WINNING RETURN FOR WATERS IN TASMANIA

2011-03-10 21:04
Team Suzuki rider Joshua Waters marked his debut in the 2011 Australian Superbike Championship with a new lap record and a race win at the second round of the championship at Tasmania's Symmons Plains Raceway at the weekend.

Waters, who missed the opening round of the national series at Victoria's Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on 25-27 February due to 'wildcard' commitments in the Superbike World Championship, won Sunday's opening 20-lap race by 0.048sec from Wayne Maxwell and Glenn Allerton.

In one of the most exciting Superbike races in the Championship's 22-year history, just 1.469sec covered the top five riders when the chequered flag was waved to signal the end of race one.

Waters, the 2009 Australian Superbike Champion, claimed a new Superbike lap record of 53.475sec on his way to victory on his Team Suzuki GSX-R1000, and then backed up in race two with a hard-fought fourth place, just 0.418sec behind third-placed Jamie Stauffer who in turn was 0.087sec behind second-placed Maxwell.

The Team Suzuki rider's win and fourth placing gave him second overall for the round, one point adrift of round winner and race two victor Allerton.

Just outside a podium position in race one was Team Suzuki Superbike rookie Troy Herfoss; the 2010 Australian Supersport Champion finishing a close fourth on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 in what was only his third race on a Superbike. Herfoss backed up in race two with fifth place to consolidate second overall in the Championship standings.

Three-times New Zealand Superbike champion Robbie Bugden finished seventh overall after carding sixth and seventh placings on his Team Mack Trucks Suzuki GSX-R1000 as he continues his return to race fitness after fracturing his leg just over two months ago.

Under clear blue skies and in near-perfect racing conditions Waters' Suzuki
GSX-R1000 repeatedly hit 270km/h around Symmons Plains' daunting Turn Five 'kink', the fastest corner in Australian motorcycle racing.

"They were two great races," said Waters. "Those boys are riding fantastic. I gave it everything I had, but I just didn't have it in me in that second race."

After two rounds, Allerton leads the eight-round Australian Superbike Championship on 93 points; 23pts ahead of Team Suzuki's Herfoss with two-times Australian Superbike Champion Jamie Stauffer third on 66 points. Waters, in his first outing in the 2011 Australian series, now sits 10th on 42pts.

In the Australian Supersport Championship, Team Suzuki GSX-R600 rider Brodie Waters moved to within one point of the Championship lead after finishing second overall for the round.

Waters (18) won the second of the two 20-lap Supersport races by 0.059sec from race one winner Christan Casella, but had his chance of victory in race one scuppered on the opening lap when a missed gear-change caused a first-lap crash at the Turn Four hairpin.

Waters, who collided with his younger brother Nicholas's Suzuki GSX-R600 in the incident, remounted his damaged bike to gather 12pts for a gritty ninth place.

Casella took the overall round win with first and second in the two 20-lap races and leads the Australian Supersport Championship by one point from Waters - 77 to 76 - with Aaron Gobert third on 71pts.

The next round of the Viking Group Australian Superbike Championships will be held at Darwin's Hidden Valley Raceway on April 14-17.

Phil Tainton - Team Manager:

"It's been a great weekend for Josh in his return to the ASBK, and for Troy too in only his second race meeting on the Superbike. They were two of the best Superbike races you could ever wish to see - nobody gave an inch, so for Troy to run with those guys in what is only his third full season of road racing is impressive.

"It was hard but clean racing between all five riders - Josh, Troy, Glenn Allerton, Wayne Maxwell and Jamie Stauffer. Josh really deserved his race one win - and the lap record capped things off.

"Brodie was disappointed with what happened in race one in Supersport, but he bounced back in race two in the best way possible. He rode the spare bike in race two, as the number one bike was damaged in the race one crash.

"With three Suzuki GSX-R1000s in the top 10 in Superbike for the round, and four GSX-R1000s in the top 10 in the series points, it's a good start to the season for the Suzuki riders."

Josh Waters:

"That first race win was a big turnaround to how my weekend started. If you'd asked me on Friday if I thought I'd be on the podium I would have said 'no chance,' as I was struggling to adapt after racing the weekend before on the World-spec GSX-R1000 Superbike and different tyres. But my team kept working on the bike, and I spent some time talking to Shawn Giles and I was able to get my lap times down. My bike was really strong under brakes. I didn't quite have enough to run with the leaders in race two but I'm looking forward to the next round in Darwin, as it's a track I really like."

Troy Herfoss:

"I'm happy with the results in the two races and happy with how the weekend went - but I don't like finishing only 1.3sec behind the race winner and ending up fourth. They were two close races, that is for sure. The bike was great and the team gave me a package that could run with the front guys. I need to get away better from the start and that's something I'll be working on. I was probably over-riding a bit in the hairpin, but to be second in the Championship after two rounds is a good start to the season."

Brodie Waters:

"The win in race two was a good way to finish the weekend. My plan was to get to the front and do consistent laps, but the pace was pretty hot. I guess I'm fortunate I was able to get some points in the first race. I got a false neutral and just couldn't stop for the hairpin. My left footpeg got broken when I crashed, so it was hard to ride the bike, especially around the Turn Five sweeper - I had my boot resting on the heel guard. We're only one point off the Championship lead so I'm looking forward to Hidden Valley."

Robbie Budgen:

"They were two tough races and I had some great battles with Ben Attard and Craig Coxhell. My bike had the pace but I was struggling a bit with my injured leg. Given the circumstances, I'm pretty happy with the results. I've done five race meetings since I broke my leg on Boxing Day, so I haven't given it much chance to heal. We've got a few weeks now before Darwin, so that'll help."

Superbike Overall Results:

1 Glenn Allerton; 2 Josh Waters (Suzuki GSX-R1000); 3 Wayne Maxwell; 4 Jamie Stauffer; 5 Troy Herfoss (Suzuki GSX-R1000); 6 Robbie Bugden (Suzuki GSX-R1000); 7 Ben Attard; 8 Kris McLaren; 9 Craig Coxhell; 10 Cole Odendaal.

Superbike Championship Points (after 2 of 8 rounds):

1 Glenn Allerton 93pts; 2 Troy Herfoss (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 70; 3 Jamie Stauffer 66; 4 Ben Attard 65; 5 Wayne Maxwell 60; 6 Craig Coxhell 58; 7 Robbie Bugden (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 57; 8 Cole Odendaal 45; 9 Ben Henry (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 45; 10 Josh Waters (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 42.

Supersport Overall Results:

1 Christan Casella; 2 Brodie Waters (Suzuki GSX-R600); 3 Rick Olson; 4 Glenn Scott; 5 Mitchell Carr; 6 Aaron Gobert; 7 Chris Quinn; 8 Andy Lawson; 9 Ryan Taylor; 10 Darren Sciberras.

Supersport Championship Points (after 2 of 6 rounds):

1 Christan Casella 77pts; 2 Brodie Waters (Suzuki GSX-R600) 76; 3 Aaron Gobert 71; 4 Mitchell Carr 67; 5 Kevin Curtain 60; 6 Rick Olson 51; 7 Andy Lawson 46; 8 Glenn Scott 44; 9 Chris Quinn 44; 10 Ryan Taylor 40.

Source: Team Suzuki Press Office

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