Motorcycle Extravaganza at The Bend Motorsport Park
The Bend Motorsport Park will play host to the ASBK and FIM Asia Road Racing Championship (April 19-22) for what promises to be one of the biggest weekend’s on the Australian motorsport calendar. The anticipation is as high as ever and here is what to look out for. The Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul Pirelli (ASBK) is also pleased to announce the release of the digital program for Round 3 that can be viewed at ASBK.com.au.
The Bend Motorsport Park
The brand-new track has been developed surrounding a significant amount of hype. There’s no doubt that this is a world class facility that will deliver an exhilarating experience for rider’s and spectators. The Bend has a number of different configurations, but it is the 4.95km International Circuit that ASBK will race on.
This event will be special as ASBK and ARRC will both be racing at the same track over the weekend. In addition, five Australian wildcards will be competing across three ARRC classes. Its sure to be a thrilling four days of on-track action!
Championship Battle
The YMI Superbike Championship battle is all set up for a brilliant contest and certain contenders stand out from the crowd. As it stands, Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda, CBR1000SP) leads the points table.
After taking yet another overall round win at Wakefield, Herfoss will have no shortage of competition at The Bend Motorsport Park. 2017 Champion, Josh Waters (GSX-R1000R) is the closest challenger to Herfoss, despite not having a win under his belt this year. The Bend is the kind of circuit that suits Waters to a tee, so keep an eye out for him.
Third in the standings, Wayne Maxwell (Yamaha Racing Team, YZF-R1M) was fastest at the Official ASBK Test and will be a huge contender for wins. Maxwell despite a disastrous race one at Phillip Island has been in impressive form ever since.
Attendance Tickets
Fans are able to purchase tickets at ASBK.com.au for this weekend’s event. Whether it’s grandstand seating, onsite camping, park ‘n’ view or general admission, fans have a number of options to view the action! Don’t forget, entry is free on the Thursday.
ASBK Goes Live
ASBK and ARRC action will be showcased over Live Stream for both Saturday and Sunday. Hardcore fans won’t want to miss a minute of the racing action. Both SBS and Fox Sports Australia 505 will be live from 11:30am local time on Sunday 22nd April. There will be plenty of races, interviews and special features to keep the interest of the fans.
SBS Australia LIVE from 1130 – 1330 Local Time on Sunday 22nd April.
FOX Sports Australia LIVE from 1130 – 1330 Local Time on Sunday 22nd April.
ASBK.com.au Saturday and Sunday all day live stream
ASBK Digital Program
ASBK is pleased to announce the arrival of the digitalised Official ASBK Round 3 Program.
The program can be found on the website ASBK.COM.AU.
Public access to the digital ASBK Program will feature many interesting and informative sections including; rider entry lists, race schedules, previous round wrap ups, championship points standings, track information, biographies, getting started in racing information, partnership information, race pictures and so much more.
Fans that wish to catch all the action at The Bend Motorsport Park for the ASBK and ARRC double header can purchase tickets here.
2018 ASBK Calendar
Round 3- The Bend Motorsport Park, Tailem Bend, SA April 19 – 22
Round 4- Hidden Valley Raceway, Darwin NT June 28 – 1 July
Round 5- Morgan Park Raceway, Warwick QLD August 17 – 19
Round 6- Winton Motor Raceway, Benalla, VIC September 7 – 9
Round 7- Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC October 12 – 14
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More, from a press release issued by Penrite Honda Racing:
PENRITE HONDA RACING’S HERFOSS LEADS ASBK INTO THE BEND
Penrite Honda Racing’s Troy Herfoss carries the 2018 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) points-lead into The Bend Motorsport Park this weekend, marking the series’ inaugural appearance at the world-class South Australian venue between 19-22 April.
After winning Wakefield Park’s second round in March, Herfoss holds a 10-point advantage in the standings entering round three, which will feature as a unique double-header event alongside the prestigious Asia Road Racing Championship (ARRC).
The ER Motorsport-operated Penrite Honda Racing team took part in an important two-day test at Tailem Bend earlier this month, where Herfoss was able to post the fastest lap-time on day one and wound up second on the charts with a 1m54.030s – just 0.010s from the top around the 4.95-kilometre International Circuit configuration.
“The Penrite Honda Racing team and I are feeling good heading into round three this weekend,” said Herfoss. “We had a good test here at The Bend Motorsport Park two weeks ago and, on top of that, we have had race wins at the opening two rounds with the overall at Wakefield Park, which sees us leading the championship.
“Everything is moving in the right direction and the Honda CBR1000RR SP is getting better and better. The guys have been doing a lot of work back at the workshop and we feel like that things are progressing well for us. In terms of testing here, it went well for us – in general we were always quick and had good track speed.
“I was able to go fast when I wanted to go fast, so we just have to manage the tyres and everyone is in the same boat. The track is unbelievable, world-class and one of the best tracks that I have ever ridden on, so we look forward to the race weekend now.”
With three 10-lap races scheduled across the weekend, Penrite Honda Racing team manager Shaun Clarke outlined the team’s confidence heading into The Bend as Honda Motorcycles Australia’s all-new factory organisation continues to strengthen with each outing.
“We’re really confident heading into this round,” Clarke commented. “We’ve done a lot of work since Wakefield Park including the official test and with this circuit being fast and having a lot of corners, a good setting is important.
“We need to ensure that we can make it through the race-distance with the pace to win, which is where the K-Tech Suspension is coming into its own. We have also made a massive gain with Woolich Racing in terms of our ECU and we’re getting it right to where we want to be. We’re really starting to extract the most out of the package.”
The Superbike class will be on-track Thursday with a pair of practice sessions, followed by a third practice on Friday morning and the opening qualifying session afterwards. Qualifying two will take place on Saturday morning, with the first race of the weekend scheduled for the afternoon. Races two and three will be contested on Sunday.
Catch all the action via Livestream at www.asbk.com.au from 8:30am local time on both Saturday and Sunday, with live television to be aired on SBS and Fox Sports from 11:30am local time on Sunday. Follow Team Honda Racing on Facebook and @teamhondaracing on Instagram/Twitter for the latest updates.