Team Honda Racing 2014 Australasian Superbike Champions 1-2-3!

24th November 2014 – Team Honda Racing claim the 2014 Australasian Superbike Title with #47 Wayne Maxwell and complete a dream season by also claiming 2nd and 3rd in the championship!

Wayne Maxwell was crowned the 2014 Champion with team mate #27 Jamie Stauffer taking 2nd place and #17 Troy Herfoss 3rd place in what can only be described as their most successful season to date. The embattled #16 Josh Hook took 5th place in the championship after missing the first round due to injury and valiantly battled throughout the season to reclaim valuable points.
In extremely hot conditions at Sydney Motorsport Park the team took the might of the CBR1000RR SP to the track for three final races. Race 1 provided some drama for spectators with Maxwell running off the track at Turn 1 early in the race, managing to rejoin at the rear of the field and power his way through to eventually finish 9th. The winner of Race 1 was Josh Hook, but a jump start penalty of 15 seconds meant the final results would see Jamie Stauffer claim the race victory, Herfoss 2nd, Maxwell moved to 8th and Hook was relegated to 9th place. Hook still managed to record the fastest lap of the race, a new Superbike lap record of 1:31.135 seconds.

The track temperature for Race 2 reached 60.8 degrees Celsius and the Team Honda Racing riders didn't leave anything to chance. Battles ensued, but finally Herfoss finished 3rd in the Race, Maxwell 5th, Hook 6th and Stauffer 7th. Race 2 did not endanger the championship lead for Team Honda Racing with Maxwell still 11 points in the lead ahead of Stauffer heading into Race 3.
With a Honda Title in the bag regardless of the Race 3 result, it was a matter of which CBR1000RR SP rider would claim the honours. Josh Hook won Race 3 with Herfoss 2nd, Stauffer 3rd and Maxwell 5th. The 2014 title belonged to Wayne Maxwell with 362 points ahead of Stauffer on 355 points. Herfoss rounded out the podium on 324 points and Hook took his 5th place finish on 263 points.
2014 Australasia Superbike Champion, Wayne Maxwell: "This season has been fantastic with Team Honda Racing. After riding for the team for many years and being so close before but never quite getting there, it makes winning the Australasian Superbike Championship so special. To have a year away from Honda and then for Paul and Laura to take me back and to win with them is an amazing feeling. I would like to thank Honda, Motul and all the team partners. Also, Bell, Milspec, Mick Price Horse Training, Bullseye Electrics, Shotz, MotoSpec Chassis, Speed Angle and Champions Ride Days. The support this year has been amazing."

2nd in the 2014 ASC, Jamie Stauffer: "Congratulations to Wayne, it has been a huge season and I'm proud to finish 2nd in the championship. The team has been incredible this year and although I'm disappointed not to take the title, the 1-2-3 result for Team Honda Racing is great. Thank you to Honda and all the sponsors for their support this year, it has been fantastic."
Troy Herfoss won Round 6 overall at Sydney Motorsport Park and rounded out the podium to finish 3rd in the championship: "I have had such a great year with Team Honda Racing and I'm happy I could get such a strong result for the team. Filling in for Josh at Round 1 and then becoming part of the team for the rest of the season has just been a terrific experience and I would like to thank everyone for all their hard work. I would like to thank Paul Free and Honda for the opportunity to race in such a professional team. Congratulations to Wayne!"
5th in the 2014 ASC, Josh Hook: "This final round was a strong one for me; I won 2 races although I did receive a jump start penalty which didn't help my points much. I recorded a new lap record in Race 1 and even with the heat of the day I felt strong on the CBR1000RR SP. I finished 5th overall which I suppose isn't bad given that I missed the first event. I would like to thank all the guys at Team Honda Racing for a great year and it was good to see such a strong finish for the team taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the ASC."
Team Principal, Paul Free couldn't be more proud of his team this year having won every single round of the championship and claiming the title along with 2nd and 3rd to boot. "What a fantastic year! Our team was an absolute Force this year and the Honda CBR1000RR SP provided us with such a great bike to race, I knew the SP was going to be good but I didn't quite expect it to be this good, simply a beautifully balanced bike. The strength of the motorcycle is obvious given our results and partnered with the best riders in the country it was an undeniable winner. Congratulations to Wayne on a well-deserved title win and to Jamie for another Stella season. Well done also to Troy for the round win and 3rd in the championship after a very impressive effort throughout the year. I think Josh's 5th place in the championship is such a solid effort and he should be proud of his season given the setback of the first round. All 4 riders did the Honda brand proud and really put in 100% all year. I would like to thank the whole team for their support and complete desire to win; they have made my job very easy."

