GILES ON TARGET FOR 4TH TITLE
 Joe
Rocket Suzuki rider Shawn Giles is on target for his fourth
Australian Superbike Championship after finishing third overall
at the second round of the 2008 Australian Superbike Championship
at South Australia's Mallala Motor Sport Park at the weekend.
Giles' 36pt haul from second and fifth placings in the two
races has moved the three-time Australian Superbike Champion
to within 4 points of the championship lead, currently held
by Mallala round-winner Glenn Allerton.
Further success for the Team Joe Rocket Suzuki squad came
in the hands of two-time New Zealand Superbike champion Robbie
Bugden, whose third placings in the 17-lap and 19-lap races
gave the Queenslander second overall for the round and consolidated
fourth on the championship points table with two of seven
rounds completed.
It wasn't all smooth sailing for the Team Joe Rocket Suzuki
Superbike riders, with 2003 Australian champion Craig Coxhell
contracting a debilitating stomach bug on Friday that left
the Shepparton rider physically drained across the weekend.
After securing medical clearance on Sunday morning to contest
both races, Coxhell put in two 'gutsy' rides to secure 30
valuable points for sixth overall.
Giles engaged in a thrilling high-speed duel in the opening
17-lap race with pole-sitter Allerton, defending champion
Jamie Stauffer and team mate Bugden, eventually claiming second
place, 2.845sec behind Allerton and 0.929sec ahead of Bugden
as Stauffer crashed out of the battle with two laps to run.
Such was the pace at the head of the field, and on a track
surface the top riders described as 'slippery', three riders
lapped faster than Coxhell's 2007 Superbike lap record of
1:06.525 for the 2.6km Mallala circuit. The new mark eventually
went to Stauffer at 1:06.297 with Giles' best lap just 0.106sec
slower than Stauffer's new record.
In race two Giles got caught in a battle with Daniel Stauffer
in the early laps, eventually breaking clear to secure fifth
place and 16 valuable points. Bugden's third behind race winner
Allerton and second-placed Jamie Stauffer gave him 36pts for
the round, equal with Giles.
Bugden claimed the fastest lap of race two, his 1:06.381sec
also below Coxhell's 2007 benchmark time - and just 0.084sec
outside Stauffer's new record.
In the second round of the 2008 Australian Supersport Championship,
Team Joe Rocket Suzuki rider Joshua Waters secured second
and third placings on his 2008 Suzuki GSX-R600 to move to
third on the points chart.
After leading the early laps in race one, Waters finished
third behind eventual winner Stauffer and Jeremy Crowe, all
three riders recording lap times under the previous Supersport
lap record for the 2.6km circuit. The new record went to Crowe
at 1:07.573, with Waters' best lap just 0.058sec slower.
In the second 19-lap race Waters finished second behind Crowe,
the fastest lap of the race going to the Team Joe Rocket Suzuki
GSX-R600 rider at 1:07.593sec - just 0.020sec outside Crowe's
new record.
The seven-round Australian Superbike Championship now heads
to Victoria's Winton Raceway for round three on 30 May-1 June.
Phil Tainton - Team Manager:
"It's been a good weekend for us and I'm happy with
the results - and especially with the progress of the 600.
All three Superbike riders placed in the top six for the round
and Josh finished third overall on what is still a brand new
bike.
"Mallala was only our second meeting with the new GSX-R600
and there's more development still to come. Josh is riding
well and with a lot of maturity - I feel he and the bike are
now ready for the next step. I must thank Dunlop as well for
some great tyres; their long term support is much appreciated.
"Second and third overall in the Superbikes with Robbie
and Shawn was a great result too and Shawn has now moved to
within four points of the championship lead. He's got a real
hunger to add a fourth Superbike title to his name and that
enthusiasm rubs off on the whole team.
"Robbie's effort was exceptional and shows what can
be achieved with a well-run satellite team."
Shawn Giles:
"Overall I'm really happy with the results and second
on the points table, although race two was a little frustrating.
I got caught behind Dan Stauffer and couldn't find a way past.
And when I did, the leaders had got away.
"Mallala is quite a challenging layout on a Superbike,
and if anything my GSX-R1000 has too much horsepower for such
a tight circuit. It's a nice 'problem' to have. I had to learn
to manage the power, which I did by using a taller gear. After
a couple of disappointing Mallala rounds over the past two
years, it's good to be back on the podium. I really want the
title this year - it's hard to explain how hungry I am to
add number four. I'm injury free and fitter than I've been
for a couple of seasons. The Superbike class is so competitive
this year - one of the toughest ever."
Craig Coxhell:
"I went into this round confident I could a good haul
of points, so I'm disappointed with sixth overall. The team
had worked hard to get the set-up of the bike right, and I
was confident of some top-three results.
"The stomach bug I picked up Friday lunchtime knocked
me around a lot more than I thought. I need to give thanks
to the Suzuki Racesafe Medical team, which spent a lot of
time on Saturday helping me through it. I was totally spent
after the first four laps in each race - I just had no energy.
Joshua Waters:
"Third in the first race was okay for the points, but
I was disappointed with the result after leading the early
laps. I made a couple of small mistakes, and once I lost those
few bike lengths I just couldn't make it up again.
"The team made a couple of set-up changes for race two,
and my race time was over two seconds quicker - plus I got
fastest lap of the race. I was able to lap consistently quicker,
although to miss the lap record by just two hundredths was
pretty frustrating. The points are good, and to be third in
the championship after two rounds is good too, but I want
to win races - not ride for points. I'm looking forward to
the next round at Winton, as the new bike has so much potential."
Robbie Budgen:
"I'm happy with the results and second overall, and
two thirds has kept me in the championship chase. I started
the round 17pts off the lead, and now it's down to 10pts.
"I'm a little disappointed with race one. I made a good
start, but then I made a few mistakes early on, got frustrated,
and dropped to eighth. Once I calmed down I got my rhythm
back and then worked my way forward. I had the pace to run
with the leaders. Race two was better, and I was in a position
to go for the win. My bike really was strong under brakes,
but I was lacking a bit of drive off the turns in the closing
laps so I couldn't get close enough to have a go at Jamie
Stauffer or Glenn Allerton."
2008 AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
Superbike Overall Results - Round 2: 1 Glenn
Allerton, 2 Robert Bugden (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 3 Shawn Giles
(Suzuki GSX-R1000), 4 Jason O'Halloran, 5 Daniel Stauffer,
6 Craig Coxhell (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 7 Kevin Curtain, 8 Shannon
Johnson, 9 Scott Charlton, 10 Zac Davies.
Superbike Championship Points (after 2 of 7 rounds):
1 Glenn Allerton 80pts, 2 Shawn Giles (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 76,
3 Jamie Stauffer 71, 4 Robert Bugden (Suzuki GSX-R1100) 70,
5 Jason O'Halloran 69, 6 Daniel Stauffer 59, 7 Craig Coxhell
(Suzuki GSX-R1000) 58, 8 Kevin Curtain 54, 9 Shannon Johnson
51, 10 Scott Charlton 46.
Supersport Overall Results - Round 1: 1
Jeremy Crowe, 2 Jamie Stauffer, 3 Joshua Waters (Suzuki GSX-R600),
4 Wayne Maxwell, 5 Judd Greedy, 6 Ben Attard, 7 Scott Charlton,
8 Mitchell Carr (Suzuki GSX-R600), 9 Grant Hay, 10 Ian Andrews
(Suzuki GSX-R600).
Supersport Championship Points (after 2 of 7 rounds):
1 Jamie Stauffer 95pts, 2 Jeremy Crowe 83, 3 Joshua Waters
(Suzuki GSX-R600) 72, 4 Judd Greedy 64, 5 Wayne Maxwell 63,
6 Scott Charlton 54, 7 Ben Attard 45, 8 Grant Hay 45, 9 Chris
Quinn 43, 10 Bryan Staring 38.
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