Wayne Maxwell wins 2021 Australian Superbike Championship
This year’s mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) was once again been compromised by COVID-19, but the series has been completed and Wayne Maxwell is the champion for 2021.
Riding the Boost Mobile Racing with K-Tech Ducati Panigale V4R, Maxwell backed up his 2020 crown with this year’s title, meaning the 39-year-old is now a three-time ASBK champion (five if you count the AFX and Australasian series).
This year, only three ASBK rounds were completed under somewhat normal circumstances, with proposed rounds at Phillip Island, Symmons Plains and Morgan Park all cancelled due to COVID-19 border restrictions and related complications. Even the ASBK season finale, at The Bend Motorsport Park in SA, appeared under threat and was rescheduled multiple times before eventually being held on 3-5 December.
Maxwell came into the season finale with a handy 26-point buffer over second-placed Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing), meaning he could finish off the podium in the weekend’s two races and likely still take the championship. But, in what may be his final year of racing (a retirement was announced earlier this year but may be reversed), the veteran wanted to make a statement.
As well as the ASBK regulars, Maxwell had Jack Miller, Josh Hook and Anthony West to contend with at The Bend, so was determined to show the “international contingent” a thing or two, starting with a new qualifying lap record to secure pole – by 0.721 seconds ahead of Miller. Daniel Falzon (CAT Mainline Dyno Yamaha) completed the front row, while Herfoss qualified in eighth and Hook in tenth.
Under glorious sunshine for Race 1, Maxwell went out hard, leading Arthur Sissis (Unitech Racing Yamaha) and Miller, while Hook crashed on the opening lap. By lap 2, Miller had passed Sissis for second, he couldn’t reel in Maxwell, who was actually building his margin until the red flag came out for an incident out on lap 7.
In a Race 1 restart held over three laps, Miller was out of the running on the opening lap after a crash involving Aiden Wagner (Yamaha Racing Team), leaving Maxwell to take the win by just under a second from Glenn Allerton (Maxima Racing Oils BMW), with Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team) third.
That result guaranteed the championship for Maxwell, so he could afford to take it easy for Race 2. Regardless, the now back-to-back champion led the way again, following a restart for another red flag incident, this time on the opening lap and involving four riders, including Hook.
While Maxwell was untroubled at the front in Race 2, Miller was battling with Oli Bayliss (Desmosport Ducati) and Allerton. The latter nailed down second place midway through the ten-lap race, but couldn’t close the gap to Maxwell. Similarly, Miller couldn’t eat into the margin behind Allerton as the laps wound down.
At the end of Race 2, Maxwell had a gap of close to four seconds on Allerton, with Miller a further two seconds behind in third.
“I’m a lucky guy on that Ducati V4R,” Maxwell said. “Everyone from Boost Mobile with K-Tech has been amazing. No-one leaves any stone unturned and it’s just a pleasure to be around that environment.”
The final 2021 ASBK Championship standings are: Maxwell – 183 points; Allerton – 140 points; Halliday – 123 points; Herfoss – 120 points; Bayliss – 103 points.
Photos: Russell Colvin