Team Honda Racing would like the thank Honda Australia for the incredible support they provide to make this championship such a success. We would also like to thank our invaluable sponsors; Motul, Honda Motorcycle Insurances, Pirelli, Patterson Cheney, Western Freight Management, Alpinestars, HART, NGK Spark Plugs, Out There Branding and all our technical partners; Arrow, Tsubaki, Puig, Goldfren, JT Sprockets, Speedangle and GB Racing.
Team Honda Racing would like to thank all their supporters during the 2014 season of racing and look forward to returning in 2015 for another Title challenge!

---

#16 Josh Hook Wins Inaugural Phillip Island Championship for Team Honda Racing

20th October 2014 – Team Honda Racing claim the Phillip Island Championship Title at the MotoGP event with #16 Josh Hook taking the inaugural title in style.

It was a picture perfect 1-2-3-4 Superbike Race 3 finish for Team Honda Racing yesterday at Phillip Island which was the icing on the cake for the Honda team after a hugely successful weekend of racing.
The Honda CBR1000RR SP dominated from start to finish in the final Superbike races of the event with Hook taking the lead early ahead of Maxwell, Stauffer and Herfoss and the Honda bullet train crossed the finish line in that order.
Hook enjoyed a flawless weekend of racing at Phillip Island for Round 2, starting from Pole position and taking 3 Superbike race wins to win Round 2 and take the title. Hook could not be happier, "A huge thanks to Team Honda Racing; I couldn't have had a better weekend. Three wins from three starts is great and to take the Phillip Island Championship title is awesome. The final race could not have gone better for the team either with Honda taking out the top 4 positions. It was a great event and I am stoked to win."
Hook's Honda team mate, #27 Jamie Stauffer was also battling for the title heading into the weekend having taken the overall round honours at Round 1 earlier in the year. However, Stauffer was outfoxed by the young gun of the team and had to settle for 2nd place overall for Round 2 and also the Phillip Island Championship.
Stauffer raced extremely well all weekend with consistent lap times and his title campaign cannot be faulted. "I am disappointed that I didn't take the title after winning Round 1, but congratulations to Josh as he really raced to the limit and had such a strong weekend. I enjoyed the MotoGP event as always and it was great to see the Honda CBR1000RR SP dominate the podium. The 1-2-3-4 finish in front of the GP crowd was a great way to finish the event for us and well deserved by Team Honda Racing. Thanks to the team for their hard work, particularly Dan Williams. We now have to focus on the finale of the Australasian Superbike Championship. I am still battling for that title so there is still plenty of work to do this year."
#47 Wayne Maxwell had a mixed weekend at the MotoGP event on his Motul Honda, crashing out of Race 1 on Friday, only to be battling for the race win in Races 2 and 3. Maxwell finished 2nd in Race 3 and recorded the fastest lap of the race, 1:32.653 seconds. "What can I say? My DNF in Race 1 put me behind the eight-ball going into the weekend, but I was able to come back very strongly in Races 2 and 3. I had good pace and was able to finish 2nd in both those races, but Josh got the better of us all and deserves the honours. Thanks to the team for a great weekend. Now I need to turn my focus to the final race event of the ASC. I am currently in the lead heading into the last event at Sydney Motorsport Park so the biggest battle is yet to come."

