to thank the whole team for all their help this weekend. We’re a new team for this season and I think we all worked really well together. I’m proud that we are on this new level and I can’t wait for the rounds ahead, I don’t know what to expect but it’s going to be good!”

Deon Coote – ER Motorsport

“Really happy with the way the team went for the first outing, with two new recruits and new team members. The track threw some curve balls with the new surface and created a lot of work for the team to develop the suspension and the bike. As the weekend went on our pace improved every time we went out. It was exciting to see the gains of both boys in the races, proving they are competitive and we look forward to Sydney.”

Stop & Seal

Tom Toparis took to Phillip Island over the weekend to race against the best in World SuperSport (WorldSSP), headlining a huge Stop & Seal Racing line-up that included Jack Mahaffy, Archie McDonald, Corey Turner and Glenn Nelson in the Australian Superbike (ASBK) Michelin SuperSport category. Taking 10th place and 6 points on a largely untested machine, on the world stage in race one showed the potential of the Goulburn-based rider.

Robbie Bolger – Stop & Seal

“It was a huge weekend for us as a new race team. Tom in World SuperSport and four 600 riders in the ASBK, but everyone worked together well for some great results. Tommy has done an incredible job with the bike we’ve given him, showing the world that he’s a talent, and I’m sure that we are set to keep improving as a team, regardless of the bike or championship we’re contesting. While Tom will head to Daytona for a quick ride, we’ll continue preparing for round two of the ASBK in Sydney on March 22 & 23.”

Tom Toparis

“I had such great weekend on the Stop and Seal R6! A flag-to-flag race is a new one for me, and for the team, but I think we had the 4th or 5th fastest time in wheel change which is pretty incredible, so thanks Bryan, Reece, Pacey, Kevin and Robbie for again doing everything possible for me to have strong results. 10th in race one is where I felt I deserved to be, given that I hadn’t ridden the World SuperSport bike in its final trim at all, and I’m disappointed to put myself in the position to be pushed wide in the second sprint-style race, losing track position. With 9 laps, I just didn’t have enough time to try and regain too many positions. Thanks again to Robbie, Claire and the entire Stop and Seal team for the incredible opportunity.”

Jack Mahaffy led the charge on-track in the ASBK Michelin SuperSport class for Stop and Seal Racing with 4th and 3rd races finishes, but a crash in race three saw the young rider relegated to 9th overall behind Archie McDonald as all the riders come to terms with their new equipment.

Honda Racing

Marcus Chiodo has showcased a promising start to the season aboard his CBR600RR, despite facing challenges at the onset of round 1 of the Australian Supersport Championship.

“It’s been a tough road leading up to the first round, but everyone has put in tremendous effort, and Honda has been incredibly supportive,” remarked Chiodo, reflecting on the team’s journey. “We had to pull everything together quickly, and I was also dealing with an injury that affected my braking capabilities. Despite the obstacles, we’ve learned a great deal, gathered valuable data, and although our results may not fully reflect it, we’ve made significant strides forward. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

In the first race, Chiodo impressively secured a 2nd place finish after mounting a comeback, demonstrating his potential as a contender for the season. However, race 2 didn’t unfold as planned, with an unexpected issue leading to a flat tyre and zero points. Undeterred, Chiodo bounced back in race three, strategising smartly to clinch a 5th place, securing crucial points and data for the upcoming rounds.

Looking ahead, the team has scheduled several test sessions to refine their setup and build a stronger foundation for the races to come. “The flat tyre incident was unfortunate, and I made some errors due to the high temperatures in race 3,” acknowledged Chiodo. “But we’re determined to learn from these experiences and be better prepared for round 2.“

RaceDNA Motorsports

The 2024 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) fired into life at Phillip Island, with RaceDNA Motorsports riders making promising progress to start their respective campaigns across the weekend.

A program of racing integrated into the opening round of the Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) saw large crowds and high levels of exposure, with  team regular Calvin Moylan joined by the welcome addition of international talent Varis Fleming in the RaceDNA Motorsports Supersport 300 line-up.

With Friday morning marking Varis’ first ride onboard the RaceDNA Motorsports Kawasaki Ninja 400, he swiftly found the speed to qualify fifth fastest for the weekend’s three races.

Meanwhile, a late lap from Calvin elevated him to a third row grid position in P8, confident ahead of the season-opening encounter after a solid step forward from practice.

Race one saw Varis charge his way forward after dropping back in the early stages, reaching P3 and managing from there to break away from the group behind, ultimately taking the checkers in a comfortable third position.

Calvin made a rapid start and was running inside the top five on lap one before he was forced off the track at turn four following contact by another rider.

