Motourage

International Entertainment Group (IEG), official promoter of the Australian Superbike Champinship, has released the dates for the 2012 Victorian Road Race Championships (VRRC).

The VRRC will be contested in three rounds, beginning at Broadford State Motorcycle Complex on March 24-25. Round two will also be held at Broadford, from July 7-8, and the final round will be held at the Phillip Island Circuit from October 6-7.

The QBE Australian Superbike Championship will be contested in seven rounds within four states in 2012 with the World Superbike round at Phillip Island serving as the season opener from February 24-26. Combined class grids will see Superbike/Prostock and Supersport/Superstock competitors race together in addition to the first round of the all-new 250 Production class.

Darwin’s Hidden Valley Raceway will host round 2 from April 20-22, with a full complement of feature and support classes. The first 2+4 event for the season will be held at Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway on May 4-6; the return prompted by extremely positive responses from V8 Supercars and the West Australian fans, and the second 2+4 event will follow, with the ASBK joining V8 Supercars at Phillip Island from May 18-20.

The remaining three rounds will be standalone, featuring Superbike, Supersport, Prostock, Superstock, 250 Production, Superlites and Supermoto. These rounds will be held at Queensland Raceway (June 1-3), Phillip Island (August 17-19) and Queensland Raceway (September 14-16).

The 250 Production and Superlites classes will contest an additional round, incorporated with the staging of the Victorian Road Race Championships.

2012 QBE Australian Superbike Championships calendar

Rd 1. 24-26 Feb 12, Phillip Island, WSBK, (SBK/PST, SSP/SST, SPR)
Rd 2. 20-22 Apr 12, Hidden Valley, SA, (SBK/PST, SSP, SST, SLT)
Rd 3. 4-6 May 12, Barbagallo, V8, (SBK)
Rd 4. 18-20 May 12, Phillip Island, V8, (SBK/PST)
Rd 5. 1-3 Jun 12, QLD Raceway, SA, (SBK/PST, SSP, SST, SLT, SPR, SMO)
Rd 6. 17-19 Aug 12, Phillip Island, SA, (SBK/PST, SSP, SST, SLT, SPR, SMO)
Rd 7. 14-16 Sep 12, QLD Raceway, SA, (SBK/PST, SSP, SST, SLT, SPR, SMO)

SA – Standalone round/ V8 – V8 Supercars round/ WSBK – World Superbike round

Team Honda's Jamie Stauffer

The battle is over for another season of the Australian Superbike Championship, and Team Honda Racing takes 2nd and 4th in the Championship for 2011.

The series finale held over the weekend was nothing if not dramatic for the factory Honda team with Wayne Maxwell lucky to walk away from a high-speed crash at turn 12 of the Phillip Island Circuit in practice on Friday and go on to win the first race of the event.

The drama not over, Jamie Stauffer posted a DNF in race 1 due to a crash of his own midway through the race during which he sustained multiple burns to his neck from his own tire after being violently flicked from the bike. Sauffer was able to remount in an attempt to finish the race, but returned to the pits before the checkered flag when he realized he and his machine were in need of some medical and mechanical attention.

The resilience and determination of a Superbike racer shone through in Stauffer when he gingerly donned his leathers for the final time this season in race 2 to finish the job he began and secure second place in the Championship. Stauffer held on in race 2 to finish third behind teammate Wayne Maxwell in second and Josh Waters in first.

Maxwell raced strongly in the second race with a never-say-die determination and took second place behind Josh Waters. Taking second overall for the weekend, Maxwell finished the year fourth in the championship.

Wayne Maxwell:
“We have had a fairly mixed year this year and with a run of bad luck early in the season we had a lot of work to make up the points. The team have worked really hard and we did manage to come back solidly which is a credit to the team. I took 5 Superpole wins this season and only just missed my 6th here at the last round. The team have also taken three round wins, my own being at Queensland Raceway for Round 6.

