Motourage

Josh Waters

Josh Waters and Ben Attard have been signed to spearhead Team Suzuki’s Australian Superbike Championship  (ASBK) challenge this year aboard the Phil Tainton Racing-prepared 2012 model Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Waters and Attard will make up the team’s two-rider factory squad in the Superbike ranks aboard the highly-anticipated and updated GSX-R1000. After finishing fifth in the ASBK series last year despite contesting a limited schedule due to international commitments, 2009 champion Waters will enter this year’s series as a clear title contender as he competes in the entire series once again.

“Last year was great with the overseas opportunities, but it was difficult without having the carrot of the championship hanging in front of me at the end of the year,” 24-year-old Waters explained. “This year we’ll try hard and hopefully keep the ball rolling from the final three rounds of 2011.

“I’m really looking forward to riding the new 2012 GSX-R1000; having a new bike to race will be great, so it’s an exciting time as we prepare for the year ahead. Training-wise, I’ve been doing a lot of work with my brothers and will be ready for round one next month.”

Attard showed great promise in taking out the Supersport class of the Australian Endurance Championship for Team Suzuki alongside Brodie Waters and Mitchell Carr in December. After finishing eighth in the ASBK series with multiple podiums last year, he’s now been selected to join Team Suzuki on a full time basis.

“I’m excited that this opportunity has finally come because I’ve been working so hard to get it,” Attard, 31, said. “To be in the top team in Australia and riding the best bike out there is exactly where I hoped to be. I’ve been training hard to get my fitness where it should be, so I just can’t wait to get racing. Read more…

Team Suzuki raced to a one/two finish in the 8 Hour Australian Endurance Championship at the Phillip Island Circuit this weekend.

Superbike team riders Josh Waters, Troy Herfoss and Robbie Bugden claimed the outright and class honors aboard the Phil Tainton Racing-prepared GSX-R1000 with a total of 279 laps and 1241 kilometers completed. Coming in five laps behind them and second outright for the event was Suzuki’s Supersport effort of Brodie Waters, Ben Attard and Mitchell Carr aboard the GSX-R600.

Team Suzuki’s assault proved flawless, with both teams taking out their respective category pole positions on Saturday in the Super Qualifying sessions. Josh Waters was top Superbike and outright qualifier with a time of 1:33.164, while younger brother Brodie set the pace for the Supersport class on 1:36.285, which was good enough for fourth outright.

Team Suzuki dominated Sunday’s endurance event from the outset, with Waters leading the field away in the Le Mans-style start, in which riders sprinted to their bikes to begin the race. From there it was a team effort between Waters, Herfoss, Bugden and the pit crew to lead the race’s entirety to the checkered flag.

Waters claimed the fastest lap of the race on lap 154, posting a 1:34.805-second time to confirm both the speed and the reliability of the Suzuki GSX-R1000 in competition trim.

“My teammates were fantastic and we worked really well together,” Waters explained. “Everybody put in 100 percent and it was a great way to wrap up the 2011 season. It was good fun working with the other riders and I was lucky that I had team mates on my side who are fast and consistent. My experience in the Suzuka 8 Hours this year in Japan with Yoshimura Suzuki played a big part in my preparation for the race and I really enjoy endurance racing. It was definitely an advantage for me and I’m proud to win along with Team Suzuki.”

“We had a great weekend and I felt comfortable working alongside both Mitch and Ben on the team,” added Team Suzuki’s Supersport class rider Brodie Waters. “We pushed hard at the start and then settled into a rhythm, which is important in endurance racing. It is a great reward to win the Supersport class for Suzuki and go one/two outright.”

Read more…

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.

Team Honda Australia came away from today’s QBE Australian Superbike Championship event at Symmons Plains very successful, with a Superpole and Race 1 win by teammates Wayne Maxwell and Jamie Stauffer respectively.

Symmons Plains race 1 winner Jamie Stauffer

A superb Superpole lap by Maxwell placed the Victorian rider in P1 this morning, recording a lap time of 53.595”. Stauffer recorded a Superpole lap time of 54.375” placing him seventh on the grid for the race.

