The Yamaha Racing Team experienced the full range of conditions only Phillip Island can produce in a challenging weekend for the team that has left them frustrated and out for redemption at the final two rounds.
In a condensed two day format that kept everyone busy, conditions went from sunny, cold and windy to wet, cold and windy across the weekend and as a result, the Superbike division had one dry and one wet race and the YRT riders a heap of work to do with two rounds remaining in the ASBK Championship. Mike Jones finished fifth for the round and was disappointed he couldn’t make the most of his riding over the weekend. Jones qualified in fifth and with the top 10 all within a second, the racing was set to be tight in the opening 11 lap race.
But his plans of getting to the front early went out the window as he was shuffled back through the field on the opening lap. He regained his positions quickly and then was engaged in a race long four rider battle for the final spot on the podium. He made a last lap lunge to snare third but ultimately ran wide and gave up a couple of positions to cross the line in sixth.
Race two and just as the field was about to ride onto the track, the rain came in and it was delayed as officials declared it a wet race. It was off with the slicks and on with the wets and swap to the wet settings before hitting the track. Jones was tentative on the opening laps as he tip-toed his way around the track. It wasn’t until the last few laps he back to find his pace on the drenched circuit and was able to move forward to finish seventh.
His 6-7 results gave him fifth for the round and while he remains second in the championship chase, he lost valuable points to Josh Waters in the championship standings.
“I felt like my riding was better here this weekend as Phillip Island as long been a track that I have struggled with,” Jones begins. “I felt I made some gains in certain areas of the track and my times were a lot more competitive than they have been here previously.
“But it didn’t show in the results and that’s disappointing. In race one, I was trying to make things happen and move forward but ran wide and lost a position or two on the last lap and then the last race in the rain was just survival. I need to be better at riding in the wet and slippery conditions and something I need to work on,” Jones ends.
Cru Halliday finished right behind his teammate in the round standings in sixth place with 4-10 results. Halliday has proven to be fast at the Island circuit and the weekend started out no differently when he charged to P2 ibn qualifying and well placed for the two, points paying races.
The opening leg saw Halliday pushed back to fifth on the opening lap, before fighting his way back into third by the end of lap two. He maintained that position for the majority of the race, but his rear tyre was copping a beating, and he came under attack in the closing stages. He fended them off as best he could and despite a lack of rear grip, he managed to hang on to fourth place by race end.
The wet race proved challenging for Halliday and commented afterwards he just couldn’t get any feel or confidence on the slippery surface and decided to play it safe then risk going down. A few mistakes early cost him several positions and then he dropped into damage control to coast across the finish line in 10th place.
“It wasn’t a good weekend for me,” Halliday states. “It started well, and I felt my speed with good and that was the case in qualifying but in the first race, I could feel the tyre going and I felt I was at my limit given the condition of it.
“Race two was just a disaster. I felt terrible, like I was riding on ice. The other guys seemed to be getting around ok, so it was me, but I just couldn’t push the speed at all as every time I did, I felt like I was about to go down.
“It wasn’t the round we were after and I owe the team one. They worked hard all weekend in tough conditions, so I need to bounce back at the next round and give them a result they deserve,” he said.
Round six of the championship moves to the freshly upgraded One Raceway Circuit in Goulburn. Mike Jones holds down second place, about 30 points behind the championship leader, While Halliday has slipped to fourth and will be out to get himself back into the top three in the championship.