Motourage

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.

2011 BSB Championship runner up and former MotoGP and AMA man John Hopkins plans to make another go at the World Superbike Championship after signing with Crescent Suzuki, as the UK-based team makes the move from the national to the world stage. Hopkins completes the two-man lineup with his new teammate, Leon Camier, who makes the move from the Alitalia Aprilia team. Camier will begin testing the Crescent Suzuki Powered by Yoshimura GSX-R1000 at Portimao, Portugal later this month, with Hopkins joining him in the tests in early 2012. The first race of next year’s calendar is scheduled for Sunday, February 26 at Phillip Island, Australia.

Hopkins is currently at his U.S. home in California, recovering from surgery to correct a finger injury he sustained at Brno while riding as a wild card for the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team. He had a successful first season with Crescent Suzuki in the British national series, narrowly missing out on the championship at the last race of the year to Swan Yamaha’s Tommy Hill. Hopkins contested the World Superbike Series in 2009 as a mid-season replacement for Robbie Rolfo at the ill-fated Stiggy Honda team, but injuries – and a horrific crash at the Nurburgring – coupled with Stiggy’s decision to pull out of the series, ended Hopkins WSBK hopes. He signed with John Ulrich’s team in AMA Superbike the following year but was again hampered by injuries. Earlier this season, he captured Superpole at the Silverstone WSBK weekend before finishing fifth in race 1 and seventh in race 2 as a wild card.

John Hopkins:
“I am really happy to be joining up with the Crescent guys again. We had a great year in British Superbike and I’m sure we can continue that in WSB. I wanted to get back into world championship racing and this is a natural progression from last year. The difference this time is that I will be going to tracks that I already know and have some reference from, so that should make some things a bit easier.

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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.”

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Katsuyuki Nakasuga

Yamaha Factory Racing has announced its rider, Jorge Lorenzo, will not participate in this weekend’s Valencia Grand Prix – the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana  - season finale. Lorenzo continues to make good progress in recovery following surgery to repair damage to the ring finger of his left hand sustained at Phillip Island uring the Iveco Australian Grand Prix three weeks ago. The Mallorcan’s injuries require further recovery time to allow him to ride at a competitive level.

Japanese Yamaha test rider and All Japan Superbike competitor Katsuyuki Nakasuga will make his second appearance in the MotoGP premier class on behalf of 2010 World Champion Lorenzo.

Yamaha Factory Racing’s rider line up for the 1000cc test next week will be confirmed on Monday, November 7.

http://www.motogp.com/en/events/Australia/2011

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.

Casey Stoner (Repsol Honda) won the 2011 MotoGP World Championship yesterday with a victory in difficult conditions on his home circuit of Phillip Island on his 26th birthday. Finishing behind Stoner were three Hondas, Marco Simoncelli (San Carlo Honda Gresini), in a career best second, then Repsol Honda teammates Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa.

Stoner’s chances of winning the title greatly improved when his only title rival, Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), was declared unfit to race after injuring his left hand in a crash near the end of morning warm-up. That put Stoner in position to take the championship by finishing sixth or better, though he would rather have won in a straight-up fight. Since Stoner had been on the podium in every race he’s finished this year, finishing sixth or better was never in question.

Bolting from his 11th pole position of the year, Stoner controlled the pace on a cold, blustery, but mostly sunlit day, turning the race into a battle for second. Stoner had a lead of 7.4s on the 14th of 27 laps and was well on his way to victory when a light, then heavy rain threatened to turn the race chaotic in the final stages. Two riders pitted to change to motorcycles with rain set-ups, and three others fell, but Stoner survived one harrowing moment, maintained his composure and sped to his fifth consecutive victory at Phillip Island, today by 2.21s.

The win gave him an untouchable championship lead over Lorenzo of 325 to 260, with only 50 points remaining in the final two races in Malaysia and Valencia.

The title was Stoner’s second; he also won the 2007 MotoGP World Championship, giving him the distinction of opening and closing the 800cc era as world champion.

The victory came on a day when Honda celebrated their 60th Constructors Championship and 18th in the premier class, and 15th riders championship in the premier class. Honda has an insurmountable 75 point lead, 380 to 305, over Yamaha with two races remaining.

Though Stoner’s win was never in doubt, the same couldn’t be said of the other podium positions. By the fourth of 27 laps, Honda riders held the top four spots and began an inter-family battle that would go down to the final lap. Simoncelli took over second on the second lap and held the position almost to the end. Only on the 25th lap did Dovizioso find a way past, holding the position for two laps. But on the final lap, when the track was again dry, Simoncelli re-asserted himself to finish second, a career best in the premier class. Dovi was third at .244s, with Pedrosa dropping off the pace at the end to finish fourth.

