Troy Herfoss Interview – Penrite Honda man able to rock SMP

ASBK 2023

Spherical Two – Sydney Motorsport Park

G’day Troy, thanks for the chat as we speak, and congratulations on now being a two-time dad!  From the socials pics it seems like all enjoyable and video games with the younguns, however I’m positive the fact it not fairly that instaperfect?

Herf – “Thanks mate, it’s been fairly an occasion for the final two weeks, however yeah we’re fairly fortunate, everyone seems to be sleeping okay and I’m simply looking for my place in the meanwhile. The older one doesn’t wish to know dad, and the younger one doesn’t want dad in the meanwhile, so I’m simply attempting to win factors wherever I can.”

You had good race tempo on the Phillip Island season opener it appeared, adequate to battle with everybody however Josh (Waters) actually.  You glad together with your efficiency on the Phillip Island?

Herf – “It was a very good spherical for me, I did my greatest, I gave 100 per cent and made minimal errors, so I feel I’m in a reasonably good place shifting ahead actually.”

And also you had a profitable outing at Queensland Raceway final weekend, the place you appeared to have the wooden on Mike Jones, and scored the quickest lap in all three dry races in your approach to three wins. That’s an excellent stretch of the legs earlier than we head to SMP?

Herf – “I used to be capable of experience a number of clear races, with a fairly strong tempo and that’s all I can ask for actually. It will have been good if the showers stayed away, there was a number of different issues I might have preferred to tick off from a riders perspective, however fairly proud of the place I’m at to be trustworthy.”

On the SMP take a look at you made progress throughout the 2 days however didn’t fairly handle to sneak into the 1m29s, in contrast to Josh, Cru and Mike, oh so shut however not fairly there… Do you assume you’ve gotten made loads of progress with the bike since we had been up in Sydney early final month?

Herf – “That 30.024 appears so removed from Jonesy’s 29.997… (laughs) In all seriousness, I’m inside half a second I consider Josh, I’m not likely too anxious, its certainly one of them tracks the place you get lots out of the tyre. While you take a look at the fourth and fifth laps, not that many guys did 4 or 5 laps in a row, however if you take a look at that, the tempo does drop away fairly a bit. So I feel I’m fairly strong over a race distance and I’m beginning to really feel like I can put the bike where-ever I have to put it, so I’ll simply grasp in there the primary few laps and see how we go. However I feel we made a little bit of a step ahead to be trustworthy, with the bike, so it’s wanting fairly good.”

The final time we raced ASBK at SMP was at the 2019 season finale. At that spherical you agonisingly missed out on the title to Mike Jones on the 1299 Ducati, after what I judged to be a number of the best races of your profession at SMP that weekend. The way in which you rode that entrance tyre so, so arduous into a number of the turns in that 2019 finale was wonderful, I couldn’t consider that entrance tyre held on repeatedly, I nearly needed to look the opposite manner at instances. 

It was maybe essentially the most outwardly seen pure aggression, to not different riders, however the way you rode the motorbike, that I’ve ever seen you show on a motorcycle. Regardless of the frustration of the loss, I do do not forget that you had been nonetheless pumped with what you had put down on the monitor that day. Is that the way you bear in mind it?

Herf – “I’m glad it appeared that manner Trev, as a result of there was undoubtedly loads of effort moving into by each Mike and I for that race. Undoubtedly, I do know for me, I used to be capable of extract all that out of my physique, my workforce, my bike, on the finish of the day, that’s all I can actually ask for. The end result wasn’t what I hoped for on that day, however I undoubtedly felt like I’d carried out all the pieces I might. It’s such a enjoyable reminiscence wanting again at that, and Mike and I – we actually don’t catch up lots – but when we get time or we begin speaking about 2019 Race Two at SMP, normally a couple of minutes cross by fairly shortly.”

