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It was a case of “to finish first, first you must finish” for Bryan Staring who endured torrid conditions at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains circuit to win his maiden Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship title. The Cougar Bourbon Honda pilot held the advantage over fellow Honda rider Wayne Maxwell going into the race, needing simply to finish today’s 16-lap finale to take the championship.

A plume of spray rose as the field headed into the first corner and it was the wet weather warriors that reigned supreme as Staring played it safe. Ducati Motologic Racing’s Jamie Stauffer led momentarily before Team Suzuki’s Josh Waters took over, controlling proceedings until lap 3 where Maxwell made his move. The odds were stacked against Maxwell who needed to win or take second and have Staring fail to finish, and he gave himself every chance should misfortune have struck the points leader. The Demolition Plus GAS Honda rider soldiered on to take an impressive victory ahead of Waters, but the overall spoils went to Staring who survived a breath-taking moment negotiating lap traffic to finish 8th.

Staring was elated with his championship victory and said he fought hard to control his nerves during the closing stages of the race.
“I feel funny about it because that last race went so terribly. I couldn’t see a thing out there and it was a real battle to finish,” explained the 23-year-old. “I couldn’t help but think about the championship in today’s race, I told myself I’d race to my own agenda but there were people passing me left, right and center, and it was certainly on my mind.

“I’m so glad to have raced this season with Honda and the Cougar Bourbon Honda team, we’ve had such a successful year and this championship has come down to the effort of so many people. This is a huge achievement for us and it will probably take a while to sink in. Thanks also to Wayne (Maxwell) and the other riders who have pushed me every step of the way.”

The title of Australian Superbike Champion will be added to Staring’s previous achievements of Supersport and 125GP victories, making him the only rider in the history of national road race competition to achieve the elusive “triple crown.”

The Gold Coast-based rider started the 2010 season without a race victory next to his name and finished with five, an incredible feat considering his team was formed just weeks before the opening round in February.
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The late-season form of Ducati Motologic Racing’s Jamie Stauffer continued today at Symmons Plains Raceway in Tasmania, with the two-time Viking Group Australian Superbike Champion setting the pace in qualifying for the seventh and final round of the season. His best lap of the deceptively-demanding circuit was a 54.355s, .202 clear of Valvoline Superbike Team Honda rider Glenn Allerton. Stauffer made the switch to the powerful 1198R at the start of the season, and by the mid-point showed it would be a force to be reckoned with, regularly topping the timesheets. His only win in Ducati colors came at the non-championship MotoGP support event last month, and he is eager to convert today’s promising pace to points this weekend.

“It’s a good result to start off with but we’re really looking forward to converting it to a couple of race wins,” said Stauffer. “I’m confident that the bike is as good in race trim as it is as a qualifier. If I can pull off another good flying lap in Superpole then we’re in with a shot. We came here expecting wet conditions but we had a dry run for both sessions so there would be big changes to make if the rain starts falling tomorrow.”

The Newcastle-based rider will be the last of 8 out to contest tomorrow’s Motul Superpole, and will look to defend his provisional placing at the head of the field.

Two more former champions trailed Stauffer on the timesheets. 2008 titleholder Glenn Allerton delivered a typically-solid effort in second place with a 54.557s lap in the closing stages of the 20-minute qualifying session.

Following a successful return to his regular ride on the Team Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2009 champion Josh Waters was instantly on the pace, clocking the third-quickest time.

The only two riders in contention for the title had a safe day, with Demolition Plus GAS Honda’s Wayne Maxwell banking a time good enough for fourth fastest, and Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing’s Bryan Staring the last man in the 54-second bracket in fifth.

Christian Casella got the edge over Insure My Ride Australian Supersport points leader Troy Herfoss in the final stages of today’s 20 minute qualifying for the 600cc machines. The Triumph 675 rider recorded a time of 56.682s on lap 19 of 19, just .098s clear of his Suzuki rival. Today’s result could be too little, too late to stop Herfoss, who can wrap up the title a day early if he finishes in the top two tomorrow.

Local rider Brett Symonds used his intimate knowledge of the track to set the third quickest time on his Yamaha today.

Brodie Waters, the third rider in mathematical contention for the Supersport title, was fourth on his Suzuki GSX-R600.

Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship, Round 7 – Symmons Plains, Qualifying

1. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Ducati Motologic Racing, 54.355
2. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Valvoline Superbike Team, 54.557
3. Joshua WATERS (VIC) / Team Suzuki, 54.833
4. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) / Demolition Plus GAS Honda Racing, 54.870
5. Bryan STARING (QLD/WA) / Cougar Bourbon Honda, 54.924
6. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Suzuki
7. Daniel STAUFFER (QLD) / The Natural Aprilia Racing Team, 55.514
8. Scott CHARLTON (NSW) / Racers Edge Performance, 55.580
9. Craig COXHELL (VIC) / CJC Racing, 56.041
10. Kris McLAREN (VIC) / McLaren Motorsports, 56.279

Insure My Ride Australian Supersport Championship, Round 7 – Symmons Plains, Qualifying

1. Christan CASELLA (VIC) / Aark Electrics / Peter Stevens M-cycles / Triumph, 56.682
2. Troy HERFOSS (VIC) / Team Suzuki, 56.780
3. Brett SIMMONDS (TAS) / Simmonds Racing / Xlite Helmets / Motul / Dunlop, 57.808
4. Brodie WATERS (VIC) / Waters Racing, 57.901
5. Chris QUINN (NSW) / The Cannon Store / Coopers Pale Ale, 57.902
6. Ben BURKE (NSW), 57.947
7. Aaron GOBERT (NSW) / AGR Inc / Bell Helmets / Yamaha / Dynojet, 58.211
8. Nicholas WATERS (VIC) / Waters Racing, 58.729
9. Andy LAWSON Jnr (QLD) / Champion’s Ride Days Race Team / Palfinger Aust., 59.502
10. Ryan TAYLOR (VIC) / Pakenham Yamaha / Monitor my Super, 59.509

Bryan Staring will draw on all of his racing experience in order to defend an 18.5-point lead and claim a maiden premier class crown when the Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship heads to Symmons Plains in Tasmania this Friday through Sunday.

Staring, 23, finds himself in a position similar to the one he faced in the closing stages of last season when he held off his fast-finishing teammate to claim overall honors in the Supersport class. Graduating to a full-time Superbike ride, the Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing pilot has built his 2010 campaign on consistency, and lightning-quick race pace. Of the 10 races contested he has won half, and finished outside the top 3 only once.

With significant championship gains and bragging rights still up for grabs at the final round, Staring is not expecting fellow competitors to allow him an easy run to the checkered flag.

“Tasmania will be a really big test. There’s a lot of guys out there who are looking to round out the year with a good result as they look towards 2011 so it will be every man for himself,” said Staring. “I’ve found myself in a pretty similar position to where I was last year, having to defend, and I learnt a lot from that experience.”

Solid preparation for the round 7 showdown has Staring quietly confident about his chances.
“I’ve been approaching the round as I have every other, I’m pretty set in my ways when it comes to training and getting ready for a race weekend so it wouldn’t make sense to start changing things now,” he said. “The MotoGP supports at Phillip Island were a bit topsy turvy for us but we came away with a bit more knowledge about the bike which we are hopeful of drawing on next week.”

Demolition Plus GAS Honda’s Wayne Maxwell is now the only rider that can come between Staring and the title. Maxwell, 28, is renowned for his Symmons Plains pace and has kept himself well in contention with a solid season to date.

The man putting the most pressure on Staring as he fought his way to last year’s Supersport title is also one of the form riders heading in to next weekend’s event. Ducati Motologic Racing’s Jamie Stauffer shook a run of bad luck to claim the outfit’s first race win, albeit in non-championship mode, at Phillip Island last month. Stauffer, a dual Superbike champion himself, has looked racy all year and will no doubt be on the pace again at the 2.41km circuit just outside of Launceston.

Team Suzuki’s Josh Waters will be eager to continue his incredible charge aboard the factory GSX-R1000 machine. Waters’ win at the Phillip Island MotoGP support round was a popular one. The 2009 ASBK champion from Mildura was sidelined mid-season after a testing crash in the United States, and despite a slower than expected recovery, has bounced back to his very best.

The Superbike and combined Superstock 1000/A&B classes will contest two 25-minute races across the course of next week’s event, again run in conjunction with the V8 Supercars.

Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing’s Bryan Staring weathered mixed conditions well at Phillip Island this weekend, finishing third overall as the Australian Superbike Championship raced in support of the MotoGP Iveco Australian Grand Prix.