What wasn’t known at the time was that Pedrosa’s front tire had degraded, taking away his corner entry speed and forcing him to abandon the podium fight. Rather than risk crashing, and losing valuable championship points, he made the wise decision to secure fourth, and give Honda a top four sweep.

Toni Elias (LCR Honda MotoGP) survived the adverse conditions to finish eighth, tying his season best. Elias was again troubled by rear grip issues, caused by the dropping temperature. Still, he rode a smart, calculated race using his experience to avoid the traps that befell a number of others.

Hiroshi Aoyama (San Carlo Honda Gresini) was also having a good race when he crashed four laps from the end on a wet track. At the time, the Japanese rider was immersed in a scrap with two other riders for eighth. One of the other riders also fell, leaving only ten finishers.

Aoyama will be joining the World Superbike Championship aboard a HANNspree Ten Kate Honda in 2012 and wants to finish his MotoGP career strongly in the final two races.

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In 2011, Viking Group Australian Superbike Championships (ASBK) will be broadcast to the largest Australian audience in the sport’s history as part of a comprehensive and wide-ranging television package. The successful live broadcast of the final two rounds of 2010 has prompted championship promoter International Entertainment Group (IEG) to increase its commitment to ensure more homes than ever before are seeing Australia’s best road racers do battle. The recent launch of SPEED TV Australia has created the perfect platform for the increasingly-popular motorsport discipline.

ASBK's Troy Herfoss at the Phillip Island season opener

The ASBK opening round, held at Phillip Island, will screen on SPEED TV Australia from 5:30-7:30pm Sunday, March 20. Following Sunday’s broadcast, the remaining seven rounds will receive a comprehensive two-hour package covering all of the action from the premier class. In addition, a one-hour program package from each round will be broadcast, bringing a significant boost for all other ASBK classes on the sought-after SPEED channel.

In 2010, over 1 million viewers tuned in to watch Superbike racing in conjunction with Channel 7’s V8 Supercar telecast. This reach is certain to rise with ASBK now teaming up with the world’s most competitive touring car series for a total of three rounds – all featuring live Superbike/Prostock action.

Viking Group ASBK Managing Director Yarrive Konsky said television coverage was integral to the championship’s continued growth.
“Australia continues to foster and produce talented motorcycle riders that have the skill and racecraft to match it with the best in the world, and the Viking Group ASBK is where they do battle. The racing is evenly-matched and intense, and television captures this action incredibly well. Each round of the championship will receive at least three hours of quality coverage on the SPEED channel, ensuring every class shares the spotlight. In line with the move to race three ‘2+4’ meetings, we’re also increasing our commitment to live television to cover these events. Comprehensive coverage such as this will also allow us to show viewers the faces beneath the helmets and raise rider and team profile which will be of benefit to all.”

2011 Viking Group ASBK Television Overview
1. 25-27 February, Phillip Island VIC (World SBK) – SPEED TV
2. 4-6 March, Symmons Plains TAS – SPEED TV
3. 14-17 April, Hidden Valley NT – SPEED TV
4. 29 April-May 1, Barbagallo Raceway WA – Channel 7 Live and SPEED TV
5. 3-5 June, Queensland Raceway QLD – SPEED TV
6. 19-21 August, Queensland Raceway QLD (V8 Supercars) – Channel 7 Live and SPEED TV
7. 11-13 November, Symmons Plains TAS (V8 Supercars) – Channel 7 Live and SPEED TV
8. 18-20 November, Phillip Island VIC – SPEED TV

Michel Fabrizio gets around former Xerox Ducati teammate Noriyuki Haga

On Sunday, Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio took a hard-fought sixth place in the first race of the opening round of this year’s Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island in Australia.

But even more encouraging was the fact that he was able to battle for a podium place until his tires started to go off, four laps from the end. The young Italian was hoping to follow up his good performance in race one with more of the same in race two, but suffered tire chatter from the early stages of the race and had to be content with eighth place in the end. Nevertheless Fabrizio and the team are happy with their overall performance and are looking forward to the next round at Donington Park at the end of March.

Heavy overnight rain had soaked the 4.445-kilometer circuit, and the morning warm-up was declared a wet practice. But by the time the 22 riders lined up on the grid for the first race, watched by an estimated crowd of 63,000, the track had dried and everybody was on slick tires.

Carlos Checa (Ducati) won both 22-lap races with Max Biaggi (Aprilia) taking a pair of runner-up spots. Leon Haslam (BMW) third place in race one and Marco Melandri (Yamaha) third in race two.

