TAREE'S Josh Hook has finished fifth overall in the Swann Insurance Australasian Superbike Championship following the final round held at Sydney Motorsport Park.
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Hook fought his way into the top five after missing the opening round of the series due to injury. Hook finished with 263 points. His Team Honda colleague Wayne Maxwell won the championship on 362.
Hook finished the season on a high by winning the last race.
Maxwell posted an eighth, fifth and fifth from his three races to finish the year seven points ahead of experienced teammate Jamie Stauffer.
Stauffer had been thrust back into championship calculations when he won the opening race of the day, however he had to settle for second place overall.
Troy Herfoss made it a Team Honda Racing trifecta finishing the championship in third place.
Hook was looking the goods in the first race and applying serious pressure on Jamie Stauffer posting a sizzling lap on the third lap of the race of 1:31.135.
However, Hook was given a jump-start penalty for starting the race in the wrong grid position, changing the state of play with the race standings.
Behind Stauffer and Hook, Herfoss was riding smart and was clear in third at the halfway mark of the race.
Allerton was behind him in fourth, while Beau Beaton (Racers Edge Performance) took his Ducati into fifth.
On the fifth lap Hook moved past Stauffer and into the lead, while Maxwell slowly worked his way up the field to get himself into 12th spot with only two laps remaining.
At the chequered flag it was Hook in front and the young rider was ecstatic until he learned of his penalty when he returned to the pits.
It pushed him back into ninth overall allowing Stauffer to take the race win from Herfoss, with Allerton rounding out the podium placings in third.
Hook had an incredible start in the second race coming off ninth into the grid and working into podium contention.
Off the line Stauffer appeared to be a man on a mission as he shot to an early race lead from Herfoss, Halliday and Hook.
Eventually he did Maxwell a favour edging out Stauffer on the line to claim sixth.
In the last race Stauffer rode into the lead at the opening turn followed by Hook.
At the mid-point of the race Hook made his way past Stauffer.
It effectively ended Stauffer's championship hopes and Maxwell was given the message from his crew that Stauffer was back in third.
Hook held his nerve to take the race win ahead of Herfoss, with Stauffer finishing third making it a Team Honda trifecta on the final podium.
"Stoked to get the win in the third race. I needed it after race one win got striped from me,'' Hook said.