Stuart Bennett (Motorex KTM 450SMR) and Rodney Taplin (Axis Honda CRF450R) are the joint pacesetters in the 2006 Ssangyong Australian Supermoto Championship following round one at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway on February 4.

The duo circulated to first and second places in the premier S2 (up to 250cc 2T vs 450cc 4T) races, and now head into round two at Oran Park (NSW) on 47pts apiece, well clear of Adam Cini (Husqvarna Racing SM450R, 38pts), Ben Grabham (GHR Honda CRF450R, 35pts) and American Cassidy Anderson (Shift Motul Suzuki RM-Z450, 30pts).

The meeting was run in difficult circumstances after qualifying began at 4.30pm, two-and-a-half hours behind the scheduled 2.00pm kick-off. The delay was caused by a go-kart affair running well over time, leaving the supermoto fraternity in limbo.

With 80 per cent of the 1.2km supermoto track relying on ‘donor’ tarmac from the go-kart circuit, it was just a simple case of waiting. However, all 25 supermoto races were eventually run, although the whole program was not complete until well after midnight.

While the program posed its difficulties, spectators bore witness to some exceptional racing, as the restructured, six-round supermoto title finally got underway. At the very least, they got to see an additional S2 race, after the opening stoush was eventually declared void by officials, after a protest by Husqvarna.

The issue came to a head after title favourite and polesitter Troy Herfoss (Husqvarna Racing SM450R) crashed on lap one after an ‘exchange’ with Bennett. The race was then red-flagged, but Herfoss wasn’t permitted to take his place for the re-start.

Taplin won that eight-lapper by just over 1sec from Anderson, with Bennett in third. Husqvarna’s protest was then upheld, which required all riders to repeat the race from scratch.

The second attempt saw Taplin, the 2004 S3 (125-200cc 2T vs up to 250cc 4T) champion, maintain his winning posture after a ding-dong battle with Bennett, while rookie Cini was a lonely third from Daniel McCoy (Motorex KTM 450SMR and Jamie Cunningham (GHR Honda CRf450R).

After all the lead-up theatre, Herfoss failed to finish the re-start after aggravating the wrist he broke in last year’s final round. That was only after he scored the fastest lap of the day, a 1:10.0050, during his charge from the back of the 23-bike grid.

In the second race, Bennett showed nerves of steel to keep Taplin in check, with Grabham just metres behind in third. Cini and Anderson were fourth and fifth, followed by hurting Herfoss.

Bennett, who won the maiden S1 (over 250cc 2T vs 450-700cc 4T) title in 2003, has now finished on the S2 podium in the last six races after a brilliant finish to 2005.

“A combination of a great bike, an awesome mechanic… and my determination to get on the podium for Motorex KTM saw me take the win tonight,” said Bennett. “It was a tiring night having to contend the first final twice and then have both of my next races back-to-back.

“I basically only had time to ride into the marshalling area, grab a drink and head straight back onto the race track. The event didn’t finish until 1.00am in the morning so I proved to myself determination and fitness is enough to hold me up this season.”

In S1 and S3, proceedings were run over three main races each, with Jamie Cunningham (Honda CR480) and Grabham (GHR Honda CRF250R) the overall winners.

Cunningham was only bested once all evening when he finished third, behind Cini (Husqvarna Racing SM510R) and Robert Jones (Suzuki DR-Z480), in race one.

From that point on, Cunningham, on his peaky two-stroke Honda, assumed total control, while only one other rider snuck onto the podium – Angus Reekie KTM Elf Racing 525EXC) in races two and three.

Meanwhile, Jones continued on his merry way with a cluster of second places, which helped him to a total of 66pts – four behind Cunningham (70pts). Reekie’s in third place on 55pts, ahead of reigning No. 2 Ben Lucchitti (Honda CRF450R, 50pts), Jason Kain (JK Motorsports Honda CRF490, 49pts) and Cini (43pts).

The S1 races went ahead without dual No. 1 Josh McFarlane, whose Magee Aprilia Racing Team SXV549, alongside that of teammate’s Jake Magee, was not ready in time for round one. The team will now make its debut at Oran Park.

S3 saw Grabham stroll to a whitewash, the first one since round one last year, with winning margins of 2.73, 5.57 and 0.867sec respectively. Of the remaining 23 combatants, American Tim Weigand (Motorex KTM 250SXF), who’s ostensibly in Australia to compete for KTM’s motocross team, was a fine second in the opener before tailing off, while Justin Girotto (Kawasaki KX250F) began with a third - and stayed in that position for the final two races.

Blake Jacobs (On Two Wheels Motorsports Yamaha YZ250F) began with a fourth before making second position his own until the end.

Grabham’s on a perfect 75pts, from Jacobs (62pts), Girotto (60pts), Ben Sims (Oaks Motorcycles YZ250F, 51pts) and Rowan Tegart (KX250F, 39pts).

For the record, Tegart and Cini were the only non New South Welshman to finish in the top five of a championship class in round one.

The support races at Eastern Creek were won by the following riders:

Mitchell Pirotta (Yamaha) – Novice
Jamie Oram (KTM) – Veterans
Kristy Kripp (Yamaha) – Women’s
Dylan Browning (Yamaha) – Clubmen; and
Luke Richards (Yamaha) – Juniors.

Championship results
S1
Race one: 12 laps
1 Adam Cini, Qld, Husqvarna
2 Rob Jones, NSW, Suzuki
3 Jamie Cunningham, NSW, Honda
4 Jason Kain, NSW, Honda
5 Ben Lucchitti, NSW, Honda

Race two: 12 laps
1 Cunningham
2 Jones
3 Angus Reekie, NSW, KTM
4 Lucchitti
5 Kain

Race three: six laps
1 Cunningham
2 Jones
3 Reekie
4 Cini
5 Lucchitti

Current S1 standings (after one of six rounds): 1 Cunningham 70pts; 2 Jones 66; 3 Reekie 55; 4 Lucchitti 50; 5 Kain 49.

S2
Race one: eight laps
1 Rodney Taplin, NSW, Honda
2 Stuart Bennett, NSW, KTM
3 Adam Cini, Qld, Husqvarna
4 Daniel McCoy, NSW, KTM
5 Jamie Cunningham, NSW, Honda

Race two: six laps
1 Bennett
2 Taplin
3 Ben Grabham, NSW, Honda
4 Cini
5 Cassidy Anderson, USA, Suzuki

Current S2 standings (after one of six rounds): 1= Bennett, Taplin 47pts; 3 Cini 38; 4 Grabham 35; 5 Anderson 30.

S3
Race one: 12 laps
1 Ben Grabham, NSW, Honda
2 Tim Weigand, USA, KTM
3 Justin Girotto, NSW, Kawasaki
4 Blake Jacobs, NSW, Yamaha
5 Dylan Browning, NSW, Yamaha

Race two: 12 laps
1 Grabham
2 Jacobs
3 Girotto
4 Ben Sims, NSW, Yamaha
5 Rick Olson, NSW, Yamaha

Race three: six laps
1 Grabham
2 Jacobs
3 Girotto
4 Sims
5 Weigand

Current S3 standings (after one of six rounds): 1 Grabham 75pts; 2 Jacobs 62; 3 Girotto 60; 4 Sims 51; 5 Tegart (Vic, Kawasaki) 39.
 

-- Images from Press Day --