Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Trevor Hedge (www.mcnews.com.au)

Round 4
Queensland Raceway
August 8/9/10
Preview

Nikon Yamaha’s Kevin Curtain (NSW) is on a high heading to Queensland Raceway this weekend for the penultimate round of the Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship.

The 36-year-old recently wrapped up his seventh FX Tri-State Series win and now turns his hand to the major prize in Australian road racing, the Australian Superbike Championship.

But Curtain does has some ground to make up on Team Suzuki’s Craig Coxhell (VIC), the 20 year old Shepparton rider currently leads the championship by 15 points. With their new ‘K3′ GSX-R1000 machines now up to speed they will be a force to be reckoned with in Queensland.

Fast acceleration and drive off the turns is what is needed at this circuit and the awesomely powerful Suzukis have always held an advantage in that area. And If Coxhell fails to capitalize at Queensland, you can bet that senior teammate Shawn Giles (VIC) most certainly will take the challenge to the Yamaha riders.

Giles is the reigning and three-time Australian Superbike Champion. The 33-year-old currently lies third in the championship standings, three points adrift of Curtain.

Another major force in the leading pack is Daniel Stauffer (NSW). He may be 10 years junior to Curtain but many times this year Stauffer has been able to match and sometimes surpass the pace of his more accomplished Nikon Yamaha teammate.

With Coxhell at times proving faster than team-mate Giles, and Stauffer sometimes faster than Curtain, could we be witnessing a change of the guard at the forefront of Australian motorcycle racing? Out with the old, and in with the new? Shawn Giles and Kevin Curtain may just have something to say about that…

The leading privateer effort this year is definitely the new Brown Gouge Nova Honda outfit with Scott Charlton and Brent George at the controls. The Shell sponsored duo are both proving up to the task in what is their first year in the Superbike ranks after previously competing in 250cc Production or Supersport. It is quite possible the privateers could end up as the first Honda riders home this year.

But the factory backed Honda squad will be pulling out all stops to make sure it is they who score that honor. Josh Brookes has shown brilliance many times before and will be hoping that he can find the right combination to spark that fire back in to life in Queensland. He is joined by the last man to win an Australian Superbike Championship for Honda, Kirk McCarthy, to form the factory Honda Superbike effort.

Reigning Australian Supersport Champion Shannon Johnson will be on board the new CBR600RR Honda to try and claw back the considerable 39 point advantage enjoyed by Yamaha’s Kevin Curtain in the 600cc Supersport ranks. Josh Brookes will also again ride both Supersport and Superbike, as will Kevin Curtain. All three contenders have previously won Australian Supersport Championships while young Brendan Clarke is out to try and take his first national championship. The ex-500cc Grand Prix competitor is the Supersport lap record holder at Willowbank and has shown great speed this year.

Other Supersport threats will come from hard charging Yamaha privateer Glenn Allerton and factory Kawasaki pilot Russell Holland. Judd Greedy may also threaten the front runners on his home track.

Western Australia’s Peter Taplin enjoys a considerable 96 point lead in the 250cc Grand Prix class and is likely to wrap up the Championship in Queensland. If he manages that feat Taplin will be Western Australia’s first National Road Race Champion since Alan Watts won the same Championship in 1996.

The small country New South Wales town of Taree has produced some world-class motorcycle racers over the years with current Ducati MotoGP pilot Troy Bayliss the most noted of those graduates. One of the latest riders to join the Australian scene from Taree is Caleb Stalder. The 21-year-old has been a cut above the rest in this year’s Lazer Helmets-sponsored 250cc Production Championship. Troy Elliott and Brent Sidwell will be out to put a stop to Stalder’s party.

Another youngster from the country to do well this year is Mildura’s Josh Waters. The 16-year-old has been the dominant rider in the rejuvenated 125cc Grand Prix Championship. Amazingly his chief competition is a rider even younger–15-year-old Jason O’Halloran has been a breath of fresh air this year and has figured highly in the results along with Micky Kelly, Peter Galvin and Cath Thompson. Waters has a healthy Championship lead, but the field is tight and results are impossible to forecast.

The Superstock Cup for ‘C’ and ‘D’ graded riders just starting out in their road racing career has been a major feature on the Australian Road Race event card this year. Victoria’s Leigh McKenzie is just managing to hold off charges from Alex Cudlin, yet another youngster hailing from Taree.

‘Slideways’ sidecar action adds to the attractions with the South Australian pairing of Neville Lush and Martin Scott proving the class of the field in the premier F1 class. The F2 class is also headed by South Australians, David Jones and John Cutting the front runners on a Honda powered outfit.

Practice commences at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, August 8 with qualifying kicking off at the same time on Saturday, August 9. All classes, except Superbike, have their first race of the weekend on Saturday afternoon in the lead up to a full card of racing on Sunday, August 10.