Jamie Stauffer:
“The final round was a hard one really in that we were looking to secure second in championship and I crashed in the first race. I lost a lot of points then, and the gap for second closed right up. The second race went well although I was injured we pulled through and got 3rd in the race which was enough to take second in the championship. Overall the year was a tough year after some issues at the start of the season, but we got going mid-way through year and Wayne and I were up there every race from there on in. The team worked really hard to bring us back into the mix and we were able to finish strongly with a place in the championship overall.”

Team Honda Racing have seen all the highs and lows of racing during the 2011 season of the Australian Superbike Championship and have displayed an unwavering determination and passion in their craft to finish the season with a strength that most definitely indicates their intentions for the new year.

Team Principle Paul Free:
“When we reformed a Honda team at the beginning of the year in Team Honda Racing we knew we would be strong on the CBR1000RR. With Jamie and Wayne as pilots I knew we had a good package. We did encounter some issues in the first part of the season, but full credit goes to the team and the riders for turning it all around and bringing the Honda to the front on many occasions throughout the season. With many race wins, Superpoles, overall round wins and to finish up 2nd and 4th in the championship I believe we have shown that our focus and determination is solid and I am extremely excited about what 2012 race season holds for Team Honda Racing. On behalf of the team I would like to thank Honda for their invaluable support throughout the season. We are looking forward to getting started on the new model CBR1000RR and unleashing its potential on the race track.

Team Honda Racing Australia came away from another QBE Australian Superbike Championship round satisfied after Jamie Stauffer took the overall round win and Wayne Maxwell claimed fourth overall at this weekend’s event at Symmons Plains Raceway in Tasmania. The championship title was decided today after Team BMW  Motorrad Australia’s Glenn Allerton clinched the coveted based on available points remaining. With one round to go, Team Honda Racing is focused on retaining their second place with Stauffer and moving Maxwell onto the podium to take third.

Race 2 today was equally as exciting as the first with Stauffer getting off the line strongly from his P7 start to move into second by the mid-way point of the race. There he remained to the checkered flag behind ultimate race winner Josh Waters.

From P1 on the grid Maxwell battled with Troy Herfoss for third, but had to settle for fourth place at the line.

“I would have liked to convert my P1 position into a race win today, but I wasn’t able to so,” said Maxwell. “I just have to focus on Phillip Island next weekend to finish the season strongly and possibly move into a podium position for the championship. We will make a few changes to the set-up of the CBR1000RR in the days we have before the final round to suit the Phillip Island circuit, it is a circuit I am strong at so I am really determined to get a place on the podium in 2011. Congratulations to Glenn on the championship title.”

Stauffer is really pleased to take the overall round win for the penultimate round of the championship and appears to have found the momentum he needs on his CBR1000RR to finish the season impressively and retain his current second-place ranking.

“Congratulations to Glenn taking the championship today; that was a great effort,” said Stauffer. “I’m really happy to take my second round win of the season, and I would like to thank Team Honda Racing for their hard work this weekend. We had a couple of dramas in qualifying which the team responded to quickly and clearly sorted for me to go out confidently in the races. Next weekend is the final one for the year and I am planning to hold onto to my second place for the championship, so I’m not taking my eye off the goal with such a strong field.”

With many strong competitors emerging through the season, the final round of the QBE Australian Superbike Championship will be a fantastic spectacle to decide the remaining championship positions. Team Honda Racing’s Team Principle Paul Free is proud of his team’s effort this weekend.

“The team have put in 110 percent this weekend, as with every event, and I’m really proud of them,” said Free. “It was fantastic for Jamie to win the overall for Round 7, and we are looking forward to getting to Phillip Island next weekend for the final round. I would like to congratulate Glenn on his championship title on behalf of all the team. It was disappointing for Wayne to have crashed in race 1 as he was looking very strong from his P1 start. Still, we will move into next weekend with a clear goal for our final round, to consolidate second place for Jamie and get Wayne into third.”

ASBK round 8 will be held at Phillip Island November 18-20.