#17 Troy Herfoss rounded out the podium for Round 2 of the Phillip Island Championship after his 4th place finish in the final race of the event for Superbikes. "To take 3rd overall for Round 2 was better than I expected this weekend as I struggled a bit to match the speed of the front runners. I am happy with my performance overall although obviously I would have liked to have taken some wins home. Well done to Josh, that was a great effort by him. I would like to thank the team and my sponsors for their help and I am really excited to head to Sydney Motorsport Park in November for the final round of the Australasian Superbike Championship."
Team Principal, Paul Free could not be happier. "All 4 riders did the Honda brand proud this weekend and the success we had reflects the dedication and hard work of not just the riders, but the whole team. Josh had an outstanding weekend of results and his racing was really something to watch. Jamie, Troy and Wayne all raced extremely well, it was unfortunate that Wayne crashed in Race 1 and Jamie ran off the track to avoid him as both riders were performing outstandingly. Troy had a strong weekend and I'm glad he left the event with a trophy for 3rd overall. I would personally like to thank the riders and the staff on the team for their professionalism and hard work over the entire MotoGP weekend. The event went very smoothly for Team Honda Racing and to finish it off with a 1-2-3-4 result in Races 2 and 3 was perfect. We now shift our focus to November at Sydney Motorsport Park for the finale of the Australasian Superbike Championship which is definitely going to be exciting for Team Honda Racing."

---

Team Honda Racing Wins Superbike Races 1 and 2 at MotoGP

18th October 2014 – The Australian MotoGP is in full swing at Phillip Island with Team Honda Racing displaying the full might of the Honda CBR1000RR SP, winning Superbike Races 1 and 2 with just one race remaining to decide the title of the Phillip Island Championship.
#16 Josh Hook has proven his return to form this weekend, not only securing Pole position in yesterday's qualifying session, but winning both Race 1 and 2.

#27 Jamie Stauffer is currently leading the Phillip Island Championship by 5 points heading into Race 3 tomorrow and is not planning on allowing his younger team mate the honours. "There are only 5 points between Josh and me now to take the title so it really will be down to Race 3 tomorrow. Josh is riding well, but I feel with just a slight adjustment to the bike I will be able to race for the win."
Team Honda Racing has painted the front row red with Hook starting from Pole position ahead of team mates #47 Wayne Maxwell and #27 Jamie Stauffer with #17 Troy Herfoss starting from P5 on the grid.
Race 1 yesterday was action-packed and not quite to plan for Team Honda Racing with Wayne Maxwell crashing half way through the race and Stauffer subsequently running off the track to avoid Maxwell only to rejoin and finish the race in 4th place behind team mate Troy Herfoss in 3rd place. Hook however had already taken the lead and raced to victory with ease, his fastest lap time 1:32.863 sec.
Race 2 this morning was smooth sailing for Team Honda Racing with a 1-2-3-4 finish. Hook took the lead and didn't falter, securing the fastest lap and the win placing him in hot contention for the title.

"I am really happy with how my weekend is turning out. Two race wins with one race to go tomorrow. The team has been fantastic and I feel really confident on the bike so hopefully I can make it three from three and win the Phillip Island Championship."
Maxwell finished 2nd in Race 2 this morning and is eager to finish the weekend on a high, "I'm happy with the 2nd place in Race 2 after a disappointing day yesterday, but I would like to get out there and take Race 3 to finish strongly. I think with a couple of changes we will get there. We'll see what happens in the morning. The team is definitely on the job and I feel confident about tomorrow's race."
Rounding out the Hondas was Troy Herfoss in 4th place. Herfoss finished yesterday's Race 1 in 3rd place and will be looking to return to the podium for the final race of the event tomorrow. "I would have liked to have been on the podium in both races so far, but I just couldn't match the pace of the other guys in that 2nd race today. With some changes this afternoon I'm sure we will be back up the front for Race 3 and back on the podium."

 

---

Team Honda Racing Increases Championship Lead in Style

14th September 2014 –Team Honda Racing's #47 Wayne Maxwell increased his championship lead yet again today at Round 5 of the Australasian Superbike Championship and the Honda team maintains the top 3 positions on the leaderboard after a fantastic weekend of racing. The Honda CBR1000RR SP shone brightest in the final Superbike race today with a Honda 1-2-3-4 finish.