The region turned on a typical show of elements, with drenching rain shortening the Superbike schedule from four to three races. The opening race left teams and riders guessing as to the tire choice required – some played the wet weather card and others pushed on in the dry. Staring was one of many caught out when the conditions improved, and did well to ride to seventh place on wet weather tires.

Race two saw luck swing back to Staring’s side, until the very last lap. He led proceedings from lap 2 and looked set to record a race win before Josh Waters drafted by in the closing stages.

Race three saw the battle between the defending ASBK champion and current points leader resume. This time the Gold Coast-based Staring got the upper hand and the two second place finishes were enough to boost him to a podium placing for the weekend.

“Phillip Island really turned on the weather this weekend and this ended up costing us in the first race where it was a gamble with tires,” said Staring. “Coming back in race two, the bike felt very strong and comfortable all race long. We were unlucky not to win that one.

“Another solid second place in the final race was good enough to ensure we would be on the podium. It was a positive way to round out the weekend, and despite it being a non-championship event it was a good opportunity to test the bike further in full race trim and get a run on the new tires.”

The final event on the calendar for Staring and the Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing team is round 7 of the Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship to be held in a month’s time at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains circuit.

Staring is on course to record a maiden Superbike championship with a handy points advantage over second. If he can achieve the feat, he will also tick off the elusive triple title win – national 125cc, Supersport and Superbike crowns.

Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing rider Bryan Staring edged closer to his goal of becoming 2010 Australian Superbike Champion with a solid points haul and second overall at the weekend’s Phillip Island event.

Round six of the championship proved pivotal, with the 23-year-old Gold Coast rider scoring a race win and a hard-fought second place across the two, 10-lap races. Staring finished equal on points with his closest championship challenger, Wayne Maxwell, who was awarded the spoils by virtue of a higher finish in race two. The incredible streak of five consecutive race wins may have ended, but Staring, who leads the championship by 18.5 points, is focused on the bigger picture.

“We didn’t get too much dry track time on the Friday which made things a little tough heading into Superpole on Saturday morning,” explained Staring. I put in a fairly safe lap to ensure I’d start from the front row and the bike came into its own during the race despite some tire wear. The second race was tough, there was a group of around 6 or 7 bikes locked together for the first few laps and it was only towards the end that we were able to pull away.

“Jamie (Stauffer) made a mistake while leading on the last lap and ran wide. I was positioned to take advantage of any mistakes that he and Wayne (Maxwell) may have made and was able to squeeze through for second. Wayne and I came away with equal points which was the second-best scenario behind being able to extend my lead. The team delivered an incredible bike to me this weekend and we are now well on track with one round left to run at Symmon’s Plains in a few months time.”

Bleak conditions improved across the course of the weekend, with a mixed wet session early in the piece making setup difficult. Staring set the third-fastest time in Superpole, and battled Jamie Stauffer for much of race one before taking the win.

Locked in a six-way battle for position in race two, Staring sat tight until the mid-point before moving forwards and settling in behind the duel for first place between Stauffer and Honda rider Wayne Maxwell. The Cougar Bourbon Honda rider pounced on a mistake from Stauffer in the dying stages to grab second in front of a huge trackside crowd on hand for the 500km V8 Supercar endurance race.

The championship wraps up at Tasmania’s Symmon’s Plains Circuit on November 12-14, with Staring in the box seat to deliver Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing and its sponsors a maiden Superbike title.

Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship, Phillip Island Round 6 Results
1. Wayne MAXWELL (NSW), 45
2. Bryan STARING (QLD), 45
3. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW), 34
4. Scott CHARLTON (VIC), 33
5. Shawn GILES (VIC), 31
6. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW), 29
7. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC), 29
8. Robert BUGDEN (QLD), 28
9. Craig McMARTIN (NSW), 25
10. Cru HALLIDAY (NSW), 22

Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship Standings
1. Bryan STARING (QLD), 211
2. Wayne MAXWELL (NSW), 192.5
3. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW), 149
4. Scott CHARLTON (VIC), 143
5. Shawn GILES (VIC), 142.5
6. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW), 127
7. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC), 119
8. Robert BUGDEN (QLD), 115
9. Joshua WATERS (VIC), 105.5
10. John ALLEN (QLD), 77.5

After all but counting himself out, Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing pilot Bryan Staring was able to produce a near perfect lap to claim pole position for the fifth round of the Viking Australian Superbike Championship at Queensland Raceway.

