From the sand of the Dakar Rally, to the dirt of ProMX to the burning rubber of the Australian Superbikes, there’s a host of .
Round 2 of Australian Superbikes (ASBK) marks the first time in Australian championship history that a round will be conducted under lights. The Western Sydney venue is currently the only motorsport facility in the country to provide permanent floodlighting, and Sydney Motorsport Park provides the perfect backdrop for the heavy hitters of ASBK to duke it out.
Heading into this weekend’s historic event, McMartin Racing’s Josh Waters leads the championship following a dominant performance at the opening round at Phillip Island one month ago. With a 23-point margin over his nearest rivals, Honda’s Troy Herfoss and Yamaha’s Mike Jones, the latter being the current and defending champion, the Mildura-based rider is hoping to continue his strong form.
Coincidentally, these three riders have returned to the same venue that decided the 2019 championship and involved not only themselves, but included Wayne Maxwell, Cru Halliday and Bryan Staring in the championship fight. Things were quite different back then, with Maxwell and Waters both racing for Team Suzuki Ecstar as teammates, Jones was Ducati’s main hope and both Herfoss and Staring flew the flags for Honda and Kawasaki, respectively.
In the end, it was Jones who delivered Ducati’s first Australian title in 20 years, the previous one being back in 1999 with now ASBK expert analyst commentator Steve Martin taking the outright honours. Jones took both race wins, with the pair battling wheel to wheel in the final race of the year. The championship was decided on the second-to-last corner exiting Corporate Hill, when Herfoss outbraked himself and went straight ahead, allowing Jones to retake the lead and win the championship.
In 2023, things are somewhat different. Jones is now a three times champion and now rides for Yamaha, as is Staring on a privateer effort. Maxwell went on to win back-to-back titles for McMartin Racing and Ducati, before handing the reins to Waters this year. Herfoss has remained with Honda throughout this time.
Who will come out on top after this weekend remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, the sight of superbikes racing under lights is one that will be remembered for a long time to come.
Catch the history-making second round of ASBK Saturday night LIVE on SBS VICELAND from 7pm (AEDT) and simulcast on SBS On Demand. You can also catch the full replay on Sunday afternoon from 1pm (AEDT) or anytime on SBS On Demand.