The Western Australian didn’t give up however and clawed his way back onto and through the second group to ultimately finish in 10th place, dropping well in the 1m49s bracket throughout the bout.

Race two saw Varis reach the lead and feature in the podium fight throughout much of the encounter, posting a low 1m48s lap time. However, in the closing stages he was regulated to 11th position in a hard-fought outing, while Calvin finished the race in P15 on this occasion.

The final race of the weekend saw Varis grab the early lead with both he and Calvin featuring in the leading group. Leading at multiple points during the race, Varis ultimately completed eight-lap outing in fifth, less than half a second from victory.

For Moylan, an off-track excursion during the mid-part of the race pushed him back, but nonetheless he kept fighting until the end, posting his best lap of the weekend – a 1m48.5s – on his way to 12th overall for the round.

Varis Fleming

“Very positive weekend having highs and lows of racing, I really enjoyed this weekend working with the team and I hope to do this experience again maybe in the future.”

Calvin Moylan

“Despite some things happening on track that were out of my control, we took some really good positives from this weekend. Heading into the next round of the season we’re feeling good with what we learnt, and looking to move forward from here.”

Excitingly, round one also marked the team’s debut in the hotly contested Supersport category, with returning international Jacob Hatch, multiple Australian production champion Brandon Demmery and fast female plus national title winner in her own right Stephany James taking to the iconic 4.445km circuit onboard Kawasaki ZX-6R (636) machines.

Phillip Island commenced the long-term plan of the team’s development in the Supersport category, and qualifying highest of the RaceDNA machines was Hatch in P15, with Demmery & Stephany 19th and 25th respectively.

The opening Supersport race of the season saw Jacob drop into the 1m36s bracket, ultimately taking the checkers in 16th while Brandon and Stephany made improvements with lap times on their way to P18 and 25.

Race two saw another step with Jacob notching a solid 1m35.4s lap, which was within eight-tenths of the new lap record set during the bout. He had a strong opening lap up to P9, and a gutsy effort saw him complete the race in 12th, less than half a second from a top 10 result.

Brandon also continued to better his pace, delivering 1m36s laps and featuring in the battle for top 10 positions until a moment at turn four saw him wide and off the track. From there he put his head down to secure a P15 finish, while Stephany held on for a P23 result.

The final Supersport race for the weekend was an eventful one, with Brandon keeping his nose clean to secure more points in P16, further improving his feeling with the bike.

Pushing through arm pump during the weekend, the issue forced Hatch to retire prematurely in race three. Meanwhile, Steph was brought down in a high-speed incident at turn one on lap two after making a strong start.

While the weekend produced mixed fortunes for the team, collectively RaceDNA Motorsports leave with a strong motivation and a positive direction for the upcoming rounds.

The next round of the 2024 Australian Superbike Championship takes place under the lights at Sydney Motorsport Park (SMSP) between 22-23 March.

Brandon Demmery

“It was a positive weekend, we chipped away, made some progress all weekend. The bike was good to start with, but we made it really good towards the end. We were fortunate, all our issues were just set-up problems and with a brand new bike we had no gremlins or small technical issues, which is unheard of really with a new project. Lap times were good, our position was a bit average, but it is going to come, come with time. The team worked really well together, I’m really happy with the progress we made and now we look forward to round two.”

Jacob Hatch

“The weekend doesn’t look so good on paper but myself and the team made awesome progress from our first session to the last one. I had horrible arm pump all weekend which made it hard to get any type of result. Onto the next one, can’t wait!”

Stephany James

“Challenging weekend at Phillip Island with a new bike! Chasing some horsepower, bike setup and trying to get comfortable with Nina the Ninja warrior! Glad I have the best team behind the scenes to help me achieve my goals and had heaps of fun and laughter together.”

Jason Whitehead -RaceDNA Motorsports Team Owner

“That’s a wrap on what was a big round one for the team! Moving to new a category and developing a new bike is always going to present a share of growing pains in the early stages, but I’m proud of how Brandon, Jacob and Steph have embraced the challenge and with the progress they made across the weekend. It was a pleasure to welcome Varis into the team for Phillip Island and his podium after just two sessions on our bike is a testament to his talent. We wish him all the best for his European endeavours this year. Calvin took some massive steps forward across the weekend, and now we regroup & look ahead to Sydney.”

ASBK Superbike Championship Points

2024 Australian Superbike Championship Calendar

• Round 1: Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC Feb 23-25
• Round 2: Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW Mar 22-23
• Round 3: Queensland Raceway, QLD Apr 26-28
• Round 4: Morgan Park Raceway, QLD Jul 12-14
• Round 5: Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC Sept 7-8
• Round 6: One Raceway, NSW Oct 4-6
• Round 7: The Bend Motorsports Park, SA Nov 8-10