West to take to the grid for Round 2 of the ASBK
With this weekend shaping up to be another action packed round of the 2016 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli (ASBK), Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team have added to the pool of talented riders, with 2016 WSBK wildcard Ant West confirmed to fill in for injured Jamie Stauffer this weekend.
After an outstanding performance in the WSBK Supersport category at Phillip Island, where West finished on the podium in front of an international audience, the Aussie star will line up on the ASBK Superbike grid for the first time since 1998 this weekend, aboard Stauffer’s CBR1000RRSP.
West, today shared his enthusiasm in getting the late call up, and says he’s excited to be lining up against Australia’s best with the Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team this weekend.
“I haven’t raced ASBK since 1998, so it’s going to be exciting to get back to an Australian race again this weekend,” he said.
“After my performance at Phillip Island I actually had another ASBK team approach me, however that didn’t work out, and then yesterday afternoon I got the call from Honda offering me the opportunity to race at round two, so I thought why not.
“I haven’t even had the opportunity to jump on the bike yet – I know that a lot of the teams have tested at Wakefield, and these guys have a lot of experience at the venue but I’m hoping I can just jump on and go fast.
“The Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team has a competitive bike, and given that I have had no time with the team, that’s one of the main reasons I said yes to the opportunity – It does give you confidence knowing you’re stepping on to a strong team.”
Crankt Protein Honda’s Team Manager Paul Free, shared that it’s exciting to have West on board for Round 2 of the ASBK after an outstanding performance at Phillip Island.
“As many people will now know, Jamie crashed whilst preparing for round two of the ASBK, and as a result has fractured his T12 vertebrae which means racing this weekend was just not possible,” he said.
“Ant West put in an outstanding performance at Phillip Island in the WSBK Supersport category, and once we heard he was available this weekend, we thought he would be a good fit for round 2.
“With no time to test with Ant, we are just going to do the best we can to get him comfortable on the bike during practice tomorrow, and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do on the Crankt Protein Honda CBR1000RRSP.”
Round 2 of the 2016 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli, will be held at Wakefield Park Raceway from March 25-27.
For more information on the ASBK, head to www.asbk.com.au
More, from a press release issued by Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team:
Local Herfoss and WSBK wildcard West to fly Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team flag at Round 2 of ASBK
The Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team is gearing up for the second instalment of the 2016 Australian Superbike Championship, being held at Wakefield Park in New South Wales this weekend (25-27 March, 2016) with Troy Herfoss and surprise inclusion Ant West set to take to the track.
With Herfoss, currently 4th in the Superbike Championship standings after one round, the local star will head into Round 2 with successful testing at Wakefield Park Raceway under his belt, and is well equipped to perform on his CBR1000RRSP in front of a home crowd this weekend.
Herfoss shared that he is eager to perform for friends, family, and fans in Goulburn – expressing his confidence and determination to move up in the Superbike championship standings at Round 2.
“After some productive testing at Wakefield on the Honda CBR1000RRSP, I am feeling confident leading in the second round. Being my home track, I feel I know every bump, corner and twist the circuit has to offer,” he said.
“With round one behind me I am ready to put my best foot forward this weekend. I feel I have good pace around the circuit and the team have been putting in a lot of hard work to make sure we have a great setup for the CBR machine.
“There is tough competition out on track, but I will have the locals there cheering me on. I am really looking forward to racing, and hopefully putting Honda on the podium for round two.”
Crankt Protien Honda Racing’s Jamie Stauffer, currently 11th in Superbike Championship standings, will unfortunately not take to the grid for Round 2 of the ASBK, due to an incident during testing which has left Stauffer with a compression fracture to his T12 vertebrae.
“It’s really disappointing not being able to race this weekend with the Crankt Protein Honda Racing team, it was a round I was really looking forward to,” he said.
“Unfortunately that is the risk of the sport and it sees me not being able to compete this weekend. All I can do it put my focus in to repairing and healing my body, and building my strength again to be fit and ready for when I jump back on the bike.
“It is never good having to miss a round of the championship, but the decision has been made to ensure I can have time to recover, and with the team’s help we will just be making sure I get back on the bike as soon as I possibly can.”
With Stauffer sidelined, WSBK Supersport wildcard rider Ant West will climb aboard the Crankt Protein Honda at Round 2, and today shared how he’s feeling about making his 2016 ASBK debut at Wakefield Park.
“I only got the call up to race with the Honda guys yesterday, so I’ve jumped on a plane and I’ll be racing at Wakefield Park this weekend,” he said.
“I haven’t raced the ASBK since 1998 (laughs) so I’m excited to have the opportunity to jump on a Honda and race in Australia.
“I don’t really know what to expect this weekend, there’s plenty of guys out there who have a lot of experience at Wakefield, but it’s a good opportunity to get some more races under my belt.
“The Crankt Protein Honda Racing Team has a competitive bike, and given that I have had no time with the team, that’s one of the main reasons I said yes to the opportunity – It does give you confidence knowing you’re stepping on to a strong team.”
Crankt Protein Honda racing will now head to Goulburn for the Round 2 of the 2016 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli this Easter long weekend, 25-27 March. For more information on the ASBK Championship head to www.asbk.com.au.
To keep up to date with all of Crankt Protien Honda Racing’s news, results, and features like the ‘Team Honda Racing’ Facebook page, follow @teamhondaracing on Instagram, or head to www.teamhondaracing.com.au.