 |
2005 Australian Superbike
Championship - Round Two - Eastern Creek Team Report - Russell Holland May 2nd, 2005
|
 |
|
|
2005 Australian Superbike
Championship - Round Two - Eastern Creek Team Report - Russell Holland May 2nd, 2005
|
|
| The Pirelli Tyres / Holland
Racing team have made a terrific start to the 2005 Australian
Superbike Championship with solid results at the first two
rounds of the the series. This year with rider Russell Holland campaigning the world beating Honda CBR1000R in the premier SUPERBIKE class of the Australian Road Racing Championships, the team is looking at the biggest year ever !! With major support from Pirelli Tyres for 2005, the team has a great package that will only improve as the season goes on. " I already have great confidence in the Pirelli tyres so things are shaping up well" said Russell during pre-season testing. At Round 1 at Phillip Island ( run in conjunction with the World Superbike races ) Russell Holland qualified 8th on the grid and went on to finish 8th in race one just centimetres behind 7th placed factory Yamaha rider Shannon Johnson. Then in race two Russell had a terrible start in the weekends only 5 lap sprint. A lowly 17th into turn one Russell fought to 12th place by the chequered flag, encouragingly on the final lap Russell recorded a 1: 36. 1 , 0.3 of a second faster than his qualifying time. " I did not get the clutch right off the start, the CBR1000 seems to need a different technique for starting, Adam Fergusson had trouble last year and I haven't quite mastered it yet !!" remarked Russell after the race. To Eastern Creek for Round 2 on May 1, the Pirelli Tyres / Holland Racing bike once again qualified 8th, this time in a hard fought shootout amongst the top ten that had 3 riders including Russell Holland within a tenth of a second ( 1: 33.079 Russell Holland ) this time was just 0.3 secs off the current record ( the lap record was broken in the races by Jamie Stauffer, Team Kawasaki ). In race one Russell again had trouble with his start this time jumping early, he immediately stopped and had the worst start possible but a ten second penalty was imposed for the jump start and despite Russell finishing in 8th position on the track after coming from 15th on lap one, that 10secs penalty relegated him to 11th in the results. Race two and a clean start. Russell was immediately in amongst the top 10 and as the laps went by he had a terrific battle with Shawn Giles and Shannon Johnson. Towards the end of the race Russell even closed to within striking distance of third and fourth placed Dan Stauffer and Adam Fergusson. With just 2 laps to go Shawn Giles rocketed by on the straight and Russell Holland could not pin him back before the finish. He finished in 6th place ( 1st Josh Brookes, 2nd Jamie Stauffer, 3rd Dan Stauffer, 4th Adam Fergusson, 5th Shawn Giles ). " That was an awesome race, I think it was the hardest I've ever done. I made so many passes and it was great to be racing with the factory riders. After the jumpstart in race one, this result has really made the whole weekend worthwhile. My bike was the best it could possibly be and my Pirelli's gripped well right through to the finish. " Pirelli Tyres / Holland Racing team now lies 8th in the series. The new points system this year ( 25, 22, 20, 18, 16, 15, 14, 13 etc. down to 20th place ) rewards consistency and means everybody is kept closer together. To see the Eastern Creek Superbike racing in all its glory tune into channel Ten on Sunday May 22 at 12 - 1pm. And keep your eyes open for Russell Holland on the number 83 Pirelli Honda CBR1000 !! Next race, Round 3 at Barbargello Raceway, Perth in Western Australia May 29. |
|
|
Search the site - Late Braking News - Forum Bike Tests - Features - Wallpaper - Race Calendar
MCNEWS.COM.AU
|
|