Radar’s Team Yamaha concluded their 2001 race program at the 2001 QANTAS Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island this weekend, with Craig Coxhell taking a second and a third in the two Superbike events, while Robbie Baird was in dominating form, taking victory in both Supersport races.

Held as support races to the weekend’s three Grand Prix races, both Superbike and Supersport fields had to endure a wet qualifying session on Thursday afternoon, before the skies cleared for the two races of each class that were held on Friday and Saturday afternoon.

Starting from pole position for the two 8-lap Denso Supersport events, Queenslander Robbie Baird took his Yamaha YZF R6 to two comfortable race wins ahead of Scott Charlton and Cameron Donald in race one and team-mate Jamie Stauffer and Daniel Stauffer in race two. After qualifying in 19th position during a very wet and difficult qualifying session, Jamie Stauffer charged through the field in both races to quickly join the lead group. It was a great result to grab second in race two after finishing sixth in race one.

“Things went well for us straight from the start during qualifying when we grabbed pole position by almost three seconds in the wet,” said Baird. “When the conditions changed, we had to adjust the bike for a dry race and we were fortunate to get the settings very close and take out the first race win. For the second race we changed a few things with the front suspension that made the bike a lot more stable. The second race was closer than in the first, but we still worked to the plan on getting the holeshot and controlling the pace of the race from the front. It’s a great result to finish the season off with.”

“It was hard having to come from behind in both races after not qualifying as well as we possibly should have,” said Stauffer. “I was happier when the track was dry for the races. With qualifying held in the rain, all I could do in the races was try as hard as I could. I had a great battle with my brother Daniel in each race and even managed to swap a bit of paintwork between us. It was close, but I was determined to beat him in the second race after he edged me out for fifth in the opening race. It was good to finish second to Robbie in race two and give the team a one – two finish to end what has been a very good season for me.”

While team-mates Baird and Stauffer were battling for supremacy in the Supersport races, Craig Coxhell was the team’s sole representative in the Michelin sponsored Superbike races aboard his Yamaha YZF R1. After qualifying on the second row of the grid in seventh place, he quickly blasted his way forward in each of the two 9-lap races. Battling with Kawasaki’s Wayne Maxwell, the pair chased home Suzuki mounted Shawn Giles on both occasions. Coxhell, held Maxwell out for second in the opening race, but was unable to repeat his efforts in race two finishing third.

“I was happy with the results from the weekend, but seemed to lack some speed down the main straight,” said Coxhell. “The Suzuki and Kawasaki were strong there, but I was able to make up a lot of time on them around most sections of the track. I diced with Wayne (Maxwell) in both races and after holding him out in race one, I found it hard to get by him in the second. He would have to be one of the hardest guys to pass at the moment. Aside from that it was a good way to end the year with a second and a third.”

“Robbie was very dominant in his two Supersport race wins, while Jamie showed that he also is a very good Supersport rider after chasing Robbie home in race two to give the team a one – two finish,“ said team manager Dave `Radar’ Cullen. “Robbie was definitely the one to beat all weekend, while Jamie showed a lot of talent in moving up through the field as well as he did in what was only his second Supersport race of the year. Craig also did a great job in finishing with a second and a third in the Superbike events. The results the boys achieved have round off what has been a very successful year for us. Each has shown that they can win races in both Superbike and Supersport which they should be congratulated for.”