Maxima BMW’s resolve being tested

After a disappointing end to the first race yesterday at the third round of the Australian Superbike Championship, which saw Maxima BMW’s Glenn Allerton crashing out and breaking his right wrist, things went from bad to worse in race two this morning at The Bend Motorsport Park.

This time it was Ted Collins who was the victim. Once again, just like yesterday for Allerton, it was a case of wrong place, wrong time for Collins.

The second ten lap Superbike race saw Collins getting a much better start off the line and was where he needed to be in the mid-pack.

Unfortunately, in the first few laps of the race the 19-year-old made a mistake which costed him a few places. However, from there Collins picked himself up and was able to make a charge through the pack. This was all down to the Maxima BMW team who supplied him with a very competitive BMW S 1000RR today.

However, on lap seven the 2017 Australian Supersport Champion was trying to go around the outside of another rider, who made a mistake on the exit of turn three.

Collins explained; “As I started to go around the outside of the other rider, he crashed and I had nowhere to go and I simply hit his bike.”

“I’m just so sorry for the team that I was unable to get them the results which they deserved. On top of that, I destroyed another motorcycle,” added Collins.

It was an unfortunate accident as the crash was not Collins’ fault. The crash has been the icing on the cake for a disaster of a weekend which the team have had.

“I have to say a huge thankyou to the team, as they all worked really hard to give me a good bike today. I honestly feel like if we were to have made it out for the third race, we would have been able to show that,” finished Collins.

Maxima BMW’s Team Manager Wayne Hepburn expressed that he was a “little lost for words.”

“The Maxima BMW team haven’t really had a great start to the season and we really wanted to make this weekend our turn around round. We were well and truly on the way to doing that. Everything which both Glenn and Ted did was exactly what we set out to do.”

Every session both Allerton and Collins achieved their goals they set out to do. Unfortunately, as soon the lights went out for the races, it fell apart, through no fault of the riders.

Hepburn explained that yesterdays and todays accidents were simply racing incidents.

“We are not pointing any fingers. However, how unlucky can one and two riders be. Especially for Glenn and Ted, as they have both had a run of bad luck. I understand we have to make our own luck, which we are trying to do,” said Hepburn.

Both riders have been banged up a bit, but the main thing is they are both healthy, which could be said more than the bikes. Three BMW S 1000RR’s destroyed in two rounds, which Hepburn admits that it is making it “tough.”

“As we are a ‘privateer team’, these crashes will put a big dint in our 2019 season, which will make it very hard to proceed.”

“Anyhow we have a two-month break until the fourth round of the championship. So, Glenn will work on getting back to full fitness in regards to his wrist and of course so will Ted. However, the team has a lot of work to do to get these bikes back into working order again,” finished Hepburn.

The Australian Superbike Championship now heads to Queensland’s Morgan Park Raceway, which is scheduled for 5 -7 July.