Not everything went the way of the Honda today with #17 Troy Herfoss lucky to escape injury during a spectacular crash in Race 1 which cost him not only the race lead, but valuable points in the championship. Herfoss still managed to record the fastest lap of Race 1; 58.188 sec and regrouped well to take the next 2 race wins and set a new Superbike lap record in Race 3, a 58.025 sec on lap 7.
Herfoss finished 5th overall for the weekend and retains 3rd place in the ASC championship heading into the Finale. "It was a mixed weekend for me. It's really difficult to accept crashing out of the lead in Race 1, but on the other hand it is hard not to be stoked with two wins and a lap record. The whole team worked so hard to put me on the track for Race 2. It's a real credit to them for me to be out there on a race-winning motorcycle after such an enormous crash. The championship title is out of reach for me now so I will just focus on being up the front at the final event at Sydney Motorsport Park."
The Race 1 winner, Wayne Maxwell was unchallenged once assuming the lead and crossed the finish line ahead of team mate #27 Jamie Stauffer with #16 Josh Hook taking 4th place.
Race 2 was not without drama for some; the race being red flagged and raced in 2 parts. The outcome for Team Honda Racing was Troy Herfoss taking the win and once again recording the fastest lap time of the race; 58.166 sec, just .026 sec ahead of Wayne Maxwell in combined times. Jamie Stauffer finished 3rd in Race 2 with Josh Hook taking 6th place.
The final race of the day for Superbikes was without a doubt the most thrilling. It was a true Battle Royale the entire race length with all 4 Honda CBR1000RR SPs vying for position. The red rivalry began with Stauffer taking the lead, followed by Maxwell, Herfoss and Hook. It was pass or be passed as the awesome foursome exchanged positions throughout. The only constant was the dominance of the Honda in Race 3 and at the finish line it was Troy Herfoss 1st with a new lap record for Superbikes, Wayne Maxwell 2nd, Jamie Stauffer 3rd and Josh Hook 4th to round out the Red Race.

Maxwell took the overall win for Round 5 onboard his Motul Honda and is very happy to maintain his championship lead. "If someone had said 3 weeks ago when I had my shoulder plated that I would get this result I would have had a difficult time believing them. I am super happy to take the round win and extend my championship lead. A huge thanks to the team and I am really looking forward to the Finale at Sydney Motorsport Park in November."
A solid performance from Jamie Stauffer saw the Newcastle rider take a 2nd and two 3rd places today which not only placed him 2nd overall for the event, but also means he too maintains his championship position heading into the final event of the season. "The weekend went pretty well for me although obviously I wanted to come away with the win. Still, my lap times were really consistent and I am still sitting in 2nd place in the championship for the final round so we'll see what happens. The racing was very close today and it's great to see Team Honda Racing so strong. I'm sure we can take it to the final event and finish a great season on a high."

Josh Hook is also looking to the Finale to finish his season with a maximum points haul. Behind the eight ball this year having missed the first event due to injury, Hook has accrued solid points throughout the year and is placed 6th overall heading into the final event. Hook took 4th overall for Round 5 and is focused on race wins at the last event. "It was a hard weekend for us, we struggled with bike set-up a bit, but by the end of the weekend we much stronger. A huge thanks to my crew, Shaun Clarke and Glenn Granger and to the team. I feel we have a good direction heading into the final round and hopefully I will be racing at the front to finish the season."
The final round of the Australasian Superbike Championship will be held at Sydney Motorsport Park 21st – 23rd November when Team Honda Racing will make a final charge for the ASC title.

 

Team Honda Racing Choose SpeedAngle Lap Timers

In the realm of motorcycle racing, speed and accuracy are paramount. The ability of a rider to accurately track their lap times and monitor their progress is vital in achieving the ultimate goal. This is certainly true for Team Honda Racing, competing against Australia's best year after year.

Team Honda Racing is pleased to announce that we now use SpeedAngle Lap Timers on all our Honda CBR1000RR SPs.

Having utilized the lap timers at both Queensland Raceway and more recently at Winton Raceway when competing in the ASC series, all 4 riders were pleased with the display and accuracy of the product.

