Current Superbike Champion and this year's points leader, Team Suzuki's Shawn Giles has almost dominated the Championship this year, with 3 pole positions and 7 of the 9 race wins.

Eighteen year old Craig Coxhell (Radar's Team Yamaha) is one of only a few riders that has come close to running with Giles and aims to cement his 2nd position in the championship this weekend at Mallala. 

"I still want to consolidate second place in the championship, and with a points buffer back to the next group of riders, I think this will allow me the opportunity to challenge Shawn (Giles) for a spot at the top of the winners podium," said Coxhell. "After Queensland, I feel that I can match him, so now I want to go that one place better and beat him. Mallala is a fairly tight track and will make the Yamaha's and Suzuki's evenly matched that will make for some close racing."

Only two other riders apart from Coxhell have taken a win off Giles this year.  Both of those riders belonged to the BikeBiz Team but their young star is sidelined with injury so the BikeBiz charge will be left to New Zealand champion Tony Rees.

Redwing Honda's Alex Gobert will be out to make amends for his disappointing results at the Queensland round where he only managed to score points in the final race.

Yamaha's Jamie Stauffer has been gaining speed as the season progresses and feels that he has finally got a bike set up that will allow him to go faster and become more competitive earlier in the weekend.

"We tried a few things at the Eastern Creek Formula Xtreme round and they worked well for me," said Stauffer. "For the first time in a lot of races, I felt comfortable on the bike and was able to get down to very quick lap times. Mallala is a physically demanding circuit and one that I have ridden well at before, so I'm looking forward to putting together three good races this Sunday."

SuperBike standings: Giles 205, Coxhell 135, Cudlin 127, Rees 100, J Stauffer 78, D Simpson 72, J Normoyle 66, A Gobert 63, S Fisher 54, S Adams 47.

Teenagers hold the top two positions in the fiercely competitive 600cc Supersport class after 3 rounds.  Sydney's Josh Brookes (MCA GSXR600) leads the Championship by only 8 points from Queensland sensation, Brendan Clarke (Springwood Suzuki GSX-R600).  Clarke contested the German 500 Grand Prix last weekend after a surprise call up to ride the Shell Advance GP Team's Honda NSR 500V and has now been signed to ride in 500 GP for the remainder of the season and will not compete in South Australia this weekend.

Team Suzuki's Daniel Stauffer is in third spot with a slim margin over hard charging Robbie Baird (Radar's Team Yamaha R6) who comes to Mallala after taking out the Formula Xtreme Series for 2001.

"We had a few problems there last year, especially with tyres, but I'm hopeful of a much improved result this weekend," said Baird. "It will be hard getting off the Formula Xtreme spec R1 and getting back onto the R6, but I'm sure we will be able to mix it at the front. Josh Brookes currently leads the championship and has been quick lately and I see him as the major threat and the one to beat, if I want any chance of challenging for the championship. You need a fast bike around Mallala and we've had the bike on the dyno, so I hope that we will have the right package for the weekend."

SuperSport standings: J Brookes 121, B Clarke 113, D Stauffer 82, R Baird 77, S Charlton 61, R Taplin 50, J Taylor 43, M Brenton 38, D Coote 37, G Moss 32.

Not content to fight hard in the SuperSport class Queensland's Brendan Clarke (Springwood Suzuki Aprilia RS250) currently leads the Lazer Helmets Australian 250 Production Championship but as mentioned before in this preview he will not ride this weekend.  As a result Mick Kelly is likely to regain the championship lead.  But Clarke's main on track opposition in Queensland did not come from Kelly, New South Wales teenager Russell Holland (Bio-magnetics RS Aprilia) swapped not only places but paint numerous times a lap in what was some of the most exciting racing seen so far this year and will surely hound Kelly this weekend in an effort to gain the championship lead for himself.

Another group of riders - Ben Attard (Aluma-Lite RS250), Liam Magee, Glenn Allerton (Broady's Bikes RS250) and Nick Henderson (Team Mobiletronics RS250) are all close on points with Brent George, Jordan Coote (A1 Motorcycles) , Glen Kelleher (Gecko Motorcycles) and Robert Bugden rounding out the top ten.  250 Production will probably be the best class to watch at Mallala.