Earlier this week, there was a Google+ conversation taking place between Dan Lo of Corner Speed Photo, James Schipper from the blog Live Collar Free, a few others and me about an article written by Jill Singer in Melbourne, Australia’s the Herald Sun after the death of MotoGP star Marco Simoncelli. The article, titled “Race fans deny their inner ghoul,” painted a very unflattering – and blatantly wrong – picture of what goes on in the minds of racers and race fans.

Then, yesterday, Toby Lynch of Fluid PR passed along this great response from Australian Superbike promoter Yarrive Konsky. I’d like to share it here in its entirely.

—–

WOW……I sat motionless for quite some time after reading Jill Singer’s personal views that blatantly blanket motorsport to be evil-spirited. Ms Singer, your disrespectful opinions laid bare your shortcomings as a knowledgeable, researched journalist and compassionate human being. I am glad you’re clever with words, as I feel you will always do well ducking behind them.

As humans we are taught to love, improve, help, support, encourage, nurture, and develop ourselves and others, and above all respect the freedoms to do as we please so long as we do it diligently without harm to others. We choose to go after our dreams and we inspire others to do the same. Perhaps you weren’t taught these things.

How dare you suggest motorsport fans watch to revel in the death of someone they love, follow, admire and feel a sense of connection with. When someone is tackled in football and crushed, fans cheer – by your rationale, they must be hoping for blood. God forgive such an inhumane suggestion. When someone falls in our sport we worry, pray and hope they get up. To consider that anyone wishes death or injury on someone is barbaric.

You go on to bemoan the outpouring of grief from fans following the death of Marco Simoncelli – as though you are qualified to judge – and have the audacity to complain about the response to your inaccurate, insensitive, evangelical accusations that understandably provoked contempt from motorsport fans.

Not only have you invalidated and disregarded the emotions and opinions of the entire motorsport fraternity, Jill Singer, you personally have disrespected a supreme elite athlete, a son, and a human being without true insight to his reason for being.

You also quoted Valentino Rossi – “The rest means nothing when this happens.”

You then continued to question his reason for continuing to compete. Who are you to make such a comment? Do you know him? Again, you place blame for the passing of motorsport athletes on others. Motorsport athletes are accountable for choosing to compete; not their fellow riders, motorcycle manufacturers, or the fans.

Rossi has said, “Riding a race bike is an art – a thing that you do because you feel something inside.” Such raw vulnerability from a man who is revered as genius for his capabilities can never be questioned. He competes for the love of sport, for the peace it brings his heart, mind and soul – everything else is merely an unexpected but deserving bonus.

These athletes are no different to anyone who has a burning desire to better themselves. Whether the field of sport is athletics, football, cycling, or it’s a field of business, scientific research, or perhaps even journalism. They are merely people trying to be better every day and in every moment of their lives…..stand up and bloody applaud them.

Your suggestion that motorsport is a legitimised form of road carnage is nonsense and provokes rage. It saddens me that you think so little of the capabilities of our drivers and riders and the respect they have for one another. Road carnage is how you label our sport? These athletes ride with the same precision brain surgeons operate.

Imagine, if you will, Australian hero Casey Stoner is racing at 300kmh; he has to use his front brake, rear brake, change gears, use the clutch, throttle, counter steer the motorcycle, balance the inside and outside peg, look way ahead in order to read the track at the speed he is traveling. Now add passing into the equation. A rider is calculating and physically activating upward of nine to 10 separate elements simultaneously. Rossi, Stoner and the field of Moto GP racers are athletic geniuses. How ignorant of you to suggest this is not sport. How ignorant of you to denigrate motorsport fans, overlooking their admiration and appreciation of such finely tuned skills and talents, and simply labelling them as ghouls.

Don’t feel for a moment you have the right to pass judgement on the competitors, the sport or the fans.

I will not pass judgement on other sports, I admire athletes in all disciplines, but let me make it clear race fans do not turn up to horse race events to see jockeys or horses die, and this happens more often around the world than it does on the motorsport scene. This does not make death right in our sport, nor does it make it acceptable in any sport. But people will not stop doing what they love because there is an element of danger involved. More people die rock fishing, so should we place a ban on fishing? Boats capsize and fishermen die, should we ban the sport of fishing and boating. Should all boat lovers, car and motorcycle enthusiasts and manufacturers walk around with blood on their hands?