Team Honda Racing Principal, Paul Free commented, "An important aspect of any session, particularly a qualifying session, is to review the laps completed with the rider and find the best way forward. The SpeedAngle Lap Timers give us the ability to control the display time of a particular lap just completed and give the riders the chance to view the lap themselves. Previous units we have used just didn't provide the accuracy or display capabilities of the SpeedAngle Lap Timers. We have used them at 2 race events so far this year and I am very pleased with the results."

Steve Thibou (Mototrack Accessories) said, "We are excited to see Team Honda Racing using our Lap Timers. It's a testament to the product that so many riders have switched to our timer because of its ease of use."

 

---

 

Team Honda Racing 1-2-3!

3rd August 2014 – It was another CBR1000RR SP blitz at the race track today for the Swann Insurance Australasian Superbike Championship with Team Honda Racing taking all 3 Superbike race wins and making it a Honda 1-2-3 on the podium for Round 4 at Winton Raceway.

It was not all plain sailing for Team Honda Racing as the championship leader heading into the event, #27 Jamie Stauffer had sustained a fractured left ankle at the recent Suzuka 8 Hour event in Japan and this weekend's campaign was not easy for him. "I had a difficult weekend with my injury and really had to work hard to gain as many points as I could. The injury to my left ankle made it extremely difficult for me to maneuver on the bike so it was a challenge. I could not have done it at all without the incredible support from Racesafe Australia and in particular, Mark Backway who was there throughout the weekend to assist the team, including myself. I would like to thank Mark for his help especially today."
Race 1 for Superbikes today set the tone for all 3 races with #17 Troy Herfoss and #47 Wayne Maxwell doing battle throughout for the win. Herfoss eventually made a conclusive pass to take the Race 1 win and set a new Superbike lap record for Winton Raceway, a 1:22.605 sec with Maxwell in 2nd place, just .152 sec behind his team mate. #16 Josh Hook finished 5th and Stauffer 7th.

The second race of the day was equally exciting and the battle between Maxwell and Herfoss raged again, but on lap 8, Herfoss crashed and although he was able to rejoin the race he finished in 17th place. Maxwell took the Race 2 win and broke his team mate's Superbike lap record from the previous race, recording a lap time of 1:22.287 sec. It was Team Honda Racing's Josh Hook in 2nd place and Stauffer finished a solid 5th.
Race 3 was undoubtedly the most thrilling and nail biting of the day for Team Honda Racing as the Honda CBR1000RR SPs battled again for the final win. Once more it was Maxwell and Herfoss out in front, determined to make their final mark on the day's racing. The team mates fought hard for the race win, but ultimately Herfoss out-foxed Maxwell on the final turn to take the race win by just .081 sec. Josh Hook made it a Team Honda Racing 1-2-3 for Race 3 when he passed Glenn Allerton on lap 7 and did not look back. Stauffer held strong despite his injury to finish 7th.
Round 4 at Winton Raceway saw Team Honda Racing paint the podium red as they took 1-2-3 overall for the event with Wayne Maxwell taking the Round honours, Josh Hook in 2nd and Troy Herfoss in 3rd.
The Australasian Superbike Championship also reflects the Honda domination to date with Maxwell now placed 1st on the points tally with 248 points with Stauffer in 2nd place in the championship on 234 points and Herfoss on 210 points.
Maxwell is happy to be leading the championship after Round 4, saying "The weekend went well for us and it is great to see Team Honda Racing 1-2-3 for the weekend and in the championship points. The Motul Honda CBR1000RR SP has performed extremely well all weekend and it is reflected in the results. I am really happy with the race win and to take the overall for Round 4. It is great to be leading the championship going into Round 5 at Wakefield Park in September. We still have 2 rounds to go so there is still work to be done, but well done to the Team on a very strong weekend of racing.
In 2nd place for Round 4 ASC, Hook is happy with the overall result, saying "It was a difficult weekend for me, but in the end I was able to finish in 2nd for Round 4 which is a strong result. We didn't get much dry track time on Friday which put us behind the eight ball and we seemed to be a bit off the front of the field during the weekend. However, overall I am happy to finish where I did and will keep moving forward from here and focus on the remaining races."

