Troy Herfoss came out swinging in free practice on Friday, showing he and the team meant business when he clocked a 1.32.6 best time in the first session then a 1.33.3 in the second.
Herfoss then took P5 in qualifying on Saturday morning, giving him a second-row start for the racing ahead. His sights were set on a podium in race 1, which saw teams gearing up to battle challenging conditions. Five laps into the race, rain halted proceedings and a re-start was called. The re-start meant a five-lap sprint, in which Herfoss came away with a well-deserved 2nd place podium finish.
Race 2 on Sunday morning saw another re-start thanks to some walkabout geese taking a tour on the track. Teams were thrown into overdrive to re-grid after just two laps. Once the race resumed, the remaining nine laps were hard fought by Herfoss, who was looking good to finish in 2nd position. An unfortunate mistake relegated him back into 6th and after making some courageous passes, he ultimately finished the race in 4th.
Race 3 treated fans with another exciting display of top-speed mastery from the Australian Superbike field, where Herfoss kept the Penrite Honda within the top five. Conditions were challenging and he finished in 5th, which meant the team took 3rd overall for the weekend.
A very welcomed podium finish for the Penrite Honda crew as they look towards round 2 in Sydney on 24th and 25th March.
Troy Herfoss
“The first race of the year is always so intense, there was some rain and a re-start and riders going everywhere but I managed to lead some laps and was really competitive. I came home in 2nd which was a great start to the year. Race 2 was just as crazy, there were birds on the track so we had another re-start and I managed to stay up front and had another good ride, finishing 4th. In race 3, I really struggled with grip which was unfortunate but we managed to bring it home in 5th place which meant 3rd overall and now I’m sitting 2nd on equal points with Mike Jones in the championship standings. It's such a good start to the year and like I keep saying I’m only here to win a championship so I’m really happy with this start.”
Deon Coote - Penrite Honda Racing Team Owner
“It’s been a great start to the year for the team, we are pleased to come away with 3rd, setting us up for a successful Championship campaign. The team worked hard and things are really flowing well. Now we look to the night race in Sydney.”