2006 Australian Superbike Championship (YMF Loan)

Report (Russell Holland)

Robern Racing Honda privateer Superbike rider Russell Holland has just returned from a two week roller coaster ride that he will no doubt remember for years to come.

The NSW based rider has just returned home from the double header Wanneroo and Mallala rounds of the Australian Superbike Championships where he chalked up two career-defining podium finishes in third and first respectively.

Holland, who maintains his second place position in the series on 110 points from Jamie Stauffer’s 126 points is clearly rapt with the progress of his Team.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so comfortable on the bike and with the team as this year. When you have the best products available and the best people supporting you as I do, it is very confidence inspiring! These results are just a small reward to all the people who showed enough faith this year to say ‘we’ll help you mate’”, the 22 year old said.

After taking a set up gamble in West Australia’s race one, Holland said he was ‘lucky’ to finish in fifth. “The only consolation is that I managed a fastest lap of the race in the early running,” he noted.

A more conservative setup choice for race two reaped its rewards and this time, the young gun finished in third behind Joe Rocket Honda’s Adam Fergusson who took his first race win of the season. After a third place round finish, the privateer rider was happy to maintain his second position in the series.

“I knew the SA round would be different before we even started,” Holland said on reflection of his first round win one week later. “Testing a month prior had gone well and by the end of Saturday’s qualifying we had the bike working well.”

“Unfortunately I couldn’t go much quicker with a qualifying setup but I still landed on the front row in fourth which was a relief.”

Holland was to make his own personal history however as he took the holeshot in race one and led the pack for the first few laps.

“Fergusson came underneath me and I narrowly got back past. About then I thought it’s time to go so I started pushing and dipped into a 1:06.9 and low 1:07’s,” Holland explained.

“Surprisingly the rest of the field couldn’t keep up and I went on to my first ever Australian Superbike win by 3.4 seconds. It was unbelievable. I did not think a win would come like that at this meeting!”

In race two, Holland got a reasonable start and moved into fourth before a red flag cut the competition short. On the restart, Russell moved into second place, eventually finishing just 1.8 seconds behind Stauffer.

“Our team took overall honours for round three of the Championship and I will remember this always as a stellar weekend,” he said.