Brookes Earns Australian Superbike Pole Position Saturday At Phillip Island

Brookes Earns Australian Superbike Pole Position Saturday At Phillip Island

© 2005, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Categories:

Brookes and Stauffer soar in Superbike qualifying Formidable New South Welshmen Josh Brookes and Jamie Stauffer have started with a bang in the final round of the 2005 YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship at Phillip Island on November 12. The duo both eclipsed Brookes’ one-month-old lap record of 1:37.763 during today’s two qualifying sessions, with Brookes (Joe Rocket Honda CBR1000RR) finally stopping the clocks at 1:34.202, just in advance of Stauffer’s 1:34.252 on the Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-10R. It was Brookes’ first pole position on the year, with the bonus point moving him to just 9pts (241 to 232) in arrears of championship leader Shawn Giles (Team Suzuki GSX-R1000). Giles, 35, qualified in seventh with a 1:35.231. “That point could be the difference between winning and losing the championship,” said Brookes. “Now I’ve just got to lead the races and hope that there are a number of guys between me and Giles. “If that’s good enough to win, then so be it. If it’s not, I’ve still given it my best shot.” Hitherto, Brookes has won three Superbike races in 2005, the same number as Giles and teammate Adam Fergusson (Joe Rocket CBR1000RR). Moreover, he whitewashed the Superbike support races at last month’s Polini Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Fergusson, seeking to become just the fourth multiple winner of the Australian Superbike title since its inception in 1987, is still in the hunt on 226pts, and will start from grid position four (1:34.936) alongside impressive privateer Russell Holland (1:34.912) on the Pirelli-shod CBR1000RR. Then it’s multiple world Superbike race winner Anthony Gobert (Redwing Honda CBR1000RR, 1:35.036) and Daniel Stauffer (Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1, 1:35.203). Gobert, 30, sat out session two with mechanical problems, but showed enough in practice and the opening qualifier to suggest that a podium finish may be on the cards tomorrow. Meanwhile, Giles’ attempt at winning a fourth Superbike title will be made harder by a second row start, but the venerable 35-year-old still holds onto a 9pt cushion and his record around Phillip Island is exemplary. Since 2002, Giles has won 50 per cent (seven of 14) of the Australian Superbike Championship races at Phillip Island and finished on the podium in an unnerring 100 per cent of them! Shannon Johnson (Team Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:35.488) completes row two, with 18 machines behind the reigning Australian supermoto champion. That throng includes 2005 race winners Robert Bugden (Northstar Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:35.787) and Glenn Allerton (Team Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:35.842), who will start from 10th and 11th respectively behind the rapidly improving Shannon Etheridge (Nova Honda CBR1000RR, 1:35.695). Budgen, who is tipped to make the ascension to factory rider in 2006, currently leads the privateer class ahead of Scott Charlton (Active Electrical GSX-R1000) and evergreen New Zealander Tony Rees (Bike Biz YZF-R1). In Supersport, 21-year-old Mark Aitchison (Fraser Motorcycles) slotted his Dunlop-shod Yamaha YZF-R6 into pole position after completing only six laps across the two 30-minute qualifying sessions! Aitchison, who defeated Brookes (Joe Rocket Honda CBR600RR) by just 0.001sec in the final Supersport support race at the Polini Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, uncorked a spritely 1:37.269 in this morning’s opening qualifier, which proved to be more than enough to claim his first pole position of the year. Aitchison only completed four laps in that session, and two in the second qualifier simply to scrub in a front tyre for tomorrow’s opening 12-lapper. “I’ve got a really good set-up at the moment, and the Dunlop tyres are working a treat,” said Aitchison. “So far, so good.” When asked if Brookes’ two-year-old lap record of 1:37.111 will be threatened in the races, Aitchison continued: “This morning, we pushed things fairly hard, but we still had a bit left in the tank. I reckon 36s may be possible, but we’ll see how it goes.” Aitchison will be joined on the front row of the Supersport grid by the Honda CBR600RRs of Bryan Staring (Allect Racing, 1:37.990), current championship leader Brookes (1:37.994), and reigning No. 1 Fergusson (Joe Rocket, 1:38.843). Brookes, who won the world Supersport race at Phillip Island in 2004, is currently 12pts (266 to 254) in front of teammate Fergusson, and another searing performance tomorrow will see the 22-year-old add to his sole Supersport title in 2001. Brookes has won five of the last six national-level Supersport races at Phillip Island, including a blitzkrieg of this year’s opening round in April. Meanwhile, Kawasaki Racing Team’s Joshua Waters (ZX-6RR, 1:38.488) and his 125 GP contemporary Jason O’Halloran (Rocket Racing CBR600RR, 1:38.891) were the last two riders to break into the 38-second bracket, and will start on row two alongside former Australian dirt track champion Chris Seaton (Ewington Racing Kawasaki, 1:39.062) and Jeremy Crowe (Rapid Bikes Magazine YZF-R6, 1:39.318). Waters, who won the 250cc four-stroke class at last weekend’s Australian Long Track Championship in Bathurst, is fifth in the standings on 197pts, behind Aitchison (207pts) and Staring (199pts).

Latest Posts

WorldSBK: Bulega Undergoes “Arm Pump” Surgery In Italy

Nicolò Bulega underwent surgery for compartment syndrome Nicolò Bulega underwent...

How To Identify Real Vanson Leathers

Vanson has been producing jackets, riding/racing suits, and other...

Kato Named New President Of Yoshimura Japan

Editorial Note: Yohei Kato is the grandson of Yoshimura...

Suzuki Hayabusa Anniversary Celebration Scheduled April 27 In Concord, NC

SUZUKI HAYABUSA ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION COMING TO CONCORD, NC “Hayabusa Homecoming”...

Oxley Bom Podcast: Hanging With Jorge

Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner...