Daniel Stauffer Takes Pole Position For Australian Superbike Support Races At Phillip Island

Daniel Stauffer Takes Pole Position For Australian Superbike Support Races At Phillip Island

© 2005, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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Daniel Stauffer to lead off Aussie Superbikes Resurgent Yamaha pilot Daniel Stauffer (YZF-R1) will lead away 38 snarling machines in today’s opening Superbike support race at the 2005 Polini Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. Twenty-eight-year-old Stauffer, an aircraft engineer with Qantas, scored his first pole position since round two of this year’s Australian title when he uncorked a 1:36.154 in the 25-minute qualifier. His time just edged out Honda’s Adam Fergusson (Joe Rocket Honda CBR1000RR, 1:36.290), who won two of the three support races at last year’s MotoGP round. “That was a great way to start the weekend,” said Stauffer. “After a pretty good start to this year’s Australian title, we’ve tapered off a bit, so this is the best bit of news we’ve received in a while. “Conditions were tough this afternoon, but the races will be thrilling they always are.” Stauffer had earlier completed the morning’s practice in seventh, in a session where Fergusson produced the day’s benchmark of 1:35.974 confirming his slight favourtism for this weekend’s three eight-lappers. However, with a gaggle of Australian champions in action, it certainly won’t be a Stauffer-Fergusson duopoly, with the top nine riders separated by less than one second after qualifying. Daniel’s sibling, Jamie (Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-10R, 1:36.874), a proven Phillip Island winner, is first cab off the rank, followed by the mercurial Josh Brookes (Joe Rocket Honda CBR1000RR, 1:36.424) and the first privateer, Scott Charlton (Active Electrical Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:36.724). Kawasaki is the only manufacturer without a national-level Superbike win at Phillip Island in the last three years. Since 2003, Honda and Suzuki have won seven races apiece, ahead of Yamaha (five). Then it’s the much-improved Glenn Allerton (Team Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:37.134), ahead of the multi-talented Shannon Johnson (Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1, 1:37.103), who’s still recovering from injuries sustained after he was run over in round two of the Aussie Supermoto title a hybrid of dirt and tarmac racing. The irrepressible Shawn Giles (Team Suzuki Nova GSX-R1000, 1:37,121) completes row two, with Shannon Etheridge (Nova Honda CBR1000RR, 1:37.127) the last rider to complete the session within a second of Daniel Stauffer. Among the big names languishing outside the top 10 include World Endurance placegetter Damian Cudlin (Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R1, 1:38.570) and eight-time World Superbike winner Anthony Gobert (Redwing Honda CBR1000RR, 1:39.709). The trio has to begin with a flourish to make an impact in today’s opening race at 4.45pm. Gobert, 30, won five of his World Superbike races at Phillip Island, so he definitely knows the fast way round the seaside circuit. Practice makes perfect in DENSO Supersports Qualifying for the DENSO Supersport races at this year’s Polini Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix was held yesterday afternoon and it was a classic case of déjà vu. That was after the top five riders from Thursday morning’s practice session held the same positions in the qualifier Yamaha’s Mark Aitchison (Fraser Motorcycles Yamaha YZF-R6) leading the way from the Honda CBR600RRs of Bryan Staring (Allect Racing), Josh Brookes (Joe Rocket Honda) and Adam Fergusson (Joe Rocket Honda), with Josh Waters (Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-6RR) next in line. And just as 21-year-old Aitchison and Staring were the only riders to go under 1:39 in practice, so it was again in qualifying, with the duo eventually stopping the clock at 1:38.358 and 1:38.571 respectively. Aitchison, who is in a great position to finish third in this year’s national Supersport title Brookes and Fergusson will fight it out for the No. 1 position has always struggled to get on the podium at Phillip Island, but that all may change if he can take maximum advantage of pole position. Meanwhile, West Aussie Staring is now really starting to hum in his first year of Supersport racing, with his zenith a superb victory in race two at Winton’s round five. He still remains one of only five riders to win a Supersport race in 2005, alongside Brookes, Aitchison, Fergusson and last-start victor Brendan Clarke (YZF-R6). Brookes has won six of the 13 races, and he’s always hard to topple when he gets a good start. One rider to keep a watching brief on will be Jason O’Halloran (Rocket Racing Honda CBR600RR, 1:40.817), who qualified in 12th position. The pint-sized teenager finished third in this year’s national title opener at Phillip Island, and has the wherewithal to make a better fist of this weekend’s races as does Jordan Coote (YZF-R6, 1:40.996). For all the qualifying results, visit ~http://www.ma.org.au/Content/MA/RacingDisciplines/RoadRacing/Results/Results.htm~ The first two DENSO Supersport races will be held in quick succession today, starting at 4.15pm. The final race will be held at 4.50pm tomorrow.

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