The first race of the event was an extremely exciting one with Maxwell getting off the line strongly and looking comfortable in his pursuit of Josh Waters for the lead. Stauffer also made a solid start from P7 on the grid to fourth on the first lap and waged a strong battle, ultimately up to the lead to win the race.

Maxwell’s intentions for a Race 1 win from his P1 start were unfortunately not realized when he crashed at the notorious hairpin on lap 11 of the race although he managed to salvage his race to finish in seventh place.

“Putting my CBR1000RR on Pole this morning in Superpole for the 5th time this season was definitely a fantastic boost going into the race,” said Maxwell. “I got off the start line well and was feeling pretty good, but obviously things did not go quite to plan. Still, I take points from finishing 7th and will focus on tomorrow’s race.”

Race 1 winner, #27 Stauffer, is excited by the win especially as it places him closer to a possible championship title for the 2011 season. With Team Honda Racing having won the last five championship races, the momentum is definitely on its side, and the strength of the Honda CBR1000RR is plain for all to see.

“I’m really happy with the Race win today, although it was a very eventful race to say the least,” said Stauffer. “There is still more work to do on the bike this evening to get it where I want it to be for this circuit, but our plan is a strong one so I feel confident we will get there for tomorrow’s race.”

Superbike race 2 will begin at 1:10pm local time tomorrow.

Team Mack Trucks Suzuki’s Robbie Bugden topped today’s Superbike practice sessions at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains Raceway. The Queenslander led today’s combined QBE Australian Superbike Championship practice sessions, shooting up the timesheets as the clock ticked down during this afternoon’s final 20-minute session.

With the Superbikes book-ending the day’s proceedings, it looked like the early morning mark of Wayne Maxwell may have stood until a barrage of quick laps came in the closing minutes. But, on lap 13 of practice 2, Bugden set an unanswered best of 54.153” on his GSX-R1000, finding more than half a second since the opening session.

It’s a promising start to the penultimate round for Bugden, 29, who is hopeful of improving the pace of his Team Mack Trucks Suzuki even further tomorrow.

“I’m happy with today’s results but I think there’s still lots more to come from the bike,” said Bugden. “It’s a circuit I really like, very technical, and I knew if we chipped away at it this morning we could sharpen the bike up for this afternoon’s session. I’m just looking forward to getting out there and racing. If it’s dry it’s going to be a fierce, close race, the times today tell that story.”

Positions 1-7 on the overall timesheets were separated by just 0.332”, setting up a thrilling qualifying and opening race tomorrow.

Symmons Plains’ quickest-ever Superbike qualifier, Jamie Stauffer, finished second today, and is doing everything he can to stay in the hunt for the 2011 title. The winner of three of the past four Superbike races will need to keep his eye on the prize if he and his factory Team Honda are to hold off Glenn Allerton, who was a comfortable fifth.

“To be honest the pace wasn’t what I thought it would be, it’s slower than I expected and I think there will be a lot more we can do overnight to get a quicker bike for qualifying,” said Stauffer. “If the weather closes in it changes things. It looks like we will spend at least some of our time this weekend riding in the wet, if it has to be in the races then we’d really like to be able to get a setup tomorrow morning during qualifying. We’re going in the right direction and where we need to be at the moment.”

Josh Waters put his Team Suzuki GSX-R1000 into the top 3, edging out Honda’s Wayne Maxwell by just over one-hundredth of a second.

The difference between the times of Craig Coxhell and Troy Herfoss in sixth and seventh illustrated the evenly-matched affair – there was none. Both riders rounded out the day with a best time of 54.48”, unable to be split on the timesheets.

Brodie Waters was the fastest of the Prostock competitors today, lapping his Team Suzuki machine in 55.862 seconds. Again it’s a case of must-win in this class for Waters, with current leader Linden Magee streets ahead on the points table.

The field will contest two 20-minute qualifying sessions tomorrow morning to determine the order for the eight-rider Superpole shootout.

Grid placings will carry over into the opening 16-lap race, to be held at 1:50PM local time.