The Fireblade has modified lots since 2019. It now has massively totally different engine traits with storming high finish horsepower, on the expense of the normal Fireblade mid-range drive and clean energy supply. This was a part of a quantum shift in easy methods to do enterprise throughout the entire sportsbike world. Producers now make engines with essentially the most horsepower they will, then depend on electronics to clean issues out and make them controllable. And regardless of even the may of full HRC backing and a military of engineers the World Superbike squad have been struggling to place that energy to the bottom. 

Clearly that can also be now an enormous black gap of time growth sensible with a purpose to tune these modern-day sportsbikes to get the most effective out of them, particularly when the tyres have gone away. And we all know that even regardless of our quick races, tyre life is totally essential in our championship. Is tuning the traction, wheelie and engine brake management parameters been extra of a spotlight within the growth of the bike with the workforce of late? Had been you capable of study something from the HRC guys at Phillip Island?

Herfoss: “That’s in all probability a query for the tech guys actually. For me its I feel a number of the belongings you’ve mentioned are fairly correct, so far as the way in which they’re tuning the bikes lately, and utilizing the electronics to get essentially the most out of them. From a rider’s perspective, the electronics undoubtedly assist us as a rider be much more aggressive over an entire race distance, a number of the instances we’re capable of obtain on a constant foundation, we by no means dreamed of up to now. I feel that’s purely right down to the bikes are a bit of simpler to experience when the grip goes away.

“They’re undoubtedly not simpler to go quick on, they’re nonetheless, you might be nonetheless using a bike they usually can nonetheless chunk you if you flip the throttle too arduous. So far as diving into that query an excessive amount of, I don’t actually know what we would have liked to do at Phillip Island, or from what you’ve seen – I assume you’re speaking in regards to the first spherical – all I can say actually is that I feel now, extra now than ever, you might be seeing bikes which might be simply higher in sure areas.

“It was a remark you’d hear on a regular basis, however I didn’t actually consider it. In our championship I feel all of the bikes had been fairly related for some time. Now I don’t even say there’s one bike that’s manner higher, it’s simply that in sure eventualities some bikes are higher. Like speaking about longer corners, sooner tracks, shorter tracks, tighter tracks. I’ve simply gone from Phillip Island to Queensland Raceway two actually totally different tracks, and truthfully it was like I used to be using on a cloud at Queensland Raceway. A really related bike rolled out and was an absolute delight to experience for brief distance, lengthy distance, anyplace within the center. So at Phillip Island for no matter cause I couldn’t get the bike to go across the monitor as quick as Josh. I used to be proper within the battle although so I can’t actually be disenchanted.”

From that, are you saying regarding the digital set-up you largely keep out of it? And as a substitute let Paul and Charlie do their facet of issues for you within the pits, simply allow them to do their job?

Herf – “That’s proper, that is all fairly new to Australian Superbike, we’ve received again from Covid and there’s been massive steps from lots of people and it appears to have come electronically. For us it’s nonetheless fairly new and in our construction, we’ve received Paul as my crew chief and he’s taking a look at information lots, however purely chassis stuff, Charlie is our electronics man I assume you’d say. They work very well collectively. One calls one shot, the opposite calls the opposite. However on the finish of the day it has all started working and make sense in Paul’s thoughts, as a result of he’s the crew chief. Nevertheless it’s been an attention-grabbing journey actually, and there’s nonetheless a lot to be gained from electronics and the chassis facet actually, as a result of the bikes are lots longer than they was. This bike is lots totally different than the outdated one, so yeah everyone seems to be making massive positive factors all over the place. Nevertheless it’s form of like the brand new toy in the home for Australian superbikes, the electronics. In order that appears to be the place loads of the main focus goes in the meanwhile.”

Trev – It’s humorous you say the bikes are longer now, generally lately within the pits I’ve to do a double take on the distance between the entrance sprocket and the again of the bikes, it actually stands out on the BMW really. They have to be making chains lots longer than they used to…  However getting again to the electronics are you doing something out on monitor lately, with the buttons you’ve gotten on the bars, are you altering the mapping throughout the race, or something like that at this stage, or simply working by way of on one map and that’s it?

