THERE was a time when the racing career of Troy Herfoss seemed over.
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Controversially sacked by RAC Racing team management from the German Superbike Championship in late 2012, Herfoss returned home to Goulburn to consider his future.
On Saturday, the 27-year-old proved he’s well-and-truly back. He powered to victory at Eastern Creek in a performance that helped Team Honda secure a monopoly on the top three placings in the Australasian Superbike Championship.
Herfoss finished third overall – a remarkable feat given he’d spent 18 months out of the game prior to saddling up for the team in February.
The result reinforces Herfoss’ standing as the leading rider in the latter stages of the Superbike Championship and leaves the 2010 Australian Supersport winner poised to vie for the title in 12 months’ time.
“I definitely hoped I’d be competitive, but after 18 months off, I was a bit rusty,” Herfoss said yesterday.
“In the second half of the year, I was the dominant rider. I regret the slow start I had to the year.”
Not only did Herfoss overcome a lengthy hiatus to secure a Championship placing, he endured a nasty crash on his home track, Wakefield Park, in September.
The prang proved to be a minor hiccup.
“That didn’t affect me too much because I knew why I crashed,” he continued.
“If I didn’t know why it happened, I’d be worried.” Herfoss looks forward to a few months’ away from competitive racing ahead of a tilt the Australasian title in 2015.
If the weekend’s form is any indication, he’s a genuine contender.
Herfoss was second across the line in Saturday’s opening race, before closing his 2014 campaign with two more podium finishes.
The results handed him Eastern Creek honours and third place in the overall Championship standings – only behind teammates Wayne Maxwell and Jamie Stauffer.
Should he secure a contract extension with Team Honda, Herfoss will be among the favourites to challenge Maxwell for the title.
“Next season I’ll be more full time than I was this year,” he said.
“I’m just working to make sure I’ve got a decent deal for next year.”
The Goulburn Sporting Hall of Fame member hasn’t ruled out a return to Europe or a shot at the World Superbike Championship.
For now, however, he’s content competing in the Australian equivalent – a circuit that includes Goulburn’s iconic Wakefield Park.
“It [Australasian Championship] is definitely as competitive as Europe,” he added.
“It’s showing, because a lot of Australian guys are going over there.”
The 2015 Australasian Superbike Championship commences at Eastern Creek in late March. Local motor racing enthusiasts will have a chance to support their home-grown rider when the Championship makes its way to Wakefield Park on the last weekend of September.
