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2006 Australian Superbike
Championship (YMF Loan) - Round Six - Winton Motor Raceway - October
20/21/22 |
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2006 Australian Superbike
Championship (YMF Loan) - Round Six - Winton Motor Raceway - October
20/21/22 |
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Day 3 Report
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| Jamie Stauffer has
dominated round 6 of the YMF Loan Australian Superbike
Championship at Winton Raceway today, taking two convincing
race wins and increasing his series lead with just one round
remaining. Stauffer found astonishing pace aboard the Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1, putting around a second a lap on the field as he romped away to each win, gapping his rivals on the racetrack by hundreds of metres. As the chequered flag was waved in the day’s final race, Stauffer had amassed a 17-second lead, and was clearly in a league of his own. His lead over second-placed Russell Holland is now 37 points, and he looks strong odds to continue the win streak at Eastern Creek. “It was hot and very hard work, the bike is working so well, the suspension is great, 17 seconds in front in 17 laps, well it says it all,” said Stauffer. “I’ve got a pretty good lead now, I’ve got to go to Eastern Creek and do very well, I will still be out for the win there won’t be any backing off!” Yamaha has never won the Australian Superbike Championship, a hoodoo which looks certain to be broken at Eastern Creek next month. Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s strong run of results continued today at Winton Raceway, highlighted by an impressive performance by Robbie Bugden. Bugden recorded two second places after starting second on the grid, and finished second in the round for the second time in two years! He has come on strong in the latter half of the season, and the result is a fitting reward for a year of hard work. “It’s been a long time coming, Stroud pushed me the whole way and really made me keep my head down and think about how I’d stay in front of him,” said Bugden. “We’ll take away what we learned this weekend, and make some changes and try and chase down Jamie at Eastern Creek through he really is in a different league at the moment.” “The Suzuki is working really well, I’ve got it to a place where I can comfortably push and make up spots on the track – it’s great.” SsangYong/Brother-sponsored Suzuki pilot Andrew Stroud continued his charge into championship podium contention, and now sits third in the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship as a result of today’s 4th and 3rd place finishes. The multiple New Zealand Superbike champion reveled in the clear conditions at the front of the field, and was engaged in a tense dice with the frontrunners before making a move onto the podium as the race drew to a close. Stroud has made a marked improvement in his championship position at each round of the series, and is quickly becoming a force in the premier national motorcycle racing championship. “It was very tough out there today, but it’s a good result, there was some great racing and Robbie and Jamie did a very good job,” said Stroud. “We’ve been aiming for a podium, chipping away at this for quite a while so to get it done is very satisfying, I’m really enjoying my time in Australia and have to thank Brother, SsangYong, Suzuki and Pirelli for getting me here.” “I’d love to come back next year and do it again, I know all the tracks now so we’ll see how it goes.” Injury-ridden Russell Holland was riding feeling the painful effects of injury, and it showed; the Honda privateer a shadow of his former self in terms of pace and competitiveness. Amazingly, he still managed to create a reasonable championship points haul for himself, keeping him well in contention for the top spot at Eastern Creek next month. Yamaha delivered another Winton whitewash in the Supersport class, with R6 riders filling the first four finishing positions for the round. Mark Aitchison dominated from start to finish this weekend, taking pole position yesterday and recording two from two race wins today. The Yamaha Racing Team pilot was rapt to have completed the double, with the strong points yield elevating him to second in the championship. Spirits were high within the camp, with Stauffer’s solid finishes ensuring an unassailable lead in the championship with just a round remaining. Jason O’Halloran was second overall for the round, with Stauffer third and Jeremy Crowe fourth. Josh Waters did well to stay in touch with the Yamaha riders, taking 5th overall. The series heads north to New South Wales’ Eastern Creek circuit in a month’s time, where riders will do battle for the final time this year.
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2006 Australian Superbike Championship (YMF Loan) - Round Six - Winton Motor Raceway, Victoria - October 20/21/22 |