Herfoss: “Just about since World Superbike final yr I’ll undergo all three modes – energy modes in a race – relying on tyre life and it’s fairly fundamental for us actually. Nicely sorry not fundamental, however they clarify to me in a fundamental manner so I don’t have to consider it an excessive amount of. I’s undoubtedly not fundamental what Charlie is doing, however to place it in fundamental phrases, you’ve received a brand new tyre map, a protracted race map primarily for simply after the primary few laps, after which just about a map for if the grip does go away. It’s defined to me in a fundamental manner and that’s how I prefer it.”

Trev: Thanks for the chat, that’s some nice insights. See you on the subsequent showdown underneath lights in Sydney later this month.

The second spherical of the 2023 mi-bike Australian Superbike Championship will likely be held over two evenings at Sydney Motorsport Park, Friday March 24 and Saturday March twenty fifth. Herfoss heads into this second spherical equal second on factors with Mike Jones.  Full follow, qualifying and race schedule beneath.  The occasion will likely be dwell on TV Saturday evening on SBS Viceland, with the common ASBK present on Sunday from 1300 together with replays from the weekend motion.

SMP ASBK Schedule

Friday twenty fourth March
Time		Class	Occasion	Length
930	950	Riders Briefing (SSP300, OJC, Masters)	B1	20 minutes
1000	1020	Riders Briefing (SBK, SSP)	B2	20 minutes
1100	1125	Supersport	FP1	25 minutes
1130	1150	SSP300 / R3 cUP	FP1	20 minutes
1155	1225	Superbike	FP1	30 minutes
1230	1245	bLU cRU	FP1	15 minutes
1250	1305	Superbike Masters	FP1	15 minutes
1310	1335	Supersport	FP2	25 minutes
1335	1405	ASBK TV Observe Time – Drinks Break	30 minutes
1405	1410	Superbike	FP2	30 minutes
1440	1500	SSP300 / R3  Cup	FP2	20 minutes
1505	1520	Superbike Masters	FP2	15 minutes
1525	1540	bLU cRU	FP2	15 minutes
1545	1610	Supersport	Q1	25 minutes
1615	1635	SSP300 / R3 Cup	Q1	20 minutes
1640	1710	Superbike	FP3	30 minutes
1720	1735	bLU cRU	Q1	15 minutes
1740	1755	Superbike Masters	Q	15 minutes
1755	1900	Dinner – ASBK Pillion Rides	65 minutes
Evening Periods
1900	1920	SSP300 / R3 Cup	Q2	20 minutes
1925	1950	Supersport	Q2	25 minutes
1955	2010	bLU cRU	Q2	15 minutes
2015	2035	Superbike	Q1	25 minutes
2045	2100	Superbike	Q2	15 minutes
2100	2110	ASBK TV & Media Interviews	ASBK TV	10 minutes
2110	2135	SSP300 / R3 Cup	R1	20 minutes
2140	2200	bLU cRU	R1	6 Laps
2205	2220	Superbike Masters	R1	6 Laps
Saturday twenty fifth March
Time		Class	Occasion	Length
1400	1405	bLU cRU	WUP	5 minutes
1410	1415	Supersport	WUP	5 minutes
1420	1430	Superbike	WUP	10 minutes
1435	1440	SSP300 /  R3 Cup	WUP	5 minutes
1445	1450	Superbike Masters	WUP	5 minutes
1450	1510	ASBK Pillion Rides – Drinks Break	20 minutes
1510	1530	bLU cRU	R2	6 Laps
1540	1610	Supersport	R1	11 Laps
1620	1655	Superbike	R1	13 Laps
1705	1730	SSP300 / R3 Cup	R2	8 Laps
1740	1755	Superbike Masters	R2	6 Laps
1755	1930	Dinner – ASBK Pitlane Stroll	95 minutes
Evening Races
1930	1950	bLU cRU	R3	6 Laps
2000	2030	Supersport	R2	11 Laps
2040	2105	SSP00	R3	8 Laps
2115	2150	Superbike	R2	13 Laps
2200	2215	Superbike Masters	R3	6 Laps

Superbike Championship Factors after Spherical One

2023 ASBK Calendar