ASBK Team reports from Round Three at QLD Raceway

ASBK 2024
Round Three – Queensland Raceway
Team Reports

Yamaha Racing Team

Yamaha Racing Team’s Mike Jones made a stunning return to form winning all before him at round three of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) at Queensland Raceway over the weekend. After riding well at the opening two rounds but not getting the results he was after, Jones bounced back to his best at his home circuit, taking maximum points from the weekend and moving his way to third in the championship.

Mike Jones

“It’s been a while since I have won a race, so it’s a good reward for myself and the team as we have continued to work hard even through the results haven’t gone our way. I needed a good weekend here at Queensland Raceway to get myself back in the championship and get some momentum going for the next few rounds so its awesome to make that happen and the goal is to do at again at the next round at Morgan Park. The team did a great job and the bike was amazing to ride all weekend. To be able to generate the speed we did, for as long as we did is a credit to Kev, Dyllan and Liam and I just really enjoyed racing it this weekend. It was also great to have so many friends and family here this weekend and here them cheer me on all around the track.”

It was a challenging weekend for teammate, Cru Halliday, but he didn’t stop fighting all weekend on his way to a fifth place finish for the round, but able to hold onto second in the championship after three rounds.

Cru Halliday

“Looking back, not qualifying well was what really hurt me. Because the times are always so close here, you need to be near the front and have good track position to get good results and starting from seventh on the grid really put me behind the eight ball. The team did a great job earlier in the week as we were able to turn around a slow start on Friday and turn in some good laps on Saturday, so I’m just frustrated I didn’t keep that going and produce a podium on Sunday. Thanks to the team for all the hard work over the weekend. I owe them one for not getting the result we should have, so I will be out to redeem myself at the next round.”

DesmoSport Ducati

It was a bittersweet round three of the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) for DesmoSport Ducati as Troy Herfoss overcame early obstacles a third DesmoSport round podium finish in a row this season.

Troy Herfoss

“What can I say… It’s been such a whirlwind with my flight home from America delayed, I got home and was pretty much straight back on the bike in practice and here we are, weekend over already! I really want to thank everyone that’s come out to the track this weekend, there’s been so many supportive comments and interest in what I’m doing this year both here and in the US and I really appreciate it. I’m lucky enough to be surrounded by good people across two great teams right now and it’s allowing me to really enjoy racing motorbikes. Battling for the podium against Max (Stauffer) was a real highlight for me across both races, after racing against and learning a lot from his dad when I started on a superbike, I was proud to legitimately race against him as he took his first double podium weekend too.”

Broc Pearson faced his own set of challenges racing the two 16-lap races at Queensland Raceway securing 8th overall.

Broc Pearson

“I had some high expectations this weekend and although my outright lap time didn’t have me at the front through practice, we were working to a plan with strong race speed. I went into Sunday feeling good about the position we were in, so I’m disappointed to leave Queensland Raceway with a seventh and ninth place. A huge thank you to Ben and the entire DesmoSport Ducati, along with everyone that came out to support me over the weekend. We’re the only team to feature on the podium at every round this year and I plan on keeping that streak alive when we get to Morgan Park.”

Ben Henry – Team Manager

“What a weekend! Being based in South-East Queensland, Queensland Raceway is a great weekend with so many of our local supporters and customers able to come see us race, and I really enjoy seeing all the familiar faces. I honestly didn’t know if Troy (Herfoss) would even make it on-track for Friday practice after his flight from the US was cancelled, but in the end it was lucky he did as we uncovered a problem in the bikes ECU from his crash in Sydney. From there, we started again and although the rain in qualifying prevented us from seeing his full potential, the team made strong steps forward. For Broc, I think we missed an opportunity for some solid points this weekend. He’s capable of much more than the results he had on the weekend, so we’ll take some time to analyse the weekends results, before turning our attention to Morgan Park for round four.”

Penrite Racing

Penrite Racing’s Max Stauffer made an impressive mark at Queensland Raceway, securing a second place finish in race one and a third place in race three, culminating in a second overall standing for the weekend.  Saturday’s FP4 also saw Stauffer setting a new track record with a blazing lap of 1:07.46, securing him a front-row start for Sunday’s races after qualifying in P2 with a time of 1:07.535.

Max Stauffer

“Overall a great weekend, I got my first front row after qualifying 2nd and got my first ever double podium with my best ever finishing position with a 2nd and a P3 in the second race with a great battle with Troy (Herfoss.) I even had a battle for the lead with Mike (Jones) and I tried to fight my best but Mike was a little bit better than me today and I’m going to work out my weak points and come out stronger at the next round.”

Teammate Cameron Dunker also demonstrated skill and determination with a top-10 finish.

Cameron Dunker

“Difficult weekend here at Queensland Raceway, but we got through it in the end, not the position we wanted. The times were tight in the races but unfortunately, I was in the back of the leading group but on to the next round. I can’t thank the team enough for their hard work and the support from our sponsors.”

GT Racing Team

The GT Racing Team had completed a successful test a month prior to the main event and arrived at Queensland Raceway ready for the challenge. Practice went smoothly, with the team logging crucial laps near the top of the time sheets to analyse data and fine-tune the bike. The goal for the weekend was to secure a podium finish. Qualifying was a highlight, Glenn in P3 with a personal best lap of 1.07.6.

Race one began with Glenn charging off the line, engaging in spirited battles with the lead pack. However, settling for P6 by the race’s end fell short of Glenn’s and the team’s expectations. Undeterred, race two saw Glenn making another strong start. However, despite his relentless effort, he couldn’t keep up with the frontrunners, finishing in seventh place. Overall, the team secured sixth for the weekend.

