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2006 Australian Superbike
Championship (YMF Loan) - Round Four - Queensland Raceway July 9th, 2006 |
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2006 Australian Superbike
Championship (YMF Loan) - Round Four - Queensland Raceway July 9th, 2006 |
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Day 3 Report
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| Goulburn racer Russell
Holland has delivered his privateer Robern Racing outfit a
second successive round win at this weekend’s round of the
YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship at Queensland
Raceway, Ipswich. An emphatic Holland battled to the last remaining corners in the final Superbike race with the Yamaha Racing Team’s Jamie Stauffer, nosing his Honda CBR RR in front to take the win by less than two-tenths of a second in the most thrilling finish of the season. Unlike his opening race win, the afternoon affair was far from smooth sailing for the likeable privateer pilot, who was forced to battle back after being swamped off the line at the race start. Spectators witnessed an amazing spectacle as the form Superbike rider fought back, regaining place after place before joining the lead pairing of Stauffer and Joe Rocket Honda’s Adam Fergusson just 2 laps from the end of the race. Fergusson offered little resistance to Holland who had his sights firmly set on Stauffer, with both riders requiring final race honours to award them the round. The pair engaged in a fantastic duel over the course of the final lap, passing each other several times before Holland powered through turn 6 and onto the YMF Loan front straight with his nose in front. The round four win backs up perfectly from Holland’s maiden Superbike round win at Mallala, and he was clearly rapt with the result. “I’m really excited. I certainly thought it was possible to take two from two wins but about 6 laps into that race I figured that it would be pretty impossible, it makes it very hard when you get a bad start,” explained Holland. “I didn’t have too bad a start but everyone was really aggressive off the line, I was riding level with Robbie (Bugden) and Daniel (Stauffer) for a little before I got shuffled back through the first few turns.” “It was actually a really good race, I got back to the times I did in the first race which was really good. I saw the lap board and didn’t have an idea how far I was behind the front guys, I couldn’t actually see a visible change in the gap so I just had to keep my head down and keep at it.” “I ended up catching the two leaders right at the end and it came down to a very tight scrap between myself and Jamie, I think we both made a few mistakes under pressure in that last lap and a half.” “I probably would have been really disappointed to finish second because of the start I got but it worked out perfectly. Our whole team is improving so much every round, and the sponsors have shown great faith in us.” “I’m in love with this sport!” added Holland. The result elevates the Robern Racing rider to within 7 points of the series lead behind Stauffer with three rounds remaining. A deflated Jamie Stauffer had been battling an energy-sapping winter cold since the outset of the weekend and performed gallantly to record the close second place finish. He was visibly suffering incredible discomfort and had nothing left to throw at Holland in the final few corners. “Well what can you say, it was there for the taking but I just couldn’t get past in the last dying stages,” said Stauffer. “In that situation you either choose to make the move or you consolidate and think of the points, but with the round win depending on that move then you have to take it.” “The racing has taken so much out of me this weekend, I am absolutely exhausted at this point and just have nothing left,” said a deflated Stauffer. Adam Fergusson rounded out the weekend podium placings, taking a solid 3rd overall for Joe Rocket Honda. ‘Krusty’ was suitably pleased with the result at a track he often expresses dislike for. “3 from 4 podiums isn’t bad, it’s my best result here. Russell really had a good weekend, I didn’t really realise he was so close at the end there,” said Fergusson. “I was trying to line up Jamie in the last few laps there but it didn’t pay off. The Honda and Michelins are working well but I couldn’t quite make the move when it counted.” “Tassie’s a pretty basic track, there’s only a few of the current guys that have raced there so it should be a good round.” “The opening no-points round continually comes back to bite me so its just about scoring consistent points and keeping this run of podiums going.” Robbie Bugden took a deserved 4th overall round placing, with the Queenslander delivering a solid result for the Team Yoshimura Suzuki outfit as the sole factory rider. Brother and SsangYong backed Andrew Stroud further improved his championship campaign this weekend, moving into 4th overall on the back of a 5th place for the round. Stroud has improved consistently at every track and round throughout the season and looks set to challenge for a top three spot very soon. Jamie Stauffer took the Supersport round victory ahead of teammate Mark Aitchison and Yamaha privateer Shaun Geronimi. Stauffer won race 1 while polesitter Jason O’Halloran bounced back from a horror opening race to take victory in race 2. Riders, teams and officials alike will now take an extended break from competition before the series returns to racing again, this time heading to Australia’s southernmost track – Symmons Plains in Tasmania. The ASC has not visited the ‘Apple Isle’ since 1999, and the Symmons Plains track since 1994. Superbike Round Result 1. Russell HOLLAND (NSW) Honda 50 2. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) Yamaha 41 3. Adam FERGUSSON (VIC) Honda 36 4. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) Suzuki 34 5. Andrew STROUD (NZ) Suzuki 31 6. Daniel STAUFFER (NSW) Yamaha 31 7. Scott CHARLTON (VIC) Yamaha 28 8. Wayne MAXWELL (NSW) Kawasaki 22 9. Joshua WATERS (VIC) Kawasaki 22 10. Shannon JOHNSON (VIC) Kawasaki 21 Supersport Round Result 1. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) Yamaha 43 2. Mark AITCHISON (NSW) Yamaha 40 3. Shaun GERONIMI (NSW) Yamaha 34 4. Adam FERGUSSON (VIC) Honda 32 5. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) Honda 30 6. Bryan STARING (WA) Honda 29 7. Jeremy CROWE (NSW) Yamaha 27 8. Jason O'HALLORAN (NSW) Yamaha 26 9. Joshua WATERS (VIC) Kawasaki 26 10. Brendan CLARKE (QLD) Yamaha 25 |
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2006 Australian Superbike Championship (YMF Loan) - Round Four - Queensland Raceway |