250 Production standings: B Clarke 97, M Kelly 92, R Holland 86, B Attard 79, L Magee 69, G Allerton 62, N Henderson 59, B George 50, J Coote 47, G Kelleher 34.

Both 125 and 250 Grand Prix Championship classes will also see close competition. In the 125 class teenager Jay Taylor (Link International HBS 125) powered ahead last round to take a convincing win from nearest rival Peter Galvin in the first race, but had to fight to the end in race 2 to take a slim win from Galvin. Taylor will be keen to extend his lead in the Grand Prix class, looking to take his second consecutive Australian Championship title. South Australian Rudi Muller (Wilbers Suspension RS125) should be able to use home track knowledge to his advantage and improve his position in the current top ten placings. 

125 GP standings: J Taylor 148, P Galvin 112, A Brooks 103, M Teniswood 74, C Thompson 59, A Schlegel 55, R Muller 48, P Taplin 48, P Holmes 39, M Graham 23.

Queensland's Earl Lynch (Yamaha TZ250) took a one point win over Brent Underwood at Round 3 just making it across the line after his bike went off song. Lynch retains his lead for the Australian 250 GP Championship ahead of Murray Jones (Honda) and WA's Shane Smith (Honda).

The weekends racing commences on Friday with practice for all classes from 10.30am. Saturday's qualifying will see competitors in all classes vie for pole position and the all important 1 point that is earned by the pole sitter.

Sunday warm-ups will commence at 8.30am with racing from 10.00am.

A feature of Sunday's programme will be one lucky person's Hot Lap of the 2.6 km Mallala Circuit, with ex Australian Superbike Champion and Team Kawasaki Manager Robbie Phillis.  You call that lucky?  No way I would be catching a lift with Robbie.

Tickets can be purchased at the gate on both Saturday ($10) and Sunday ($25) with Pit Paddock entry at $5 per person.

Schedule

0800-0815 - Scrutineering 125 GP
0815-0830 - Scrutineering 250 GP
0830-0905 - Scrutineering SuperSport
0905-0940 - Scrutineering SuperBike
0940-1000 - Scrutineering 250 Production

1000-1020 - Riders Briefing 

1030-1055 - Practice 125 GP (25 min)
1105-1130 - Practice 250 GP (25 min)
1140-1210 - Practice SuperSport (30 min)
1215-1250 - Practice SuperBike (35 min)
1300-1325 - Practice 250 Production (25 min)

1325-1350 - Lunch Break

1355-1420 - Practice 125 GP (25 min)
1430-1455 - Practice 250 GP (25 min)
1505-1535 - Practice SuperSport (30 min)
1545-1620 - Practice SuperBike (35 min)
1630-1655 - Practice 250 Production (25 min)

0900-0925 - Qualifying 1 - 125 GP (25 min)
0935-1000 - Qualifying 1 - 250 GP (25 min)
1010-1040 - Qualifying 1 - SuperSport (30 min)
1050-1125 - Qualifying 1 - SuperBike (35 min)
1135-1200 - Qualifying 1 - 250 Production (25 min)

1205-1255 - Lunch Break

1300-1325 - Qualifying 2 - 125 GP (25 min)
1335-1400 - Qualifying 2 - 250 GP (25 min)
1410-1440 - Qualifying 2 - SuperSport (30 min)
1450-1525 - Qualifying 2 - SuperBike (35 min)
1535-1600 - Qualifying 2 - 250 Production (25 min)

0830-0840 - Warm-up - 125 GP (10 min)
0845-0855 - Warm-up - 250 GP (10 min)
0900-0915 - Warm-up - SuperSport (10 min)
0920-0930 - Warm-up - SuperBike (10 min)
0935-0945 - Warm-up - 250 Production (10 min)

1000 - Race 1 - 125 GP 
1025 - Race 1 - 250 GP
1050 - Race 1 - SuperBike 
1120 - Race 1 - 250 Production
1145 - Race 1 - SuperSport

Lunch Break

1300 - Race 2 - SuperBike
1330 - Race 2 - 250 Production
1405 - Race 2 - SuperSport 
1445 - Race 3 - SuperBike
1525 - Race 2 - 125 GP
1610 - Race 2 - 250 GP

• NB: Race distances as per supp' regs'

• NB:  Presentations will be made on track at the completion of each classes activities.