STAGE SET FOR TENSE ASBK TITLE DECIDER

29 October 2019 

The Motul Pirelli Australian Superbike Championship is set for a captivating title showdown in the seventh and final round at Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend, with the top three riders separated by just 4.5 points, and no less than six of the nation’s best motorcycle racers in with a shot of winning the crown.

In the previous round at Phillip Island, it was Troy Herfoss who prevailed after an enthralling wheel-to-wheel duel with Wayne Maxwell, the Honda rider claiming his second overall round victory of the season and launching to the top of the standings.

Maxwell has demonstrated an impressive combination of one-lap speed and race pace in recent rounds, and the Suzuki rider heads to SMP just three points in arrears of Herfoss. Like the Honda rider, Maxwell has taken two round wins this season.

Third in the standings is Ducati runner Mike Jones, who arrived at Phillip Island with a handy points advantage, and has been the form rider in qualifying with four pole positions on the trot. However, a collision with Maxwell in Race 2, and subsequent non-finish, saw Jones slipping behind Herfoss and Maxwell.

19 points away from the lead is Cru Halliday; the Yamaha rider featured at the pointy end of the points table for the first half of the season, but struggled to match the outright pace of the front-runners at Phillip Island and lost valuable points with a crash in Race 2. Nevertheless, all it will take is one slip-up from the three main protagonists and Halliday will be right in the hunt.

A little further adrift of Halliday are Josh Waters (Suzuki) and The Bend round winner Bryan Staring, who realistically need all their main opponents to strike trouble in at least one of the races to be a chance of snaring a come-from-behind victory.

The last time the ASBK visited the Western Sydney venue was in 2017; on that occasion, it was Josh Waters who dominated the weekend, scoring pole position and victories in both races to claim the round from Troy Herfoss and Glenn Allerton.

This weekend’s Superbike action will consist of three practice sessions on Friday followed by an official timed session on Saturday morning, two-part qualifying on Saturday afternoon and two races on Sunday. Download the event schedule here.

A total of 23 riders are entered for the round – download the entry list here.

Tickets are now on sale for the event, and can be purchased online here. All patrons who purchase tickets before 11:59pm on Thursday evening will receive a FREE Sunday pit-lane walk.

Kawasaki Superbikes – Points after Round 6

1. Troy Herfoss – 241

2. Wayne Maxwell – 238

3. Mike Jones – 236.5

4. Cru Halliday – 222

5. Josh Waters – 216

6. Bryan Staring – 211.5

7. Matt Walters – 160.5

8. Daniel Falzon – 156

9. Alex Phillis – 131

10. Arthur Sissis – 106.5

Head to ASBK.com.au for more info about Round 6 of the 2019 Australian Superbike Championship.

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