Staring struggled in today’s two 30-minute qualifying sessions and was hopeful of simply securing a front-row start. Midway through Motul Superpole, Staring’s split time suggested he had found some extra pace, and it was confirmed as he stopped the clock with a 1:10.379 lap of the 3.12km circuit, the fastest lap of the day.

Wayne Maxwell came agonizingly close to knocking Staring from the top spot, lapping just nine-hundredths of a second slower than his fellow Honda rider. The Demolition Plus GAS Honda pilot claimed provisional pole after a solid showing in this afternoon’s second qualifying session, and was encouraged despite missing out by such a small margin.

KTM Superbike Team rider Shannon Johnson enjoyed a welcome return to form, qualifying his RC8R in third position with a tidy Superpole lap.
“Qualifying has been a dream run in comparison to the last round, last time we were here we only did 3 laps in qualifying – this time I find myself in third,” said Johnson. “It’s the first time all year we’ve made Superpole and we improved a handful of positions on top of qualifying. It’s a huge credit to all involved in the outfit including KTM and ESG (Evolution Sports Group).
After the last round I was really questioning myself but we worked hard, tried a few things at a test which yielded positive result and here we are.
This is the best the bike has felt all year; it feels good in the turns, which was its weak point in the past. Over race distance this will be a strong point, too.
I’ve already exceeded my goal for the weekend and – who knows – we might just be in a position to take a podium which would be amazing.”

The Valvoline-backed entry of Glenn Allerton made it three Honda CBR1000RR racers on the front row, with the 2008 champ recording a 1:11.300.

CJC Racing Superstock entrant Craig Coxhell made it in to Superpole for the second round in a row and showed the might of the 1000cc BMW machine on Queensland Raceway’s two long straights. He was fifth quickest and heads up the second row of the grid, followed by The Natural Aprilia Racing’s Dan Stauffer, Team Mack Trucks Suzuki’s Robbie Bugden and Ducati Motologic’s Jamie Stauffer who made a small mistake on his flying lap.

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Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing’s Bryan Staring has salvaged a surprise pole position at Queensland Raceway, the host of the fifth round of the Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship. Staring, the premier class points leader, admitted he was struggling for pace early in the piece and would have been happy with a front row start.

His flying lap of the 3.12km circuit was close to perfect, and stopped the clock as the fastest of the day. The 23-year-old Gold Coast-based rider was surprised by the result and said it set him up for a good shot at race victory tomorrow.

“Before I’d even begun I’d taken myself out of the equation, after a slow day I really didn’t think I stood a chance,” said Staring. The lap felt okay, there were a few little mistakes that felt like half a second each time but turned out to be a tenth or less – they are always much more pronounced in your mind because you only get one shot at the lap.
The conditions have been tough all weekend, yesterday didn’t give us too much to go on and the whole field was struggling for pace earlier in the day.
The whole team has been trying really hard and we’ve finally got there with our fourth shot at it (pole position) – it’s a great feeling and a good reward to those that have worked so hard and backed us.”

The result maintains the momentum for Staring at Queensland Raceway, who recorded debut race and round wins here in June and now adds a debut pole position. The Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing CBR1000RR and rider are revved up for a strong showing on race day with two 16-lap races to contest. A good result tomorrow can add further weight to Staring’s claim for a maiden Australian Superbike Championship victory. He currently heads the class by 4.5 points.

Superpole Results, Viking Australian Superbike Championship Round 5, Queensland Raceway
1. Bryan STARING (QLD) / Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing 1:10.379
2. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) / Demolition Plus GAS Honda Racing 1:10.470
3. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) / KTM Superbike Team 1:11.262
4. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Valvoline Superbike Team 1:11.300
5. Craig COXHELL (VIC) / CJC Racing 1:11.744
6. Daniel STAUFFER (QLD) / The Natural Aprilia Racing Team 1:11.850
7. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Mack Trucks Suzuki 1:11.888
8. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Ducati Motologic Racing 1:12.469

Australian Superbike Championship front runner Bryan Staring is heading to the UK for what he has described as the “chance of a lifetime” – a one-off ride with the HM Plant Honda Team in the Superstock 1000 class of the British Superbike Championship.

The 22-year-old Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing pilot has excelled in 2010, taking debut race and round wins in the national series and catching the eye of Honda counterparts in the UK who were searching for a replacement for their injured regular rider, Steve Plater.

Already familiar with the CBR1000, the Gold Coast-based rider is hoping to quickly adapt to what the new bike asks of him when he hits the Snetterton circuit this Friday through Sunday. He will race as teammate to fellow Aussie Josh Brookes who leads the championship.

