Wayne Maxwell Ready To Fight For 2020 ASBK Championship Title

2013 ASBK Champion and current points leader Wayne Maxwell is confident he has what it takes to win this year’s Kawasaki Superbike class mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul.

The Boost Mobile K-Tech sponsored Victorian had the perfect start to the season scoring three wins at round 1 of the Championship at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, and believes at the double header Grand Finale at Wakefield Park Raceway, Goulburn, NSW, rounds 2 and 3, on December 3-6, he can be holding Motorcycling Australia’s ASBK Championship title.

Maxwell’s race records at Wakefield could be an ominous sign for his Championship rivals. Maxwell took race wins in 2018, 2017 and 2016 and has been a top three points scorer for the last four years at the NSW circuit.

“Wakefield has been good to me, I’ve had a lot of successful,” said Maxwell.

“I’ve won races there and I’ve finished on the podium.

“I enjoy Wakefield, the layout, the challenges it presents, and I can’t wait to get out there and take it on.

“If I look at the statistics and the history, it says that I’m going to be top three or possibly win a race. That puts us in a position to get the Championship wrapped up.”

Despite being locked down for six months due to COVID-19 restrictions, Maxwell said it has been a hard year for everyone involved in the ASBK Championship.

“It’s been a difficult year for everyone involved in ASBK, it’s been unprecedented.

“There has been a lot of hard work done in such a funny year. So many times you build yourself up to go racing and then we get shut down by things that are outside of ASBK’s control.

“For the Boost Mobile-K-Tech team, everyone has stood by us and been committed, hopefully we can bring the ultimate reward on the Sunday. It would mean the world to me and a great reward for my guys.”

In recent weeks Maxwell has managed to get some seat time on his Ducati at Winton Motor Raceway in preparation for the Grand Finale.

“Track time is definitely what I’ve needed. Being back on the Boost Mobile K-Tech bike and training on the Ohvale has put me in a really good position to take on the gruelling ASBK double header.

“To win It will take no mistakes, that’s the key for us to win the Championship.

“I’m confident, I have no reason not to be.”

Mathematically anyone competing in the Kawasaki Superbike class has the potential to win the Championship with only two rounds to run and 102 points up for grabs.

However, while Maxwell has one hand on the Championship trophy, he will be under immense pressure from current top five riders Cru Halliday, Josh Waters, Bryan Staring and Troy Herfoss – regarded as the king of Wakefield because of his dominance at the circuit in the past four years.

“I can’t control what those guys are going to do. I know when I haven’t won there what let me down, and I know what’s got me across the line first,” said Maxwell.

“We can only control what we can do, and we have a great group of guys around us including Craig and Adrian and everyone else in the team who believe in me.

“To reward them for their support and hard work would be very special come Sunday afternoon.”

Maxwell is also a big fan of the other classes in the ASBK Championship and will be keeping a keen eye on a number of youngsters in the Motorsports TV Supersport class and the YMI Supersport 300 class.

“I always pay a lot of attention to the other classes and I’m looking forward to seeing how Max Stauffer goes in the 600 class,” Maxwell said.

“That’s what interests me is the guys who are up and coming, someone like him who has had a successful year in the 300 class and then stepped up to the 600 and if he goes well that’s really great encouragement for the other young kids to know they can take the same step.

“Obviously I have interest in the Supersport 300 class as a lot of young kids ride the Ohvales with me.

 “I am looking forward to seeing how those guys go, as they have a willingness to learn and improve their riding, so hopefully it pays off and they can finish the year with a high and it gives them a good platform heading into 2021.”

Race fans can catch all the drama and action from the 2020 ASBK Grand Finale at Wakefield Park Raceway, December 3-6, live via ASBK TV partners SBSHD, Fox Sports Australia and Fox Sports Asia on both Saturday and Sunday.

Each of the five Championships – Oceania Junior Cup, YMF R3 Cup, YMI Supersport 300, Motorsports TV Supersport and Kawasaki Superbike class – will be decided at the Grand Finale.

Keep up to date with the latest news on the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, via www.asbk.com.au and following ASBK on Facebook and Instagram.

Pictures by Russell Colvin