Recounting the second and final Superbike bout from QLD Raceway

ASBK 2024
Round Three – QLD Raceway
Australian Superbike Race Two

Mike Jones had carried through his Saturday form to win the 16-lap opening race at Queensland Raceway on Sunday morning, but it had been a young Max Stauffer who led the first six laps of the contest and kept Jones honest throughout.

Troy Herfoss and Josh Waters didn’t really hit their straps until late in that opening race. A fuel problem likely cost Herfoss the final step on the rostrum, as Waters stole that thunder at the final turn on the final lap.

Another to not hit their stride until late in the opening race was Cru Halliday. The YRT rider would be looking to get away with the leading group when the lights go out in this one.

Glenn Allerton had been really strong over the first half of the opening race, before drifting back to finish sixth, well clear of seventh-placed Broc Pearson. Again, the GT Racing BMW rider would be looking for redemption in this second and final encounter of the weekend.

Superbike Race Two

Max Stauffer was again away well, to lead the field through Turn One, Mike Jones in second, and Troy Herfoss holding third ahead of Glenn Allerton and Josh Waters. Broc Pearson was away much better in this one, and was in sixth place ahead of Arthur Sissis and Bryan Staring. Cru Halliday again found himself with plenty of work to do.

Stauffer retained that lead throughout the opening two laps, but Jones took the lead as they crossed the stripe to start lap three. Stauffer came back at him under brakes, but Jones had the inside line. The two scrapped repeatedly over the course of the next lap-and-a-half, but Jones eventually started to inch away ever so slightly from the youngster. That pair were the only riders in the 7s across the opening laps.

Troy Herfoss joined them in the 7s on lap five, as did Josh Waters. That duo were only a few bike lengths behind the leading two.

Further back, Arthur Sissis was making progress. Picking off Pearson for seventh, then challenging Allerton for fifth with ten laps to run. Less than three-seconds covered that top six at this stage.

Mike Jones put in a new fastest lap of the race on lap seven, a 1m07.666, but Max Stauffer was still staying with him, only half-a-second behind Jones as the race approached half-distance. Right with them too, was Troy Herfoss, who had a few bike-lengths over fourth-placed Waters. Two-seconds further back, Sissis had moved up to fifth place after getting the better of Allerton. Bryan Staring went through on Pearson for seventh. He also sailed past Halliday, adding insult to injury, immediately after, pushing Pearson further back to eighth. Cru Halliday was close to that battle in ninth, as was Anthony West.

Troy Herfoss slotted the DesmoSport Ducati up the inside of Max Stauffer with seven laps to run, pushing the youngster wide in the process. Josh Waters then looked to capitalise, encroaching on the tail of the Penrite Yamaha as the race wore on.

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With five laps to run Jones had eked out a full-second over Herfoss. The DesmoSport Ducati rider still had Stauffer for close company, and the youngster had a few bike lengths over fourth-placed Waters. Further back, Bryan Staring had started to find his stride, making his way past Glenn Allerton for sixth place, and trying to chase down Sissis to challenge for fifth.

In clear air up front, Jones was now reeling off 7s in metronomic fashion. His pursuers couldn’t match that combination of speed and consistency. With three laps to run, Jones now had a buffer of more than two-seconds over Herfoss. Stauffer was a few lengths behind Herfoss, but had a few lengths over Waters.

Jones was the clear victor, with an almost three-second advantage over Herfoss at the chequered flag.

A perfect 51-points haul for Jones from this third round of the championship moves him up to third place in the championship, a couple of points behind his YRT team-mate.

Max Stauffer rounded out the podium a few bike lengths behind Herfoss, but with more than half-a-second over fourth-placed Waters. That third place secured the youngster second for the round and added 38-points to his championship tally, which catapulted him up to fourth place in the championship chase.

For championship leader, Josh Waters, 35 points from Queensland Raceway this weekend is a below-par result. However, it is fair to say that Waters and the McMartin Ducati, didn’t really fire this weekend in their normal fashion. They were fast, but not consistently fast enough to run with Jones and Stauffer. Still, if that is a bad weekend, and you can still extend your championship lead, I am sure they will take that without losing too much sleep.

Arthur Sissis was a further three-seconds back in fifth place, in what was a great debut for the new Stop & Seal Superbike.

Cru Halliday again showed good pace in the closing stages but it was a case of too little, too late. Nevertheless, that sixth place maintains his second position in the championship, 29.5-points behind points leader, Josh Waters.

Glenn Allerton was once again strong early on, before losing positions as the race wore on. Still, a seventh place ahead of Bryan Staring bags good points for the GT Racing BMW rider.

Broc Pearson crossed the line in ninth place, 10-seconds behind the race winner at the end of the 16-lap contest.

Cam Dunker rounded out the top ten, six-seconds further back.

Ant West went down on the final lap at Turn Four, to end on a slightly sour note what had been, up until then, a pretty good race for the veteran, battling with Halliday, Staring, and Pearson.

— UPDATE —

We have just been informed that the full results from Superbike Race Two are provisional subject to an ongoing Technical Inspection.

Superbike Race Two Results
PROVISIONAL SUBJECT TO TECH INSPECTION

Superbike Round Points

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