Glenn Allerton

“It was a weekend of mixed fortunes. Practice and qualifying showcased our potential, securing a front-row start. However, as track temperatures rose, grip on exit became challenging—a critical factor on this circuit. While our initial and closing speeds were promising, our mid-race pace faltered compared to the competition. It’s a challenge we must address. I’m confident there’s more to extract from our setup, and I’m committed to refining our approach ahead of Morgan Park.”

Trevor Groeneveld – GT Racing Team Owner

“The recent test at QR allowed us to find a setup on the bike that addressed the tyre degradation issue we had been battling. Glenn’s overall race time this year was around 15 seconds faster than previous years showing the improvement we have made with the BMW M1000RR so far this year. A front row start was a great result for us however we need to fine tune the bike further to find the performance needed to compete for consistent podium results.”

Addicted To Track

It was a home round for Addicted to Track Racing and their four rider team; and in Superbike race one Anthony West was right in the thick of it and put down a blistering 1:07.951 whilst climbing a few positions to finish in P8. Michael Edwards mixed with the locals just as he intended to do and kept them on their toes with a 1.11 flat.

Race two saw disappointment for West after crashing out on the final lap, in a day that has tested the best of them. Edwards left QR happy after another brilliant battle.

In Supersport 600 race one, Jack Favelle and Cooper Rountree both put down some strong lap times. Jack kept up a solid chase with the leading pack for an excellent P8 finish. Cooper was able to resume after a small slide and finish the race.

In race two Favelle mustered his strength for another strong chase, he was .238 behind P9 before the race was cut short due to a red flag. Rowntree, who faced a few mechanical gremlins, kept his head in the game and saw the race out in P12.

RaceDNA Motorsports

After positive testing at the venue, RaceDNA Motorsports entered Queensland Raceway optimistic about what team riders Jacob Hatch and Brandon Demmery could achieve. Demmery  racing to fifth in race one, and following up with a seventh in race two, despite a red flag. Hatch meanwhile finished sixth in race one, and would repeat the performance in race two for the same result.

Demmery and Hatch concluded the weekend fourth and fifth overall – a great early milestone for the team having both bikes inside the top five Supersport overall for a round.

Brandon Demmery

“Very happy with round three at Queensland Raceway. The whole RaceDNA crew worked their butts off and gave me an amazing bike and I finally broke the top five in race one, then had a solid seventh in race two. We definitely got helped a bit with a lot of chaos going on in front of me, but I am super happy to walk away clean and with some really positive steps forward. It was great to finally run with the top guys in the class all weekend, it definitely helped a whole bunch with my own riding as I found a lot of weaknesses that I can work on during the mid-season break.”

Jacob Hatch

“Was a good weekend, struggled a fair bit throughout it but the team and myself kept good spirits and tried our hardest! We ended up getting a P6 in the first race but was taken back to ninth due to a penalty. Race two we brought it home sixth and overall P5 for the weekend! Looking forward to the next one.”

RaceDNA Motorsports achieved a podium finish at Queensland Raceway in Supersport 300 with Casey Middleton claiming a milestone top-five result in the category, after missing the opening two rounds of the season due to an injury sustained late last year. Calvin Moylan meanwhile claimed a sixth in race one, but a fall in race two resulted in a DNF.

Casey Middleton

“My weekend went pretty well considering it was my first time back racing in a few months, ending up fourth overall, plus getting on the podium in race three capped off a good first round back. A big thanks to the team for their efforts and everyone who came out to the track for their support.”

Calvin Moylan

“Round three of ASBK at Queensland Raceway, not the way we wanted the round to end. That said, P7 in qualifying, I was pretty happy with. Then the first race went well, with the front pack and placing P6. Race two went really good, my first time leading a race at a national level, which I’m really stoked about, coming in P6 for that race also. The third race did not go the way I wanted, getting caught with a slightly slower group, which frustrated me so I tried to close the gap to the leaders but ran wide in the first turn and had a pretty bad crash, but I’m ok, feeling a little bit sore. But overall I’m happy with the improvements in my race craft. Getting more comfortable running in the lead pack every time I’m out there, so I’m bringing a positive and happy mindset into the next round at Morgan Park.”

Team rider Georgia Stephens showed signs of immense progress during the early stages, but unfortunately a crash in FP3 resulted in a broken collarbone for the South Australian, ruling her out for the remainder of the weekend.

Georgia Stephens

“After finally getting back to full fitness from my previous injury, Friday was looking to be a day filled of confidence and progression. Finally was seeing positive results again, unlucky that right at the end of the last practice session I high-sided and broke my collarbone. Surgery is happening very soon and recovery will start! I’m very keen to get back on the RaceDNA R3 and get those results.”

Jason Whitehead – RaceDNA Motorsports Team Owner

“What a weekend at Queensland Raceway! A big thank you to all of our team partners and those who came out on the weekend to support our riders. It was great to see Casey cap off his comeback event with a podium in race three – a true testament to his determination and the team’s hard work. While the event didn’t end the way Calvin wanted it, he can hold his head high with the progress he has already made this year. In Supersport, to have both our riders achieve a top-five overall result this early is a great reward to all involved, and we have our sights firmly set on continuing this strong momentum following the mid-season break. I’d also like to wish Georgia well in her recovery and we are all excited to see her back to her best when she’s healed and on the bike in the near future.”

ASBK Superbike Championship Points

Supersport 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