2006 Australian Superbike Championship (YMF Loan)

Report (Series)

Yamaha Racing Team's Jamie Stauffer has had a stellar weekend of racing to cap off a drama-packed Round 1 of the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship, dominating proceedings from start to finish in both Superbike and Supersport classes.

The weekend produced some amazing racing action across all seven competing categories, with today's races littered with red flags due to some spectacular on track clashes, though nothing was more spectacular than the clear dominance of the 'blue brigade' star.

Since rolling the bike from the truck on Friday morning, the 26-year-old was literally unchallenged in every session, from practice to qualifying and the four 13 lap championship races today.

In fact, Stauffer has never been beaten during his time with the factory team this year, having previously completed the clean-sweep in front of a massive international audience at the Phillip Island supports earlier this year.

The quietly-spoken rider from Kurri Kurri in NSW was quick to heap praise upon his machinery, team and the quality of the renewed premier road racing series.

"It's certainly been a great weekend for us, the bike was perfect in every way and really used its Dunlop tyres very well," said Stauffer.

"The quality of the field was very high and I really had to keep focused on the job at hand with so many of the big name riders from Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki close behind."

"It's a dream result to finish on top in both categories and has been a really professional effort from the team this weekend, as well as the series as a whole," Stauffer said.

While the might of the factory team easily held onto the victory, privateer Honda rider Russell Holland was close to the top all weekend and in there when it counted at day's end.

The Eastern Creek circuit is a favourite for the locally-based Russell Robern Racing rider and it showed as he upstaged the more favoured factory stars to snare second overall and second place in the championship.

Holland was the only rider who looked remotely able to stay with Stauffer over the course of the weekend, and excellent bike speed helped keep him clear of the close battles just a few places behind him.

Some excellent speed late in the second race allowed Holland to carve up the factory competition and set his sights on the leader.

"We've been really competitive all weekend and it showed, second is great and finishing above the factory guys is a real bonus for the team," said Holland.

"I really enjoy the track and the standard of racing today was great, there is some really tough competition out there."

Occupying third place on the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship podium for the weekend was Kawasaki's Shannon Johnson who rode a solid pair of races to propel himself into a favourable championship spot.

Johnson was pleased with the bike's performance across the course of the weekend, and said he would look to push and go one place higher next round.

"It's the first time I've started a Superbike season with a podium, this is definitely how it should be," said Johnson.

"I've had great bike speed all weekend and any minor problems we were able to address straight away, Kawasaki have put together a really professional package for me."

"Eastern Creek has never been a favourite race of mine so to come away with the two podiums is fantastic. I'm a really big fan of racing at Perth, the track and the crowds are great, and I want to go a few better over there," he said.

The Supersport contests produced some tight racing action, though there was no mistaking the blue force at the front. The Yamaha Racing Team faltered just once throughout the course of the day, with Mark Aitchison not able to start race one due to a holed radiator in the warm-up lap.

Stauffer took overall honours ahead of teammate Jason O'Halloran and Joe Rocket Honda's Glenn Allerton.

Race one saw a sickening incident between Judd Greedy and Adam 'Krusty' Fergusson, as Greedy seemed to slide heading out of turn 10 and fell, the trailing Joe Rocket Honda rider had nowhere to go.

Fergusson landed awkwardly injuring his back, and was taken to hospital for x-ray and further observation.

A number of intense two and three rider pack battles were a highlight of the Supersport races and indeed all of the support classes throughout the day, with competitors realising the benefits of claiming the maximum possible number of points.

YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship, Eastern Creek Round 1, Race One
1 Jamie STAUFFER Yamaha YZF-R1
2 Russell HOLLAND Honda CBR
3 Shannon JOHNSON Kawasaki ZX10R
4 Shawn GILES Suzuki GSXR
5 Glenn ALLERTON Honda CBR RR
6 Daniel STAUFFER Yamaha YZF-R1
7 Wayne MAXWELL Kawasaki ZX10R
8 Scott CHARLTON Yamaha YZF-R1
9 Andrew STROUD Suzuki GSXR
10 Troy ELLIOT Suzuki GSXR

YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship, Eastern Creek Round 1, Race Two
1 Jamie STAUFFER Yamaha YZF-R1
2 Russell HOLLAND Honda CBR
3 Shannon JOHNSON Kawasaki ZX10R
4 Shawn GILES Suzuki GSXR
5 Daniel STAUFFER Yamaha YZF-R1
6 Robert BUGDEN Suzuki GSXR
7 Andrew STROUD Suzuki GSXR
8 Shannon ETHERIDGE Suzuki GSXR
9 Trent GIBSON Suzuki GSXR
10 Scott CHARLTON Yamaha YZF-R1

YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship Standings
1 Jamie STAUFFER Yamaha YZF-R1 51
2 Russell HOLLAND Honda CBR 40
3 Shannon JOHNSON Kawasaki ZX10R 36
4 Shawn GILES Suzuki GSXR 34
5 Daniel STAUFFER Yamaha YZF-R1 31
6 Andrew STROUD Suzuki GSXR 26
7 Scott CHARLTON Yamaha YZF-R1 24
8 Ashley ROE Honda CBR RR 19
9 Cole ODENAAL Suzuki GSXR 17
10 Glenn ALLERTON Honda CBR RR 16

YMF Loan Australian Supersport Championship, Eastern Creek Round 1, Race One
1 Jamie STAUFFER Yamaha YZF-R6
2 Jason O'HALLORAN Yamaha YZF-R6
3 Glenn ALLERTON Honda CBR600RR
4 Jeremy CROWE Yamaha YZF-R6
5 Shaun GERONIMI Yamaha YZF-R6
6 Bryan STARING Honda CBR600RR
7 Joshua WATERS Kawasaki ZX-6RR
8 Mick KELLY Ducati 749R
9 Zac DAVIES Yamaha R6
10 Craig McMARTIN Ducati 749R

YMF Loan Australian Supersport Championship, Eastern Creek Round 1, Race Two
1 Jamie STAUFFER Yamaha YZF-R6
2 Mark AITCHISON Yamaha YZF-R6
3 Jason O'HALLORAN Yamaha YZF-R6
4 Glenn ALLERTON Honda CBR600RR
5 Jeremy CROWE Yamaha YZF-R6
6 Joshua WATERS Kawasaki ZX-6RR
7 Shaun GERONIMI Yamaha YZF-R6
8 Judd GREEDY Honda CBR600RR
9 Christopher SEATON Kawasaki ZX6RR
10 Mick KELLY Ducati 749R

YMF Loan Australian Supersport Championship Standings
1 Jamie STAUFFER Yamaha YZF-R6 51
2 Jason O'HALLORAN Yamaha YZF-R6 38
3 Glenn ALLERTON Honda CBR600RR 35
4 Jeremy CROWE Yamaha YZF-R6 33
5 Shaun GERONIMI Yamaha YZF-R6 30
6 Joshua WATERS Kawasaki ZX-6RR 29
7 Mick KELLY Ducati 749R 24
8 Christopher SEATON Kawasaki ZX6RR 22
9 Mark AITCHISON Yamaha YZF-R6 20
10 Dustin GOLDSMITH Honda CBR600RR 17