From a press release:

Formula Xtreme Promotion, Media Information
Event 1, 2002 Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State
Eastern Creek Raceway
Race Report, 17 March 2002

BAIRD WINS ACTION PACKED FORMULA XTREME OPENER AT EASTERN CREEK

Queenslander Robbie Baird emerged as the overall winner of the opening event of the 2002 Formula Xtreme Tri-State, held today at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway.

Riding the Radar’s Team Yamaha YZF R1, Baird was in dominating form today, winning the first three eight lap sprint races. He looked set to make it a
clean sweep for the weekend but crashed on the third lap of the final race. He regained his feet, unscathed, and rejoined the race well down the field. In a masterful ride he worked his way back up to eighth place by the conclusion of the race earning him sufficient points to take the overall win on the day.

“That’s a great way to start off the season,” said Baird, who is the defending Formula Xtreme Champion. “It would have been nice to have won all
four, but that’s the way it goes. I’m just glad that I could salvage enough points in that last race.”

Second overall was former three-times Formula Xtreme Champion Kevin Curtain (Radar’s Team Yamaha YZF-R1). The Novacastrian won the final race of the day after placing with two seconds and a third from the earlier three races.

Curtain has returned to the domestic motorcycle racing scene after a year campaigning in the World Supersport Championship in 2001, where he picked up two race wins. He will also be taking part in next week’s Phillip Island round of the World Supersport Championship aboard a Yamaha YZF-R6.

Kurri Kurri’s Jamie Stauffer (Yamaha YZF-R1) rounded off the podium positions after a consistent day with the new Queensland based Bio Magnetics Sport team. A second place finish in race four was his best result after picking up a string of fourth places in the earlier three races.

One of the unluckiest riders on the day was the third Radar’s Team Yamaha member, Victorian teenager Craig Coxhell. After battling a dose of the flu all weekend, he was able to focus on today’s races scoring two thirds and a second before a major crash on the final lap of race four eliminated him from the top results. He was glued to the rear of Curtain’s bike as they
rounded Corporate Hill for the final time when the rear tyre of his Yamaha slid sideways throwing him off the bike in spectacular fashion.

“I’m not that happy about crashing as I was aiming at having a year of consistency that did not include crashes,” Coxhell said. “I came into the turn pretty hard and as I closed the throttle off it slid sideways and threw me off with absolutely no warning.”

The Formula Xtreme races were just four of a packed program of 25 races that have taken place at Eastern Creek Raceway to form the opening event of the 2002 Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State. Victoria’s Winton Raceway will host the next
event on April 13 & 14.


RESULTS – FORMULA XTREME
Race 1, 8 laps
1. Robbie BAIRD/Radars Team Yamaha/Yamaha R1 12:42.382
2. Kevin CURTAIN /Radars Team Yamaha/Yamaha R1 12:42.531
3. Craig COXHELL/Radars Team Yamaha/Yamaha R1 12:42.854
4. Jamie STAUFFER/Bio Magnetics Sport/Yamaha R1 12:43.003
5. Daniel STAUFFER/Bio Magnetics Sport/Yamaha R1 12:52.011
6. Tony REES/Bikebiz Racing/Yamaha R1 12:52.443
7. Josh BROOKES/Team Honda/Honda CBR954RR 12:56.475
8. Luke PHILLIPS/RMS Competition Engines/Honda CBR929RR 12:58.538
9. Nick HENDERSON/Geoff’s Auto Spares/Honda CBR929RR 13:14.680
10. Rodney DAVIS/Wet 4U/Yamaha YZF-R1 13:18.023
Fastest Lap: Craig Coxhell, 1:34.270 on lap 7

Race 2, 8 laps
1. BAIRD, 12:40.020
2. CURTAIN, 12:43.450
3. COXHELL, 12:48.354
4. Jamie STAUFFER, 12:50.668
5. REES, 12:53.659
6. BROOKES, 12:53.749
7. Daniel STAUFFER, 13:00.271
8. HENDERSON, 13:13.025
9. Nichols BARTON/Frankston Yamaha/Yamaha YZF-R1, 13:20.371
10. Roland KRUCK/Doin’ Bikes/Yamaha YZF-R1, 13:20.619
Fastest Lap: Baird, 1:33.864 on lap 3

Race 3, 8 laps
1. BAIRD, 12:46.253
2. COXHELL, 12:46.549
3. CURTAIN, 12:48.435
4. Jamie STAUFFER, 12:54.712
5. REES, 12:58.822
6. HENDERSON, 13:17.126
7. Brendan McINTYRE/Western M/C/Suzuki GSX-R1000, 13:20.136
8. BARTON, 13:24.155
9. Craig McMARTIN/Ducati 996R, 13:25.547
10. Robert BUGDEN / Gold Coast Suzuki / Suzuki GSX-R1000, 13:25.670
Fastest Lap: Coxhell, 1:34.913 on lap 3

Race 4, 8 laps
1. CURTAIN, 12:44.161
2. Jamie STAUFFER, 12:53.550
3. BROOKES, 12:56.876
4. REES, 13:01.002
5. Stephen TOZER/Stafford M/C/Yamaha YZF-R1, 13:11.431
6. HENDERSON, 13:14.290
7. McINTYRE, 13:15.034
8. BAIRD, 13:19.833
9. BARTON, 13:21.941
10. John DONOHOE / Goldfields M/C School / Suzuki GSX-R1000, 13:22.003
Fastest Lap: Baird, 1:33.951 on lap 3

2002 Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State, Formula Xtreme points after 1 of 6 events
1. Robbie Baird, 83 points
2. Kevin Curtain, 81
3. Jamie Stauffer, 59
4. Craig Coxhell, 52
5. Tony Rees, 45
6. Josh Brookes, 35
7. Nick Henderson, 35
8. Nicholas Barton, 22
9. Craig McMartin, 21
10. John Donohoe, 20