R.I.P Marco Simoncelli.

PS: Some research I thought I would do own your behalf. These figures are based on the elite performers in varied sports.
· Motorcycle Racing – 2003-2011: 3 deaths
· AFL 2011: deaths due to sporting incidents: 3
· Boxing: 6 deaths in the ring since 2003
· Cycling: 2000-2009, 10 racing deaths, 2010-2011 2 deaths
· Rugby: 5 players died since 2000 due to injuries sustained on the field
· Gymnastics: Rates of eating disorders / knowingly stunting young children’s’ growth for competition (major research showing adverse effects of years of gymnastics training)

Team Honda ASBK's Wayne Maxwell

Wayne Maxwell took the overall round honors yesterday for the second consecutive event in the Australian Superbike round run in conjunction with the 2011 IVECO MotoGP at Phillip Island. With four races scheduled for the Superbikes at the MotoGP event, only three were run as Race 2 was cancelled due to an oil spill on the track, which caused lengthy delays.

After a convincing win in Race 1, Maxwell gave a repeat performance in Race 3 winning with a 2.514-second gap ahead of Glenn Allerton. Race 3 for Maxwell’s Team Honda Racing teammate,  Jamie Stauffer, was not so positive when he lost the front end of his CBR1000RR on lap 4.

Yesterday’s final race of the event for the Superbikes, Race 4, was declared wet when the heavens opened just before the race start, and it was then shortened to only five laps. Maxwell got off the starting line in the lead, but a spectacular moment on the first lap saw him leap from his seat but somehow manage to recover his composure, dropping him back to 3rd where he remained until the checkered flag.

From his P1 position on the grid, #27 Jamie Stauffer finished Race 4 in second place just .398 seconds behind Allerton. Stauffer finished eighth overall for the event.

Jamie Stauffer:
“It was good to finish the final race in second place, although I would have liked to have had more success in the previous two races. This round does not count towards our Australian Championship points though, so it was useful to gain more information on the set up of the CBR1000RR as we head to Tasmania for Round 7 of our Championship.”

Maxwell is also focusing on the penultimate round of the Australian Superbike Championship as he looks to increase his points and take a place on the podium.

Glenn Maxwell:
“Today’s race was a bit different to the other 2 with such changeable weather and having to swap bikes on the grid when the rain started. I got a bit caught out on the first lap with a near crash, but managed to recover which was good. Towards the end of the race I felt comfortable and was able to increase my pace. I finished 3rd which is ok and to take the overall win for weekend was terrific.”

Team Principle Paul Free is pleased to take the overall round win for Honda and comes away from the MotoGP with some valuable data to take into Round 7 of the Superbike Championship.

Paul Free:
“It has been a very successful but trying weekend for Team Honda Racing. It is awesome for Wayne to take his 2nd round win in a row and some race victories, but disappointing for Jamie to have the weekend that he had. The schedule for the GP for the Australian Superbike category is not ideal but it does provide some valuable track time on the very circuit we will finish our championship on at the end of the year. The information gathered throughout the weekend with incidents like Jamie’s crash highlights areas we need to develop to strengthen our motorcycle. Moving forward we know exactly what we need to do to win both remaining rounds of the Australian Superbike Championship in Tasmania and Phillip Island.”

Team Honda Racing will compete in Round 7 of the ASBK at Symmons Plains Raceway on November 12 and 13.

International Entertainment Group (IEG) will build on solid foundations established in its first three years as QBE Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) promoter, with Motorcycling Australia (MA) extending the tenure for a further two years.

MA CEO David White said the organization looked forward to working with IEG in 2012 and 2013.

“The ASBK is an integral element of Australian motorcycle sport, and a highlight on the annual calendar,” said White. “MA has a strong commitment to the continuation and development of the ASBK, and I am confident that IEG’s proven track record will allow it to continue to deliver outstanding results for the next two years.”

