Heading into the 2010 InsureMyRide Australian Supersport Championship season, Team Suzuki’s Troy Herfoss was rated by many as the favourite for the title.

It’s easy to forget that Herfoss was based in America and won the AMA Supermoto title in 2008 after a successful career in the road/dirt hybrid sport, only switching to road racing last season after picking up a dream ride with the factory Suzuki team alongside Superbike regulars Josh Waters and Shawn Giles.

MotoOnline gave the 23-year-old a quick buzz to catch up on his season to date and also to get a glimpse as to what the future holds for him if he can capture the crown this season.

Troy Herfoss is on track to win the Australian Supersport Championship in just his second season of road racing in 2010. Image: Keith Muir.

Troy, you’re leading the Aussie Supersport title three rounds into the season at the halfway point, are you happy with how your season’s progressed?

Yeah, it’s been a good start, but there have been a few things I was a little disappointed in. I’ve learnt some stuff about how to race the bike because it’s a lot different to Supermoto.

At Phillip Island this year I feel like I could have won both races, definitely had the speed, but I got slips-streamed and maybe my tactics weren’t so good. Since then I’ve been learning and in Queensland I felt like I relaxed a bit, rode my own races and was the strongest person, so hopefully I can keep going like that.

You took your first double win after scoring pole position at the Queensland Raceway round, which was a great improvement over last year at a track you didn’t really enjoy, right?

Yeah, that’s right. I was definitely nervous going into the weekend because I had a lot of bad luck last year. It was a track I got to test at a lot last year, but I didn’t really feel too good there. I had my first big crash in road racing when Scotty Charlton’s bike spilt water on the track, which put a damper on my weekend, and I didn’t really have a good memory from the round.

After the test this year I was just two tenths off my best time on the N-Tecs from last year, so I can’t complain with how I went this year and I was happy to be consistent in the races.

You don’t get to ride too much when you’re a factory rider, so how have you found the transition to road racing after such a successful Supermoto career?

That’s been the biggest thing, not being able to ride. With Supermoto we could ride at least once on the go kart tracks and then three or four times on motocross a week, so to come to road racing, I’ve probably only ridden about 10 times this year including the races. I’d like to go to the track whenever possible, but in saying that I understand how expensive it is to get out on track on a road bike.

The switch has been good, I’ve really enjoyed it and I’m learning a lot more this year with the new control tyres from Dunlop. With the N-Tecs last year it seemed I could just ride around because Josh [Waters] had already set the bike up from the year before, but this year I really have to think about what I’m doing to set it up.

What do you do to stay sharp in between races? I see you do a lot of cycling, mountain biking, motocross and stuff…

Yeah, I did a lot of cycling last year to help me lose a bit of weight, because being taller than most of the other riders I find it hard to tuck in and also maybe lose a little bit off the turns on the little 600. So I did a lot of cycling, still do a hell of a lot this year, but maybe not quite as much. I have a trainer, Tim Cole, who sets me a program and it’s been good to stick to that.

I also love motocross, got to ride pretty much the best tracks in the world for four years when I lived in America, riding at Glen Helen and those tracks in Southern California. So I try to keep my motocross skills up by heading to Mt. Kembla in Wollongong and Canberra whenever I can. It’s been good.

Herfoss scored his first double Supersport victory in Queensland.

You were the AMA Supermoto Champion in 2008, so how did the opportunity to ride for Suzuki in Phil Tainton’s factory team in the ASBK initially come about over here then?

I bought a 600 at the start of 2008, did a few track days and I put the feelers out there that I wanted to go road racing so people knew that’s what I wanted to do.

I was really lucky, went to a track day at the start of that year and Gilesy was there, and for no real reason at all he helped me around and showed me some lines. Later that year I got in contact with him and told him that I really wanted to go road racing, but I was going to do it whether it was going to cost me money or if I was getting help.

I ended up meeting with Phil and Perry [Morrison, Suzuki Australia Motorcycles general manager] at the final round of the year, and they invited me to go and do a test day at Winton. I didn’t get to ride all but one session because it rained, so I think I was really lucky to get a start. I need to thank everyone for giving me a chance.

Do you have ambitions to return to America in road racing, or would you prefer to try and go straight to Europe to race in the world championship?

My ultimate goal is to be world champion one day. I love World Superbike, I think it’s great to watch, but in saying that, Josh has just gone to America and he did really well in a test over there so hopefully that can open some doors for more Australians over there. For sure it’s hard to get to the world championship, but that’s ultimately where I want to go.

I guess those GSX-R1000 Superbikes of your teammates look pretty good right now though, obviously something you’d like to have a ride on?

Yeah, I would love to ride the 1000. I think if I did get to ride the Superbike for Suzuki it would definitely have to be the best bike out there. Phil has spoken to me, told me I will get my chance one day after I concentrate on the 600 and I understand that. I really want to win the Supersport title this year, but year, next year I really want to have a ride on a 1000. I’ve actually never ridden one before, so it’s something I’m itching to do because it looks like a lot of fun!

Okay well thanks for the chat and get us another blog, slacker [laughs]!

Yeah, no worries [laughs]. Thanks!

Herfoss leads the Supersport pack at Hidden Valley.