Troy Herfoss finds himself 3rd in the championship after Round 4 and took 3rd overall for the weekend. "I am really pleased with the 2 race wins this weekend, but obviously the crash in race 2 didn't help much. I was able to salvage some points from that race though and ended up 3rd overall so I am happy with that. I am placed 3rd in the championship now so I will be looking for maximum points at Wakefield Park next month."
Team Principal and Motologic Owner, Paul Free is extremely proud of Team Honda Racing. "The team continues to show its strength at Round 4. I couldn't be more proud of the effort being put in by all involved. All 4 riders are putting in everything they have and it shows. Things don't always go our way, but the team does not falter. I couldn't be happier with the Round 4 podium result of a 1-2-3. Well done to both Wayne and Troy for their fantastic performances out on track this weekend. They both raced exceptionally and respectfully. Congratulations to Wayne for the overall result. I am really pleased with Jamie's effort this weekend, his injury did hamper him somewhat, but with the help of Racesafe's Mark Backway he was able to compete well and finish with some solid points. I would like to say a huge thank you to Racesafe and Mark for their help over the course of the weekend for our team. Josh had a strong weekend overall and continues to move up in the championship points. I look forward to Round 5 at Wakefield Park on the 12th-14th September and seeing how the championship unfolds."

 

---

Team Honda Racing 1-2-3 at Round 3 ASC!

29^th June 2014 – Team Honda Racing maintain their championship lead in the Australasian Superbike Championship and take the podium as their own in the overall Round 3 standings at Queensland Raceway today.

Making a definitive comeback this weekend, #16 Josh Hook departs the overall Round winner ahead of #27 Jamie Stauffer and #17 Troy Herfoss.

The starting grid also housed a predominance of red with #47 Wayne Maxwell on Pole, Herfoss in P2 and Stauffer in P3 for today’s races after recording the 3 fastest times in yesterday’s AFX-Superbike races.  Josh Hook just missed out on completing an all Honda front row and started today’s races in P5 on the grid.

An impressive start in Superbike Race 1 this morning saw a formidable line of Honda CBR1000RR SPs surge to the front of the field immediately.  However, Race 1 belonged to Stauffer who was unchallenged throughout and crossed the finish line with a clear gap and the fastest lap time of 1:09.347 sec.  Team mate Josh Hook took 2^nd with Herfoss having to settle for 4^th place after a solid battle for the 3^rd position on the podium.  An extremely unfortunate incident mid-race saw Maxwell run off the track with 2 other riders only to rejoin the race and finish down the field.

Race 2 saw another terrific start from Team Honda Racing, but it was Allerton that took the lead.  The Hondas did not give the BMW of Allerton any breathing space and the battle for the win was race long.  Hook proved he is well and truly back in form and finished 2^nd by just .112 sec, recording the fastest lap of the race, a 1:09.286 sec.  Maxwell finished 3^rd, Herfoss 4^th, and Stauffer in 5^th place with just .485 sec between the top 4 positions.

The final race of the day looked set to bring a second Superbike race win for Troy Herfoss as he took the lead and held it until the dying moments.  Herfoss raced extremely well, but was pipped at the post by Allerton across the finish line by just .032 sec.  Hook finished 3^rd, Stauffer 4^th and Maxwell 5th.

Overall, #16 Josh Hook took Round 3 honours and was very happy with his weekend.  “Today was a great day for us after struggling a little yesterday with set up.  We made changes overnight and the bike worked really well in today’s races which meant I was able to score solid points.  I am really happy to take the overall round win and would like to thank the team for all their hard work.  It feels good to give them the win.”

Second overall for Round 3 and now back in the championship lead is #27 Jamie Stauffer.  “It was a really good day for us to come away with the championship lead.  I had a very good run in the first race and felt really comfortable on the bike, but just didn’t quite get there in the other two races.  I am looking forward to Round 4 where hopefully I can keep the momentum going and come away with maximum points.”