The 2012 season will be contested over six rounds with the continued support of naming rights sponsor QBE Insurance Group. It promises to provide great entertainment to race fans and enthusiasts. New cost reduction strategies will be implemented to help riders reduce their racing costs, while IEG’s commitment to the marketing, promotion and profiling of the ASBK will be maintained.

IEG Managing Director Yarrive Konsky said the company’s goal is growth and continued exposure for ASBK’s world-class riders and teams.

“IEG looks forward to further growing and developing the ASBK in 2012 and 2013, extending our position as promoter to five years,” said Konsky. “This renewal allows the championship to move forward with consistency, and, in collaboration with MA, we are confident of extending our reach into mainstream channels and promoting the exceptional talent of our riders. In looking to 2012 we are extremely pleased to extend our relationship with QBE, who are a proactive player in the Australian motorcycle industry. IEG, MA and QBE share a common goal of growing Australian road racing at the highest level – we are confident that the sport has a healthy future to look forward to.”

Read more…

Team Honda’s Jamie Stauffer defied the disappointment of a DNF on Saturday to win the second race of round 6 of the QBE Australian Superbike Championship at Queensland Raceway yesterday afternoon.

Stauffer led the 14-lap clash from pole, treading carefully on a low-grip circuit as he fended off a race-long challenge from Team Suzuki’s Josh Waters. Stauffer and Waters engaged in a battle of the late brakers, with Waters attempting but unable to convert a number of moves for position at the end of the circuit’s 280km/h back straight. Stauffer redeemed himself after Saturday’s dramatic crash to take the checkered flag by 2.262 seconds and his third race victory from four starts at Ipswich.

Third place went to a consistent Ben Attard, who put his i-Style The Natural Aprilia RSV4 on the podium in both races over the weekend.

The overall round 6 victory fell in favor of Stauffer’s Honda teammate, Wayne Maxwell, who backed up his race win Saturday with a fifth-place effort on Sunday. Maxwell lacked the front end confidence to push forward during the race but was relieved to bag more valuable points after a roller coaster year.

Procon Maxima BMW rider Glenn Allerton was unable to challenge for a race podium on Saturday but pushed on to finish fourth, snaring second overall for the round.

The result marks Allerton’s first non-podium finish for the season, an incredible statistic which sees him sitting comfortably atop the standings as the ASBK looks ahead to its penultimate round at Symmons Plains in November. The BMW rider’s points lead extended to 67 as the battle for positions 2 through to 6 tightened considerably.

By virtue of his pole position point, race win and DNF, Jamie Stauffer remains in second but is joined by Attard, with both riders sitting on 196 points.

Team Suzuki’s Troy Herfoss holds onto fourth place despite a disappointing run during the weekend. He survived a run through the gravel trap at the end of turn 3 on Sunday to salvage ninth for the round.

Craig Coxhell may not have had the pace of the podium placers but rode consistently today to maintain his fifth spot in the standings, four points ahead of a charging Wayne Maxwell.

Prostock Challenge honors went to BMW rider Linden Magee, who held off Team Suzuki’s Brodie Waters and local Honda rider Nathan Houtermann in identical race and round results.

QBE ASBK action resumes at Symmons Plains for its third 2+4 event of the year on November 11-13.

Wayne Maxwell, Team Honda:
“To get the overall win here in front of an awesome crowd is good. The overall win is a bit of a surprise, it’s a lucky win with Jamie and some of the other boys making mistakes. It puts us back in contention for second in the championship and that’s all we can achieve after the year we’ve had. Full credit to the guys at Team Honda Racing, they’ve given me the confidence to get up the front and battle with those guys. We move on to some tracks that I’m a bit stronger at, Tassie and Phillip Island, so I should be able to get up there and end up second in the championship overall.”

