Motourage

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.

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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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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Ducati Motologic Racing’s Jamie Stauffer topped today’s merged practice session at the third round of the Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship at Queensland Raceway. The two-time series champion showed early pace and was able to edge out current points leader, Demolition Plus GAS Honda’s Wayne Maxwell, on his final flying lap of the 3.12km circuit.

The 1198R-mounted Stauffer stopped the clock at 1:10.376, just over a tenth quicker than the CBR1000RR of Maxwell. It’s a welcome return to form for the New South Welshman who is racing in his first year with the Ducati factory outfit.

“We’ve been trying a few new things with the bike today and got a good handle on it this afternoon,” explained Stauffer. There’s a bit more to be found, the team are working hard at understanding how the bike responds to the changes and how it rides the bumpy sections of the track. With the progress we’re making we should be on for a good shot at the Superpole, its a fairly high-pressure lap and one you can’t afford to make mistakes on.”

Stauffer praised the efforts of his team who said were making good inroads with the bike.

“It was all new for us at the start of the year so the learning curve was steep. Everyone has put their heads together and each time we hit the track we make some sort of progress.”

Maxwell, who was named as a starter at the iconic Suzuka 300 and 8 Hour events earlier this week, felt certain he would have a better package for tomorrow’s qualifying sessions. He is focused on maintaining the slender advantage he currently enjoys over 2009 champion, Team Suzuki’s Josh Waters. Waters wrapped up the day’s proceedings in third position, ahead of two Queensland riders battling for supremacy at their home race.

Gold Coast-based talent Bryan Staring of the Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing team finished fourth, and was the final rider to record a lap in the 1-minute, 10-second bracket.

“We’re in good stead, we’re pretty happy with fourth but know we need to step it up tomorrow. The goal is to start off the front row and I’m confident we’re well and truly up to that challenge,” said Staring. The layout here might be boring but the bumps give it character. It’s very hard on the rider, the fast acceleration, hard braking and slow corners really make it physically demanding. But if anyone looks at the layout here and thinks its not challenging, they need to think twice.”

Brisbane’s Robbie Bugden slotted his Team Mack Trucks Suzuki GSXR-1000 into fifth ahead of 2008 champion Glenn Allerton, and Daniel Stauffer made it three Queenslanders inside the top 10, enjoying a better run on his factory Aprilia Superbike after a terrible start to the season.

In the Insure My Ride Supersport class it was again a battle between the Victorian Suzuki riders, with Troy Herfoss setting a flying lap of 1:13.316 ahead of Brodie Waters with a 1:13.461. The Yamahas of Aaron Gobert and Chris Quinn were in close check, separated from the leader by less than a second.

The first local rider home was Dylan Mavin in fifth.

The second day of competition features qualifying for all classes, including the fan-favourite Superpole where the top 8 qualifiers from both Superbike sessions will have one flying lap to set their fastest time and determine the front two rows of the grid.

Action begins at 9am. Visit asbk.com.au for ticketing details.

Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship Round 3, Queensland Raceway
Combined Practice Results

1. Jamie Stauffer (NSW), Ducati, 1:10.376
2. Wayne Maxwell (Vic), Honda, 1:10.490
3. Josh Waters (Vic), Suzuki, 1:10.543
4. Bryan Staring (Qld), Honda, 1:10.870
5. Robert Bugden (Qld), Suzuki, 1:11.165
6. Glenn Allerton (NSW), Honda, 1:11.357
7. Scott Charlton (Vic), Suzuki, 1:11.545
8. Kris McLaren (Vic), Honda, 1:11.578
9. Dan Stauffer (Qld), Aprilia, 1:11.731
10. Shawn Giles (NSW), Suzuki, 1:11.889