#17 Troy Herfoss finished 3^rd for Round 3 and also now sits in 3^rd place in the championship after a successful weekend.  “I am really happy for Team Honda Racing to take the top 3 spots on the podium overall this weekend and pleased with my own results.  I have really moved forward and to take my first Superbike race win yesterday was terrific.  I am now 3^rd in the championship so I look forward to racing again at Winton for Round 4 in August.”

#47 Wayne Maxwell now sits in 2^nd place in the championship standings.  “Today was not ideal for me obviously, but it is just one event and I have to look ahead and focus on Round 4.  There are still many races to go in the championship and I am still in a good position.  We have a strong team and a strong bike in the CBR1000RR SP so I will remain positive and look to Round 4 to get the winning momentum back.”

Team Principal, Paul Free departs Queensland Raceway pleased with his team’s results.  “This weekend went extremely well for Team Honda Racing.  To finish 1-2-3 on the podium and to hold onto the championship lead is fantastic.  All 4 riders put in 100% and the crew likewise.  Not everything went according to plan, but overall we had a very successful event.  The next event will be held at Winton Raceway where I believe the CBR1000RR SP will be very competitive.  There is a long way to go in the championship, but we have a solid team and a good package in the CB1000RR SP so I look forward to our next event at Winton in August.”

 

---

 

Team Honda Racing Maintain Championship Lead

19^th May 2014 – Motul Honda rider, #47 Wayne Maxwell has returned from injury with a vengeance to win every Superbike race of the weekend at Mallala Motorsport Park for Round 2 of the Australasian Superbike Championship.

Maxwell’s dominance on the top step of the podium gives him the lead in the championship over team mate #27 Jamie Stauffer by 6 points.  Sporting an injured knee and wrist, Maxwell entered Round 2 at Mallala with a cautious drive to win.  “I am thrilled to take the championship lead and had a fantastic weekend on the Motul Honda.  Team Honda Racing, and in particular my crew chief Warren has been just fantastic.  The team worked really well together and it was great to get a Honda 1-2.”

Now 2^nd in the Superbike Championship standings after Round 2, Stauffer is looking to Queensland Raceway to regain his winning edge.  “Round 2 did not quite go to plan for me, but 2^nd is still a strong position for now.  I felt good on the CBR1000RR SP and raced consistently, but I had a couple of minor moments and Wayne was right there to take full advantage.  Well done to Wayne on a great weekend he raced really well.  It was really good to see Honda finish the event 1^st and 2^nd and I am looking forward to Queensland Raceway for Round 3.”

#16 Josh Hook made a ginger return to the team after missing Round 1 due to serious injury and admits he is not quite 100%.  “It was a very hard weekend for me.  My first event since surgery a couple of months ago and although I was able to maintain a certain level of fitness in the down time I really felt it this weekend.  I feel the time off the bike and not having a lot of time on the new tyres put me behind the 8 ball a bit.  I didn’t qualify well and it really hurt me for the races.  Still, I took 38 points from the weekend and will now focus on Round 3 in Queensland.”

The newest recruit to Team Honda Racing, #17 Troy Herfoss raced very consistently all weekend to finish 5^th overall for the event.   Herfoss is now placed 4^th in the championship standings.  “It was a solid weekend of racing for me this weekend.  I couldn’t seem to place higher than 5^th for each race, but my lap times were quite strong and I think with a few changes to the bike before Queensland I will be racing at the front.  I now sit 4^th in championship points which means I am still well and truly in the mix.”

Team Principal Paul Free is pleased with his team and is already focused on a plan to continue Honda’s winning ways in Queensland next month.  “Congratulations to Wayne for a fantastic event.  He raced smart races and took advantage of every opportunity.  Jamie was also very strong at this event, but a made a couple of mistakes which cost him dearly.  Still, he only trails Wayne by 6 points and the next circuit is one of his best so it will be interesting to see what happens.  Josh did struggle this weekend, but takes solid points away with him.  We still have just over a month until Round 3 so I am sure he will come out focused and firing at that event.  Troy had a strong event and his lap times were good.  He is racing with the lead group and is very consistent on the bike.  I am really looking forward to the next event to see what these four can do at Queensland Raceway.”

The next event for Team Honda Racing will be held at Queensland Raceway 27^th – 29^th June.