Halliday flies at FX opener

The 2013 Australian FX Superbike Championship got underway at Sydney Motorsport Park (Eastern Creek) over March 1-3, where Cru Halliday – campaigning a Yamaha YZF-R6 in the FX 600 class – emerged as the overall round winner, his two race wins and a third place racking up 72 championship points and the outright victory.

Halliday (pictured), who last year rode a YZF-R1, said the switch to the smaller bike was the tonic he was looking for. “The change of class has been a good motivator for me,” he said. “The opportunity to ride a different bike in with a bunch of different riders was something I needed and today was a great way to get the season under way,” he added.

Halliday finished in the FX 600 class ahead of Callum Spriggs (Yamaha, 58pts) and Aiden Wagner (Yamaha, 56pts).

In FX Superbikes, round honours went to Matthew Walters (Kawasaki) with 70 points, followed by Kevin Curtain (Yamaha, 67pts) and Rick Olson (Yamaha, 57pts). Fresh from the rough and tumble of the international racing scene, Broc Parkes (Yamaha) finished the weekend in fourth, on 56 points.

Curtain stamped his dominance over the Formula Oz category, emerging victorious on 75 points, ahead of Parkes (62pts) and Glenn Scott (Honda, 53pts).

Parkes said the weekend offered plenty of challenges. “It was a tough weekend in a couple of ways,” he said. “Getting used to new bikes and conditions that changed by the race was hard, but I felt better as the weekend went on and it was good to finish the weekend on a strong note with a second in the final Superbike race and in a good battle with the top guys,” he added.

Round two of the 2013 Australian FX Superbike Championship will see the fight descend on the Victorian circuit of Winton over April 5-7. For more information visit www.formula-xtreme.com.au