Australian Superbike Championship Round 5 (Final) - Eastern Creek - Race 2

The tension at Eastern Creek was intense as the riders circulated on their warm up lap in readiness for the penultimate Australian Superbike season.

Coxhell started this race with a 20 point lead over Giles but it was the two Nikon Yamahas that got the run off the line to turn 1 as the lights went out with Curtain out in front and Stauffer right behind. This perhaps the best scenario for the Yamaha squad as Stauffer has the opportunity to perhaps slow the others a little and make it hard for them to get past. Nevertheless, Coxhell, Giles and Brookes were right on the tail of the Yamahas.

Coxhell tried to take Stauffer at turn two early on lap three but Stauffer held his position, the leading four had dropped Brookes off a little by lap three.

Craig slipstreamed the Yamahas and powered past both of them down the straight to start lap 4 and take the lead in the race but the top four all running nose-to-tail at this stage of the race - Coxhell, Curtain, Giles, Stauffer. Curtain got the lead around the back of the circuit on lap four and led them on to the main straight and got good drive down the straight but again the Suzukis just powered past the Yamahas to make it Coxhell and Giles up front.

Gilesy laying HUGE darkies out of corporate the next time around and turning the bike on the throttle and they all run nose to tail down the straight again this time but the positions stay the same. The leading quartet still closely packed and all running in the 1-minute 33-second bracket.

Giles looking for a way around Coxhell on lap 6. Down the straight to start lap 7 and once again the order stays the same but still anyone's game as they are still tightly bunched. Giles takes the lead in to turn two that time around and pulls a bike length on his young team-mate while Curtain trying hard to get the better of Coxhell for 2nd.

As they got the last lap board it was still Giles from Coxhell and Curtain right with them also but then Coxhell took the lead in turn 1 before once again Giles took the inside line to turn 2 for the lead. The leading trio nose to tail around the back of the circuit for the last time in this race, on to the straight it is a drag to the line and Coxhell does it as Gilesy got a little squiggly on to the main straight.

With that win Coxhell now has 25 points over Giles and more wins for the season which means........Craig Coxhell is the 2003 Shell Advance Australian Superbike Champion.