ASBK Flashback

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He won the title by a massive 68 points from Jamie Stauffer and Troy Herfoss with Maxwell 4th.

2012: If it was good enough for Allerton to win a second title, Waters thought the same as he wrapped up his in the same time frame as Allerton after a three-year gap. The title again went to the wire with Maxwell taking another second overall to score three top three finishes in four seasons. Jamie Stauffer was third, the last time he was to finish in the top three in his stellar career.

2013: It was Maxwell who, after going so close on past occasions, finally broke through for his maiden Superbike title, riding a Suzuki. Allerton was second from Maxwell’s team-mate Robbie Bugden who finished third, for the second time.

In 2014, Allerton was making a habit of winning a title every three years taking out his third title with Linden Magee, nephew of Kevin, claiming a 1-2 for BMW with Ben Nicholson third.

2015 was a fight between two new up and coming Superbike riders who had won championships in the lower grades.

Mike Jones (Kawasaki) and Daniel Falzon (Yamaha) set up a fierce on-track rivalry in their ambitions for a maiden ASBK title. It all unraveled in the first race, at the second last round at Symmons Plains when in close proximity dueling, Falzon crashed out and the championship was lost. Jones went to the final round at Phillip Island with the title in the tool box. Kawasaki won the manufacturer’s title for the first time this century. In 2016, Australia’s best came out guns blazing in what was an enthralling year. The title was a battle between team-mates, Allerton and Maxwell on Yamaha, and Troy Herfoss (Honda). But, there was a Wild Card at Wakefield when Anthony West, sharing a pit box with Herfoss came out to play and finished second in both races.

In the washup Herfoss eventually claimed his maiden title with a round to spare but he was assisted as major rival and great mate, Maxwell crashed out of the opening race at Winton allowing Allerton to leap-frog into second place overall.

2017: What a year with four different title leaders over the seven rounds. Daniel Falzon (Yamaha) led for three rounds before Herfoss (Honda) overhauled him in Darwin, although, after a mediocre start to his return season in Australia, Josh Waters (Suzuki) gained momentum with two victories as Maxwell DNF’d race 2.

In the next round at Morgan Park, Herfoss uncharacteristically crashed out as Maxwell (Yamaha) took over at the top, as the title lead continued to see-saw.

With two rounds remaining, there was a 24-point spread from leader, Maxwell to Waters in fifth place.

That changed at SMSP as Waters took two wins, Herfoss was consistent with 2-3 finishes and Maxwell crashed in the second leg to drop to third and hand Herfoss the title lead with Waters leap-frogging into second, the trio split by 15 points.

Mike Jones & Troy Herfoss

At the final round Phillip Island, Herfoss had a strong chance for two titles on the trot but he was gut-wrenchingly denied that honour when his bike expired in the first race as Waters and Maxwell shared the wins for Josh to take, what many considered, an unexpected championship from Maxwell in second and Herfoss third.

While the front runners have remained virtually unchanged for the past 12 years, from 2016 the ASBK Championship has stepped up a notch each year, and in 2018 it hit top gear.

The championship visited the new, world class Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia, returning to the state for the first time in nearly a decade.

To add to the usual suspects, three times WSBK champion, Troy Bayliss, committed to the series for 2018. And it wasn’t just for novelty value. Bayliss was on it from the start and proved that age is no barrier as in the opening race of the year he finished second to Herfoss by just 0.2 sec, the top four separated by just half a second.

He backed that up with a couple of wins - including the final race of the year at the Island - and a number of podium finishes to push his younger rivals to produce their best against one of the world’s best.

That’s to take nothing away from his rivals who rose to the occasion. Herfoss grabbed the championship by the throat in the fifth round, at Morgan Park, with a perfect score and took out his second championship at the next meeting with a round to spare through consistency, and race wins. Maxwell finished second with Bayliss just a few points away in third. The 2019 season was run on the rev-limiter as the level of intensity, drama and action lifted to yet another level.

There was a setback at the first round at Phillip Island, as Bayliss who, after an impressive 2018 was out to go even better, but had his season ruined in the opening race. On the fifth lap, chasing Maxwell and ASBK newcomer Aiden Wagner (Yamaha), tagged Maxwell’s rear tyre at turn one-Doohan Corner and spectacularly departed stage left. He suffered a hand injury and put the helmet on the rack.

Maxwell won that opening race, but the drama escalated in leg two. Wagner and Maxwell clashed in a well reported incident in the second leg in their battle for the lead, with Wagner taking the win and Maxwell tasting gravel at high speed.

In the third leg, Mike Jones finished second on a privateer Kawasaki to Wagner, but more impressively, he claimed a new lap record. This result saw him rejoin the Bayliss team for the year.

Gloss was removed from the championship at the next round at Wakefield Park, when Wagner crashed during practice that forced his withdrawal from the title chase.

The title went down to the final round between Jones, Herfoss, Maxwell and the mercurial journeyman, Cru Halliday (Yamaha) who all had a chance of championship glory.

In a dramatic final race at SMSP at Eastern Creek, it came down to a battle between Jones and Herfoss. Whoever won the last race won the title. The championship was decided with just three corners left, as the pair swapped paint heading into the infamous hairpin that has decided so many races, including GPs.

Mike Jones

Troy Bayliss

ASBK FLASHBACK CONTINUED

Herfoss ran a little wide and Jones won the title on a Ducati, in a team run by Troy Bayliss, with Maxwell third overall.

Every week brought a change in direction. Much was expected of 2020, but, as we are fully aware, the year was ruled by the COVID pandemic.

Every week brought a change in direction and only a three-round championship was possible. One round in February alongside the WSBK at the Island with the next two rounds in December, at the contrasting Wakefield Park Raceway.

Maxwell saddled up with his fourth stable in his ASBK career when he jumped on the Italian stallion, Ducati.

He dominated the first round with a perfect score as heartbreak hit defending champion Jones, when he was pushed from the grid in the opening race with a minor mechanical problem.

Herfoss had been the man to beat at his home track at Wakefield in recent years. He won the second round with a perfect 51 points to close the gap to Maxwell to just 17 points with 2019 Supersport Champion, Cru Halliday in line for a top three title finish. Herfoss’ chances evaporated the next morning in the first race of round three when a mechanical problem forced his retirement. Maxwell won the race and the title as Herfoss rued another title that was snatched away.

Herfoss won the last race from Maxwell, but Halliday had done enough through consistency to claim second overall, a solitary point in front of Herfoss.

Wayne Maxwell

Bring on 2021!