Michel Fabrizio – Race 1: 6th, Race 2: 8th:
“I am happy and I am not so happy. I am happy because I was able to fight with the top guys in both races and that is a great boost to my confidence. I didn’t know exactly what to expect in my first race with Team Suzuki Alstare and it was good to be able to battle for the podium in the first race. Maybe if I had made a good start in that race, I might have ended up on the podium. Instead, I found myself 11th at the end of lap one and then had to fight through the pack and that’s not easy because there are so many good riders and good bikes. It took some time, but I was up to seventh at half-race distance and then up to fifth after 15 laps. That’s when I was in a three way fight with Laverty, Melandri and Haslam and it was a lot of fun racing with them. Just when I thought I might be able to make a charge, my tires started to go off and I couldn’t push as hard as I wanted. I kept attacking as hard as I could, but couldn’t get past any of them, so finished sixth.

“I used the same bike for race two and the same type of tire and only made some small adjustments, but I started getting chattering almost right from the start. It was not an easy race by any means, but I tried to ride as hard as I could without crashing. I kept pushing wherever possible, but it wasn’t possible to push hard enough to get another top-six result. I am not so happy with eighth, but overall I think we should be pleased with our performance today. We know the season is going to be very hard this year – probably more than previous years – and to begin with good results is a great start.”

Phillip Island Results:
Race 1: 1 Carlos Checa (ESP-Ducati), 2 Max Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia), 3 Leon Haslam (GBR-BMW), 4 Eugene Laverty (GBR-Yamaha), 5 Marco Melandri (ITA-Yamaha), 6 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Suzuki Alstare), 7 Jakub Smrz (CZE-Ducati), 8 Tom Sykes (GBR-Kawasaki), 9 Noriyuki Haga (JPN-Aprilia), 10 Troy Corser (AUS-BMW).

Race 2: 1 Checa, 2 Biaggi, 3 Melandri, 4 Jonathan Rea (GBR-Honda), 5 Haslam, 6 Leon Camier (GBR-Aprilia), 7 Haga, 8 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Suzuki Alstare), 9 Sykes, 10 Ruben Xaus (ESP-Honda).

Championship Points: 1 Checa 50, 2 Biaggi 40, 3 Melandri 27, 4 Haslam 27, 5 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Suzuki Alstare) 18, 6 Rea 17.

Procon Racing BMW rider Glenn Allerton dominated a drama-charged day at Phillip Island this weekend, winning both races of the opening round of the Viking Group Australian Superbike Championships in spectacular style.

BMW's Glenn Allerton

The field was forced to gamble with a damp circuit sending some riders scrambling for spare bikes with wet tires fitted. The BMW S 1000 RR-mounted Allerton elected to remain on slicks, and, despite being swamped in the opening laps, soon found pace as a dry line around the 4.45km circuit emerged.

The 30-year-old picked off place after place, and by the fifth lap found himself in the lead after blazing past pole sitter Wayne Maxwell who was struggling on deteriorating wet rubber. Allerton greeted the checkered flag with a lead of more than 20 seconds, with second-place going to another European machine, the Aprilia RSV-4 ridden by Ben Attard.

Proving the victory was no fluke, the NSW-based rider backed up the performance by winning race two in dry conditions, again by a solid margin. Two wins from two starts, on debut with a new team and race bike, has Allerton excited about his championship chances in 2011.

“This is the best start to a season I’ve ever had,” said an ecstatic Allerton. “The weekend really could not have gone better for us given we are a new team and racing a new bike. We made a good choice this morning on the slicks but in the second race showed that the pace was genuine. Given the limited time we’ve had to work on the bike, the team at Hepburn Motorsport have done an awesome job and I cannot fault them at all. Thanks also has to go to all at BMW.”

Allerton leaves Phillip Island with a 13-point advantage over second-placed rider Troy Herfoss, who was impressive in his first ever Superbike outing with Team Suzuki. Herfoss’ result was built on both speed and consistency. The GSX-R1000 rider settled for a strong fourth place in the opening race when unable to attack, but was on song in the second 12-lapper and raced to a comfortable podium position.

“It was a tough weekend and I’m very glad to come away sitting second,” said Herfoss. “Our testing pace was great so I was a little confused as to why I was taking a while to get comfortable on the bike. Getting a good result on wet tires in the first race gave me the confidence I needed, and I was able to mix it with the leaders in the second. I’m taking steady steps in my approach to this season and this weekend has provided me with a solid start.”
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