Combined Practice Results, Symmons Plains:

1. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Mack Trucks Suzuki, 54.153
2. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Team Honda Racing, 54.192
3. Joshua WATERS (VIC) / Team Suzuki, 54.209
4. Wayne MAXWELL (NSW) / Team Honda Racing, 54.222
5. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Procon Maxima, 54.336
6. Troy HERFOSS (NSW) / Team Suzuki, 54.485
7. Craig COXHELL (VIC) / GAS Honda / Demolition Plus, 54.485
8. Ben HENRY (QLD) / CUBE Racing / Australian Outdoor Living / Weld West, 55.772
9. Brodie WATERS (VIC) / Team Suzuki, 55.862
10. Linden MAGEE (QLD) / Coastline Motorrad Racing, 55.928

Troy Herfoss

Rookie Superbike racer Troy Herfoss believes second place in the QBE Australian Superbike Championship is within reach, but he knows he will face a titanic battle in the next two weeks to steal it, starting this weekend in Tasmania. The Team Suzuki rider heads to Symmons Plains in fourth place, a commendable result in itself given his limited time to adapt to the 1000cc machine after stepping up as Supersport 600 champion. Herfoss, 24, admits a mid-season loss of direction was disappointing, but is confident that recent form, including two strong results at the Phillip Island MotoGP supports, has him well-placed to challenge for the runner-up position. Given the pace of rival riders at the 2.4km circuit earlier this year, he knows the task will be anything but easy.

“The race at Symmons Plains in February was unreal, it was probably the closest race I have ever been involved in,” said Herfoss. “I expect the pace will be just as quick, if not quicker, this weekend. I’ve added some strength training along with interval work to make sure I can run at the front and don’t fade in the final few laps. When you’ve done a good lap around Symmons Plains, you know it. There’s no rest, despite the long 280km/h straight – it’s a wrestle from start to finish. I lost my way a bit at the mid-point but I think we’ve turned a corner. Wet or dry, I love the track and can’t wait to put in two strong races.”

Herfoss is 11 points shy of his goal of runner-up in the 2011 championship.

Current second-placed rider Jamie Stauffer will face the challenge of attack and defense this weekend. The Team Honda rider can still snatch the title from runaway leader Glenn Allerton, but will need a perfect run of race results in the final stages of the eight-round season. Stauffer, a two-time ASBK champion, will also have to keep a close guard on second, with the likes of Herfoss, Craig Coxhell, Wayne Maxwell and Josh Waters all within striking distance.

“At this stage what happens in the championship is ultimately up to Glenn,” said Stauffer. “I can’t change what happens, all I can do is go out there and try and get the pole and race wins. At the same time I have to be thinking about second. Wayne and Troy were both really strong at the Island, and Josh set the lap record at Symmons Plains earlier this year so I know he will be fast. I’ve got no doubt Team Honda will be up there at both Symmons Plains and Phillip Island, everyone is determined to round out this year on a high note.”

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

Team Honda’s Jamie Stauffer is eyeing his maiden race win with the manufacturer following a convincing QBE Australian Superbike Championship Superpole victory at Queensland Raceway today.

See video of today’s qualifying HERE.

The two-time Australian Superbike Champion left nothing in reserve with an ultra-committed lap of the bumpy 3.12km circuit, his 1:09.223s lap the best by a margin of close to .4” in a closely-contested session.

It was Stauffer’s day from start to finish, with the New South Wales-based rider topping both of the initial 30-minute qualifying sessions before confirming his pace with pole position.

Round 5 of the QBE Australian Superbike Championship is shaping up to be a thriller, and Stauffer will be leading the charge to stop current points leader, Procon Maxima BMW’s Glenn Allerton, who secured the second grid position with a 1:09.596 effort.

Ben Attard’s strong form on the Aprilia RSV4, with the best of the local riders taking a hard-fought third place in Superpole for the i-Style Natural Aprilia Team.

Team Suzuki’s Josh Waters was fourth-fastest, making it four different manufacturers on the front row for tomorrow’s 17-lap races.

Team Suzuki’s Robbie Bugden, Team Honda’s Wayne Maxwell, Demolition Plus GAS Honda’s Craig Coxhell and Team Suzuki’s Troy Herfoss will occupy the second row of the grid.

Carr Bros Motorsport’s Mitchell Carr secured his second consecutive QBE Supersport pole position, winning this afternoon’s four-rider Motul Superpole shootout.

The Triumph talent is riding high after recording debut race and round wins at the previous round in Darwin and is hoping to hold out a hungry pack tomorrow.

