Jones collects first Pirelli Superpole win for 2016, while local Clarke fastest on home track

The Yamaha Motorcycle Insurance Superbikes and Motul Supersport riders qualified and took Pirelli Superpole awards today at Barbagallo Raceway, for Round 4 of the the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli.

Despite a small amount of rain overnight, by the time the Motul Supersport and YMI Superbikes hit the track today, conditions were dry, and with a handful of local stars as well as championships on the line, the competition was fierce with all riders vying for pole position.

Yamaha Motorcycle Insurance Superbikes

When Qualifying 1 got underway for the YMI Superbikes this afternoon, the Yamaha Racing Team bikes were notable absentees from the field – yesterday’s fastest rider Glenn Allerton, and Cru Halliday both opting to take time to observe before joining the session.

Jon Daniels Racing’s Daniel Falzon was impressive early on, posting a time of 55:876 handing him the top spot periodically, but it only took four laps for Yamaha’s Wayne Maxwell to assert his authority, snatching up P1 with a 55:709 lap time, relegating Falzon to second.

With 12 minutes remaining in the session, it was Yamaha domination at the front, with the manufacturer holding positions 1,2,3, and 4. Maxwell maintained his fastest time from Falzon (55.784), while Halliday put down a 55.863 placing him in third. Allerton, after only a single lap was fourth quickest on the circuit with a 55:899, followed by Crankt Protein Honda Racing’s Troy Herfoss who was only slightly off the pace in fifth with a 55:929.

At the conclusion of Qualifying 1, the only change came from Allerton who shot from fourth to second qualifying position (55.778), only 0.069 seconds behind teammate Maxwell who was fastest on track (55.709). Yamaha’s Falzon wrapped up Qualifying 1 in an impressive third, while Halliday and Herfoss completed the top five times.

Despite showing impressive speed during Friday’s practice sessions, DesmoSport Ducati’s Mike Jones finished the first qualifying session in sixth (55:989), while Ben Burke, Matt Walters, Brayden Elliott and Jamie Stauffer all finished with times inside the top ten.

In the second qualifying session for the Superbikes, it took a lengthy ten laps for Yamaha Racing Team’s Allerton to better Maxwell’s Qualifying 1 time from this morning. Allerton managing to take the top spot and beat the 2005 ‘best lap’ record with a flying 55.341 time.

DesmoSport Ducati’s Jones was the only other rider at the front to improve on his time from this morning, posting a 55.763 slotting him in to second in Qualifying 2, while Yamaha Racing Team’s Maxwell settled for third with a 55.796.

With the second qualifying session wrapped up, and times from both sessions combined, there were a total of four Yamaha machines occupying the top five positions – Allerton quickest from Maxwell, Jones, Falzon, and Halliday, while Honda mounted Herfoss was the final rider in sixth position to progress through to Pirelli Superpole later in the afternoon.

When Pirelli Superpole kicked off, riders had a total of ten minutes to lay down their fastest laps, and the Superbikes did well to entertain the crowds – chopping and changing times and smashing lap records to boot.

After only three laps DesmoSport Ducati’s Jones proved why he’s the defending ASBK champ, smashing Allerton’s newly set ‘best lap’ record with a 55.029, and securing his first Pirelli Superpole Award for the year.

Maxwell wrapped up the final appearance for the Superbikes today in second (55.159), followed by teammate Allerton who wrapped up Superpole in third (55.405). Crankt Protein Honda Racing’s Herfoss finished in fourth (55.455) followed by Falzon and Halliday who took fifth and sixth places respectively.

Jones will now start from pole position when racing kicks off for the Yamaha Motorcycle Insurance Superbikes tomorrow, and shared his thoughts immediately after collecting his Pirelli Superpole award.

“Obviously it’s fantastic to come back here in 2016 and race at Barbagallo Raceway – this time with the DesmoSport Ducati Team and the Ducati is working awesome. I am looking forward to getting into the racing now,” Jones shared.

“I stepped on to the Ducati at the start of this year and we’ve had lots of progression and development, but we are racing against the best guys and the best teams in Australia, and to be able to come out here and get Pole Position in front of those guys is quite an achievement.

“It a big confidence booster taking out Superpole – it’s going to be really tough racing tomorrow but I am really looking forward to it.”

Motul Supersport

The talented field of Motul Supersport competitors went head to head this morning for their first qualifying session at Barbagallo, and with the track dishing out damp surface conditions in the first session, it was anyone’s guess as to who would snatch up the quickest times.

Despite local rider Sam Clarke holding the top spot in Qualifying 1 for the majority of the 25-minute session, a late charge from Yamaha’s Luke Mitchell meant that he took the fastest time with a 58.030 lap. With Mitchell quickest, Clarke was forced to settle for second in the opening qualifying session (58.416), while Race Centre’s Ben Blyth wrapped up the session in third (58.653).

Rounding out the first qualifying session in fourth place was Cube Racing’s Callum Spriggs (58.939), while Daniel Wilson completed the top five positions. Ted Collins, Robbie Menzies, and Matt Price all collected qualifying times inside the top ten.

When Supersport bikes hit the track for a second time at Barbagallo Raceway today, track conditions had vastly improved, and despite cool temperatures, rider’s times had dropped from this morning’s session.\

Once again it was local Clarke and JNL’s Racing’s Mitchell who went head to head in Qualifying 2, and with a Pirelli Superpole award on offer, the pair pushed their bikes and bodies to the limits.

Despite the session being periodically red flagged due to a crash involving Wilson, the rider was up walking, and then it was straight back in to qualifying.

From there it was Clarke who shot to the top of the time sheets with a 57.422, bettering his Qualifying 1 time from this morning, followed by Mitchell who put down a 57.975, and championship leader Guenther who held down the third qualifying spot (57.944) with three minutes in the session remaining.

But no one was able to catch the lightening fast WA boy Clarke – his knowledge of the circuit serving him well, snatching up the Pirelli Superpole award with his 57.422 lap time and will now start on Pole when racing kicks off for Supersport competitors tomorrow.

Following closely behind Clarke was Mitchell who wrapped up Q2 in second (57.975), while Guenther qualified third (57.994). Race Centre’s Nic Liminton rode his Yamaha to P4 in the second session, while Spriggs wrapped up the day in fifth and will start from the second row of the grid tomorrow morning.

With ASBK qualifying done and dusted, competitors and teams will now prepare for racing at Round 4 of the 2016 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli at Barbagallo Raceway, which kicks off tomorrow.

For more information on Round 4 of the ASBK, head to www.asbk.com.au

For a full list of results from today head to www.computime.com.au