Glenn Allerton, Procon Maxima BMW:
“The positives from today are that we came away with an even bigger championship points lead and I finished second for the weekend, I can’t complain about that. The Procon Maxima BMW went really well, I think if we had have done a test between the last race and this one like everyone else did we would have been that step further forward and battling for the win. Unfortunately we couldn’t do that due to me being overseas and doing some racing. We’ll go to the next round and try to consolidate, I’m strong at Tasmania so I’ll go to my favourite track and hopefully be able to take the number 1 plate there.”

Ben Attard, i-Style The Natural Aprilia:
“It was a good weekend, I’m really happy to be on the podium twice this weekend, it definitely proved that we’re a front runner now and that a race win is getting closer and closer. It was there today and there was an opportunity to take it but I messed up, we struggled with rear grip in today’s race but we’ll go on to the next one feeling strong.”

Jamie Stauffer, Team Honda:
“Yesterday was a disappointment..it’s one of those things that happen in racing and we could have won that quite easily. We made up for it today by going out there and getting the win. The conditions weren’t easy today, the track was a bit slippery but everyone had to race in the same conditions, I’m just glad we brought it home for the win.”

QBE Australian Superbike Championship Round 6 Overall Results*
1. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC), 41
2. Glenn ALLERTON (VIC), 37
3. Ben ATTARD (QLD), 36
4. Joshua WATERS (VIC), 35
5. Robert BUGDEN (QLD), 32
6. Craig COXHELL (VIC), 30
7. Scott CHARLTON (VIC), 27
8. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW), 26
9. Troy HERFOSS (VIC), 25
10. Ben HENRY (QLD), 23
*Results provisional at time of publishing.

QBE Australian Superbike Championship Standings after round 6 of 8
1. Glenn ALLERTON (VIC), 263
2. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW), 196
3. Ben ATTARD (QLD), 196
4. Troy HERFOSS (VIC), 185
5. . Wayne MAXWELL (VIC), 177
7. Joshua WATERS (VIC), 159
8. Robert BUGDEN (QLD), 148
9. Cole ODENDAAL (NSW), 123
10. Ben HENRY (QLD), 121

This weekend’s sixth round of the QBE Australian Superbike Championships will feature a Trans-Tasman flavor with two of New Zealand’s most experienced 1000cc racers set to take their grid positions at Queensland Raceway.

Nicholas Cole and James Smith are making the journey to compete and are eager to get among the action in front of the large crowd that the combined V8 Supercars and ASBK meet is set to attract.

Though he has plenty of race victories under his belt at home, Cole’s only Australian experience has been at Phillip Island, a fast, sweeping track that is worlds away from the demanding technical nature of the 3.12km, seven-turn Queensland Raceway. The decorated racer admitted that learning the track in just a few sessions would be tough but has taken a smart approach to setting up his bike for the event.

“I’m really looking forward to racing at Queensland Raceway. Sure, it will be a challenge to get up to speed, but I’ll be learning lap after lap and hope to put in a good performance during the races,” said Cole. “The Manfeild track in New Zealand is quite similar to Queensland Raceway in that it has hard, bumpy braking areas and fast acceleration out of corners. I’ve set my bike up for this track in the hope that the baseline will be similar when we come over next week.”

Cole said he was looking forward to racing a few familiar faces in the ASBK paddock, with a handful of Aussie riders competing in the domestic New Zealand championship.

“Guys like Dan Stauffer and Robbie Bugden always race hard and give 100 percent; that’s part of the reason I’m heading over,” continued Cole. “There’s not too many opportunities to race over here in winter, and we envy the Aussie riders being able to race year round with such good weather. It’s a professional and respected championship, and racing in front of the crowds for the V8 Supercars is just an added bonus.”

Cole (Kawasaki ZX-10R) and Smith (Suzuki GSX-R1000) complete a 28-rider field for next week’s event which will feature both Superbike and Prostock competitors battling for points.

Riders will take to the track on Friday morning for Practice and Qualifying 1, with Qualifying 2, QBE Superpole and Race 1 following on Saturday. A brief warm-up will take place before Sunday’s Race 2.
Along with ASBK and V8 Supercars, the Coates Hire 300 will feature racing from Fujitsu V8 Supercars, Formula Ford and Aussie Racing Cars.