P1, Jamie Stauffer, Team Honda, 1:09.223
“It was a good day, we’ve been fastest all day, we can hopefully make the bike a bit better and hopefully we can race for the lead tomorrow.”

P2, Glenn Allerton, Procon Maxima BMW, 1:09.596
“So far qualifying has been really strong for us, obviously I want to be in P1 but P2 is a good starting position and I’ve proved this year that I am strong in the races. We made one last change before Superpole and the bike felt really good. It was a cracking Superpole lap and I’m really happy with how the bike feels, tomorrow I feel like the Procon Maxima BMW is going to be one really strong package for 17 laps.”

P3, Ben Attard, The i-Style Natural Aprilia Team, 1:09.596
“Today was a great day, we went out in the top 3, I made a few little mistakes in Superpole and it cost me. I thought we could have done a low nine but I messed up two corners. We’ve got a good bike, it’s quick and I can’t wait to fight tomorrow.”

Read more…

A battle royale raged between two former Australian Superbike champions at Hidden Valley today, with Procon Maxima BMW rider Glenn Allerton claiming race 2 and Team Suzuki’s Josh Waters getting the nod, by a single point, for the round win.

2008 champion Allerton finished second to 2009 champion Waters in the opening 17-lap battle, and knew he would need to win the second race to have a shot at his fourth round victory in succession.

Glenn Allerton, Josh Waters and Ben Attard

The BMW S 1000 RR rider withstood Hidden Valley’s intense heat to take his race win tally to four for the year, but it was Waters who prevailed for back-to-back round wins in the Northern Territory.

“It’s been a real battle with Glenn this weekend and a lot of fun,” said Waters. “To take back-to-back wins at Hidden Valley really is all we could have hoped for. It was hard work in the heat but we hung in there and the pole position point ended up giving us the edge today. Suzuki have done an amazing job with the GSX-R1000 and I can’t thank the crew enough for their dedication.”

Waters is quickly making up the points deficit after missing the opening round while making his World Superbike debut. He entered the weekend in 10th and leaves in 5th on 88 points.

Allerton extended his lead to 37 points today and acknowledged Hepburn Motorsports’ quick thinking between races to give him a better bike this afternoon.

“The boys made a setup change which made the bike a lot easier to ride in the second race,” said Allerton. “It was a lot better rolling into the turns and coming out of them and was strong from start to finish. It’s a great result for us and the BMW just keeps getting better. We’ve added a few points to our lead and are really looking forward to seeing how the bike does in Perth.”

Ben Attard and his Aprilia outfit had another exemplary showing today, with the experienced Queenslander scoring his second race and round podium for the year aboard the RSV-4. The iStyle Natural Aprilia Racing Team rider led the opening lap of race 1, and showed pace again this afternoon. Attard had the measure of Waters at mid-race distance but consolidated for third place after his pace faded slightly.

“After a season of development the team has really come on strong with the Aprilia, it’s still early days but these results are really promising,” he said. “It’s really good to be up here racing in the top three and showing what the bike can do.”

Consistent finishes in each round to date have Attard placed third in the championship, just a point off Team Suzuki’s Troy Herfoss. Herfoss held onto second place with two top five finishes today as he continues to come to grips with the GSX-R1000 in his rookie season.

Craig Coxhell took over the top Honda placing in the championship with two fifth places today for the Demolition Plus GAS Honda outfit.

The factory Honda Superbikes struggled in the Darwin heat, with Jamie Stauffer and Wayne Maxwell both failing to finish.

Kevin Curtain took the QBE Australian Supersport Championship round victory with another a strong ride today. The Yamaha Racing Team rider won race 2, holding off teammate Rick Olson who had an improved showing in second.

Polesitter Mitchell Carr looked set to challenge the factory Yamaha team following his maiden Supersport race win this morning but didn’t have the pace to stay in touch.

The experienced Curtain said he had hoped to make a break early after falling back in the first race.

“The plan was to get out there and get as much as a gap as I could,” said the YZF-R6 mounted rider. “I knew there would be nothing in it, Rick caught me in the closing stages and I wore the tire down trying to stay in front. It’s a good result for my own championship and for Yamaha this weekend.”

