Waters Reigns Supreme in 2017
The 2017 Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli (ASBK) witnessed a season for the ages, when Josh Waters (Team Suzuki ECSTAR) took out the YMI Superbike Championship in exceptional circumstances at the final round. Now the Suzuki rider will be looking to take out the Phillip Island Superbike Championship, a support category to the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix (October 20-22).
The title win was a huge turnaround for Waters and Suzuki, with a points gap as much as 54 from the top of the standings back at Round 3 (Winton). The team managed to develop the brand new GSX-R1000R into a race winning package and Waters managed to pilot the machine to the Championship at the final round. Now, Waters’ attention turns to the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and the Phillip Island Superbike Championship.
Waters sharing; “I will go out there and look to compete. Obviously, the Phillip Island Superbike Championship won’t count towards the ASBK season just finished, but I would love to come out with another championship win for Suzuki! I want to go into this year’s off-season on a high and try for victories. Team Suzuki ECSTAR and the sponsors have worked so hard this year and I would like to reward them for all their effort.
“Although it’s part of the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix and there is plenty of attention, my approach does not change compared to any other race. The Grand Prix always draws a crowd, so I’m hoping it helps to develop our audience in the ASBK. Like always, the support races are some of the best all weekend and hopefully we can put on a show.
“The atmosphere is phenomenal and I always get enjoyment out of watching the best motorcycle racers in the world. We live and breathe racing, but there is something special about MotoGP. I know a few people in the MotoGP paddock from my racing in Europe and Japan. It will be great to catch up with all those guys. Obviously, there are people that Suzuki’s Phil Tainton is well connected with as well. It’s the best motorsport show in the world, to see those guys in action is incredible.
“Phillip Island can throw up anything in terms of weather conditions, so we will have to be prepared for both dry and wet conditions. It’s out of our hands and we just have to adapt to whatever the situation is. I’m looking forward to it.
“Getting into MotoGP is extremely hard for Australian’s, if there ever was a great opportunity to get there, it would be ASBK’s Hi-Tec Batteries Supersport 300 class. I think this class has been the story of the year, in terms of great racing and rising talent. The kids coming up through it is exactly what Australia needs and you can see the next generation rising. You have to remember though, it’s a completely different world over there in Europe and their talent, especially in Spain, start extremely young. With guys like Tommy Edwards and Reid Battye getting rides in the World Supersport 300 class however, it shows it’s a breeding ground for top talent.” The 2017 Champion, Waters finished.
Make sure to attend the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix to see the Phillip Island Superbike and Australian Supersport 300 Championships in action!
As always, stay up to date with all the latest news and updates from the ASBK by liking ASBK on Facebook, following the @asbk on Instagram and checking out the ASBK website here.
1. Waters at Sydney Harbour ASBK Round 6 – Photo Credit: tbg I photography
2. Waters storms the Island Round 7 ASBK 2017 – Photo Credit: tbg I photography
3. Team Suzuki Ecstar grids up at the Island – Photo Credit: Tristen Spragg
