MIXED SEASON OPENER FOR SUZUKI
 Team
Yoshimura Suzuki endured a weekend of highs and lows at the
opening round of the Australian Superbike and Supersport Championships
at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway at the weekend.
The ‘high’ came in the Supersport class where
new recruit Joshua Waters (pictured) scored fifth and fourth
placings in the two 13-lap races to secure fourth overall
on the Supersport Championship points table.
It was an impressive debut in Suzuki colours for the 20-year-old
with the Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600 still in the early
stages of development.
The ‘low’ came in the Superbike class where three-times
Australian Champion Shawn Giles lies 15th on the points table
after an up and down weekend: After qualifying on the front
row, 36-year-old Giles and his GSX-R1000 Superbike were in
stunning form and running easily within the top three on track.
The Suzuki hero looked to be on target for two podium results
in both 13-lap Superbike races before falling victim to the
slippery 3.93km circuit.
Giles wasn’t the only one to find the limits of adhesion
on a weekend where track temperatures soared past the 55-degree
mark and a number of top-level riders showed signs of gravel
rash on both body and machine.
In race one Giles was forced to run wide at turn two and
onto the grass after misjudging his braking mark while involved
in a multi-bike battle for track position, dropping outside
the top 15. But he charged back through the field to claim
eighth place.
The opening Superbike race was run in two parts after officials
red-flagged the race on lap eight due to a crash involving
privateer Steve Manning. The rider received only minor injuries
but Manning’s bike was in a dangerous position alongside
the track surface.
In race two, when again battling for a podium finish with
Daniel Stauffer, Giles had a low-speed crash at turn nine.
He was unhurt in the incident but was unable to restart his
bike and was forced to retire.
Team-mate Craig Coxhell also had his share of bad luck in
his return ride although 13th and sixth places have the Victorian
seventh overall on the points table.
In race one the 24-year-old was holding a top-10 position
when he had to take evasive action to avoid the tumbling Suzuki
GSX-R1000 of satellite team-mate Robbie Bugden. Coxhell’s
sixth in race two reflected the form that helped him win the
2003 Australian Superbike Championship for Suzuki before heading
overseas.
Bugden, third in the 2006 Australian Superbike Championship,
had a frustrating meeting on his Team Yoshimura Suzuki when
a high-speed crash in race one was followed by a DNF in race
two due to the first race damage.
With the Australian Superbike and Supersport Championships
held over eight rounds in 2007, and another 350 points up
for grabs, Team Manager Phil Tainton is confident the team
can regroup after the disappointment of round one.
Introducing a new double-header format, rounds two and three
of the 2007 Australian Superbike Championship will take place
at Victoria’s Winton Raceway on March 22-25.
Phil Tainton – Team Manager:
“I’m extremely happy with how the riders performed
today in conditions that were demanding on man and machine.
We had some bad luck this weekend but I couldn’t have
asked for more from the riders.
“We showed we have good speed from the bikes, and we
can run at the front. Josh rode two perfect races in the Supersport
Championship and Shawn was fast all weekend on the Superbike.
“How good are our Australian rules when 15 riders are
separated by just over one second in qualifying? This year’s
Superbike championship is shaping as the most competitive
for many years.
“Congratulations to Jamie Stauffer on his wins today.”
Shawn Giles:
“It’s been one of those meetings and I’m
disappointed with the race results after qualifying so well.
The bike had good speed all weekend and I can’t say
enough about the team and the performance of the tyres.
“In race one I got into turn two a little too hot and
ran wide, and in race two I lost the front without warning.
It was a strange crash because I didn’t do anything
different from the lap before.
“It’s a long season with seven rounds to go,
so there’s plenty of time to make up the 38-point deficit
to Jamie.”
Craig Coxhell:
“I’m reasonably happy with the results - and
to get 23 points from the two races - but this weekend has
been a struggle.
“I went quicker in testing a few weeks back and never
really got to grips with the circuit this weekend. The Australian
championship is extremely competitive and I knew it was going
to be tough.
“My aim was to get comfortable with the team and the
bike in the opening round and score points in both races.
The Yoshimura Suzuki team is like a big family to me and it’s
good to be back after three seasons overseas.”
Joshua Waters:
“I set myself a goal of a top five finish overall this
weekend so I’m happy to be sitting fourth in the points.
We’re still in the early stages of developing the Suzuki
GSX-R600, and there’s a lot more to come. I’m
feeling more comfortable on the bike every time I ride it.
“It’s a pity I crashed and damaged my number
one race bike on Friday as the results could have been even
better.”
Robbie Budgen:
”It’s a disappointing way to start the new season
with no points after finishing off so strongly last year.
It’s so competitive out there it’s important to
have the bike set-up spot-on and we’d been chasing the
front-end all weekend and trying to find a feeling that I
was happy with.
“I guess I was trying too hard in the restart of race
one and the tyre wasn’t up to temperature after the
delay. It tucked as I went around turn eight and I couldn’t
save it.
“Although we got the bike repaired in time for race
two, it seems part of the electrics had been damaged and I
couldn’t finish the race.”
Superbike Overall Results (Round 1): 1 Jamie
Stauffer, 2 Daniel Stauffer, 3 Glenn Allerton, 4 Adam Fergusson,
5 Scott Charlton, 6 Shannon Johnson, 7 Craig Coxhell (Suzuki
GSX-R1000), 8 Shannon Etheridge, 9 Wayne Maxwell, 10 Michael
Fraser (Suzuki GSX-R1000).
Superbike Championship Points: 1 Jamie Stauffer
51, 2 Daniel Stauffer 40, 3 Glenn Allerton 34, 4 Adam Fergusson
33, 5 Scott Charlton 30, 6 Shannon Johnson 29, 7 Craig Coxhell
(Suzuki GSX-R1000) 23, 8 Shannon Etheridge 23, 9 Wayne Maxwell
21, 10 Michael Fraser (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 20. 15 Shawn Giles
(Suzuki GSX-R1000) 13.
Supersport Overall Results (Round 1): 1
Jamie Stauffer, 2 Jason O’Halloran, 3 Jeremy Crowe,
4 Joshua Waters (Suzuki GSX-R600), 5 Judd Greedy, 6 Bryan
Staring, 7 Russell Holland, 8 Nick Henderson, 9 Gareth Jones,
10 Mick Kelly.
Supersport Championship Points: 1 Jamie
Stauffer 51, 2 Jason O’Halloran 40, 3 Jeremy Crowe 36,
4 Joshua Waters (Suzuki GSX-R600) 33, 5 Judd Greedy 31, 6
Bryan Staring 31, 7 Russell Holland 27, 8 Nick Henderson 27,
9 Gareth Jones 24, 10 Mick Kelly 23.
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