He may have narrowly missed the round victory but Carr accumulated enough points to overtake fellow Triumph rider Christian Casella in the title chase.

“It’s been a breakthrough weekend, everyone’s really chipped in and we’ve taken the Triumph to another level,” said Carr.

After three rounds he holds a two-point lead over Casella, with Curtain a further three points in arrears.

Team Suzuki’s Brodie Waters went from second to fourth on the standings after a problematic weekend which included a crash in this afternoon’s race.

Today’s support classes provided close and entertaining racing for the Darwin crowd.

The Honda Prostock spoils went to Cru Halliday, Mike Jones extended his Suzuki Superstock lead with another clean sweep, and Josh Hook did the same in Motul Superlites.

Shane Soutar and Jeff Rowe put on a show in the Superside class, taking two race wins from three and the overall.

The Viking Group Australian Superbike Championships heads to Western Australia as part of the Perth Trading Post Challenge from April 29 – May 1 where Superbike and Prostock classes will race as a combined field.

Viking Group Australian Superbike Round 3 Overall
1. Joshua WATERS (VIC) Team Suzuki, Suzuki GSXR, 46
2. Glenn ALLERTON (VIC) Procon Maxima BMW / Dynomotive / Zoom Recruit. BMW S 1000 RR, 45
3. Ben ATTARD (QLD)     The i-Style Natural Aprilia Team Aprilia RSV4, 35
4. Craig COXHELL (VIC) Demolition Plus GAS Honda, Honda CBR RR, 32
5. Troy HERFOSS (VIC) Team Suzuki, Suzuki GSXR, 31
6. Cole ODENDAAL (NSW) GAS Honda Racing / NSW Compensation Lawyers, Honda CBR RR, 30
7. Kris McLAREN (VIC) McLaren Motorsport / Kirk McCarthy Memorial Award, Honda CBR RR, 27
8. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) Team Honda Racing / Oleon Oils / Motologic, Honda CBR RR, 18
9. Ben HENRY (QLD) Cube Racing / Australian Outdoor Living / Weld West, Suzuki GSXR, 13

QBE Australian Supersport Championship Standings
1. Glenn ALLERTON (VIC) 138
2. Troy HERFOSS (VIC) 101
3. Ben ATTARD (QLD)     100
4. Craig COXHELL (VIC) 90
5. Joshua WATERS (VIC) 88
6. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) 84
7. Cole ODENDAAL (NSW) 75
8. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC) 60
9. Ben HENRY (QLD) 58
10. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) 57

QBE Australian Supersport Round 3 Overall
1. Kevin CURTAIN (VIC) Yamaha Racing Team Yamaha, YZF-R6, 45
2. Mitchell CARR (NSW) Carr Bros M-sport / Triumph / Peter Stevens M-cycles Triumph Daytona, 43
3. Rick OLSON (VIC) Yamaha Racing Team Yamaha, YZF-R6 38
4. Nicholas WATERS (VIC) Arai Helmets, Suzuki GSXR, 34
5. Christan CASELLA (VIC) Aark Electrics / Triumph Aust. / Alpinestars / AGV Triumph Daytona, 31
6. Aaron GOBERT (NSW) Yamaha / Graves / Hot Bodies Yamaha, YZF-R6, 28
7. Dylan MAVIN (QLD) Champion’s Ride Days / Honda / Palfinger Cranes Honda, CBR RR, 28
8. Brodie WATERS (VIC) Team Suzuki, Suzuki GSXR, 27
9. Andy LAWSON (QLD) Avweld Pty Ltd / Trucks Australia, Yamaha YZF-R6, 23
10. Jackson LEIGH-SMITH (QLD) Champion’s Ride Days / Honda / Palfinger Cranes, Honda CBR RR, 23

QBE Australian Supersport Championship Standings
1. Mitchell CARR (NSW), 110
2. Christan CASELLA (VIC), 108
3. Kevin CURTAIN (VIC), 105
4. Brodie WATERS (VIC), 103
5. Aaron GOBERT (NSW), 99
6. Rick OLSON (VIC), 89
7. Andy LAWSON (QLD), 69
8. Nicholas WATERS (VIC), 66
9. Glenn SCOTT (NSW), 62
10. Ryan TAYLOR (VIC), 58