“I am absolutely rapt with this chance and can’t thank Honda enough for looking after me and providing this opportunity,” said Staring. “I’ve set my sights on racing in the BSB (British Superbike Championship) in the past and this is a good chance to see how it all works and how competitive I can be. I’m not overly worried about the results, I’m more focused on learning the characteristics of the bike and the nature of the tires and the grip they provide.”

“The Superstock machine will be quite close to the specs of our Aussie Superbikes so I’m hoping to adapt quickly. Josh (Waters) and Wayne (Maxwell) have shown they can match it with some of the best overseas so I’m hoping I can come up to speed pretty quickly.

“I’ve never been to Snetterton before, the only UK race I have competed in was at Donington and that was in the pouring rain – this will be a clean slate, the weather looks set to be fine and I’m really looking forward to meeting the team and learning the ins and outs of the circuit.”

“We are always looking to develop and foster Australian talent at an international level, and Bryan certainly deserves this opportunity with a first rate team, added Honda Australia’s General Manager, Motorcycles, Tony Hinton.  “We are confident he will do very well in the UK and wish him success this weekend.”

The 2009 national Supersport champion, Staring  currently leads the ASBK championship by 4.5 points over Wayne Maxwell and 9.5 points over Josh Waters.

Bryan Staring crosses the line at Queensland

Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing’s Bryan Staring has rocketed from third to first in the race for Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship honors with a clean sweep at Queensland Raceway, host of round three. This morning’s race win was a career first for the 23-year-old from the Gold Coast, but he wasn’t content to stop at one, comfortably winning the second 16-lap battle and the round in the process. Staring’s stellar starts were a key contributor; he was away well from second place on the grid and once in the lead looked unstoppable. The results cap off a weekend in which rider and team went from strength to strength.

“It’s been such an unreal weekend, we kept progressing with what we knew and the bike just kept getting better,” said Staring. “I said yesterday that Wayne (Maxwell) had a clean sweep in the first round, Josh (Waters) in the second and felt it might have been my weekend to have a go too. The team deserves this victory as much as me, they put together an awesome bike in the CBR1000RR.This is my local round now so it’s good to share this with my family and friends.”

Staring collects 50 points for the round and dislodges Demolition Plus GAS Honda’s Wayne Maxwell from the top spot after the Victorian endured a frustrating day. Maxwell finished third in both races, unable to convert yesterday’s blistering qualifying pace into a result today. A despondent Maxwell said there was lots of work to be done before the series returned to the circuit in Ipswich for its next point-scoring round.

“We’ve got a lot of work in front of us, today was a constant struggle,” he said. “We were gifted a few places in that second race when a few of the other bikes dropped out, that was the only positive to come from today. Josh (Waters) and Bryan (Staring) raced hard today and are making this a really tough battle, congratulations to both. We’ll go away and regroup. The team is strong and I have to thank them for all their efforts today.”

Though consistent, Waters’ two second-place finishes weren’t enough to hold on to second place in the title race, and the defending champion said the team would most likely revert to the setup which brought them success at Hidden Valley in April.

“We made a few changes to the bike for the second race which helped, but no one was going to beat Bryan (Staring) today,” said Waters. “The bike was great and the team worked as hard as ever but it just wasn’t our day. We come back here in August and we’ll have a much better idea of where to start with setup from the outset. I’m looking forward to improving on today’s result and most importantly, staying in the hunt for the title.”

Two eventful races changed the complexion of the 2010 championship for a number of leading riders. Problems plagued Ducati Motologic Racing’s Jamie Stauffer, with the two-time winner exiting both races early and taking zero points for the round. The outcome is a slide from fourth to eighth on the standings.

Suzuki riders put in a solid performance across the board, claiming positions 4 through 6 for the round. Brisbane-based rider Team Mack Trucks Suzuki’s Robbie Bugden excelled at his home event, and makes good inroads on his 2010 campaign after missing the opening round. Team Suzuki’s Shawn Giles finished fifth followed by Racers Edge Performance Suzuki rider Scott Charlton.

Valvoline Superbike Team rider and 2008 champion Glenn Allerton launched an attack on the leaders in race two before a mishap put him out of the running and made the final few laps a salvage operation for points.

Gold Coast rider Daniel Stauffer put in his best performance of the season on the new factory Aprilia RSV4, finishing seventh for the round.
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