Preview Of This Weekend’s Formula Xtreme Race In Australia

Preview Of This Weekend’s Formula Xtreme Race In Australia

© 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Categories:

From a press release:

COUNTRY RIDERS IN STRONG POSITION TO CHALLENGE FOR FORMULA XTREME GLORY THIS WEEKEND AT WINTON RACEWAY

The depth of Australia’s young motorcycle road racing talent will be on display at the second round of the 2002 Yamaha Extreme Tri-State that will be held at Winton Raceway, Benalla, Victoria, this weekend, April 13 & 14.

Shepparton’s Craig Coxhell, Ballarat’s Liam Magee and Wagga’s Craig McMartin are but three riders who will be out to challenge for top honours in the weekend’s premier Formula Xtreme category, that will be coming to the Victorian rural circuit for the first time.

For each rider, Winton Raceway is classed as a home circuit and as with any rider they would like to excel at their ‘home’ track. The Winton circuit has been a successful place in the past for 19-year-old Coxhell. Riding for the extremely successful Radar’s Team Yamaha, he won the coveted Harvey Wilshire Memorial Trophy there last season. This year he is aboard the awesome Yamaha YZF-R1 and currently lies third overall after one round of the series.

“I like Winton a lot and would be looking at doing well there this weekend,” said Coxhell. “The new Yamaha YZF R1 is getting better all the time and the improved handling characteristics of the bike should suit the circuit. We tested briefly there a few weeks ago and I was happy with the results, but to be able to score a few race wins there is what I’m really after.”

Coxhell will be chasing defending champion and team-mate Robbie Baird, who leads the points chase in 2002, with 83 points, two ahead of three times champion Kevin Curtain on the third Radar’s Team Yamaha YZF R1. Coxhell lies fourth with 32 points, while Jamie Stauffer (Bio Magnetics Sport Yamaha YZF R1) is third with 39.

While Coxhell has got his season off to a solid start, fellow teenager Liam Magee has had mixed fortunes. He started off his season brilliantly at the opening round of the Australian Superbike Championship where he took a race win away from defending champion Shawn Giles. However, things were not as successful at Eastern Creek for the first Formula Xtreme meeting where he crashed his Suzuki GSX-R1000 heavily during Friday’s practice and had to withdraw from the remainder of the weekend.

This weekend though, Magee will be looking to get things back on track with every chance that he will be mixing it with the lead group.

Wagga’s Craig McMartin (26) will be one of the busier riders on the weekend as he takes to the Formula Xtreme races aboard his exotic Ducati 996R, before switching to his Ducati 996SPS to defend his Pro-Twins title.

For the 2002 season, McMartin has switched to Pirelli tyres and has had his hands full with having to assist with development of the new slick tyres as well as trying to extract the best out of his Ducati 996R.

“This weekend will be one of the best chances that we will have this year aboard the 996R,” McMartin said. “This circuit is well suited to the Ducati as it relies more on a better handling bike rather than a bike that just has pure speed. I’m confident of a good result there, but I know that it won’t be easy.”

Aside from his Formula Xtreme commitments, he will also be out to increase his lead in the Pro-Twins class. At present he holds an 18 point lead over Queensland’s Dave Fuller (Ducati 998S), with Sydney’s Mike Soderland (Aprilia RSV1000) currently third.

The country boys won’t have it their own way though as apart from Baird and Curtain there are a number of riders who are planning on taking victory in each of the four 8-lap sprint races that will be held on Sunday. Team Honda’s Josh Brookes (Honda CBR954RR) will be in contention as will Wayne Maxwell (Suzuki GSX-R1000) who returns to the series after missing the opening round of the series as he awaited confirmation of his racing plans for the season.

At the other end of the scale, there will be two very experienced and fast Kiwis on hand to take whatever they can from the meeting, Multiple New Zealand champions Tony Rees (Bikebiz Yamaha YZF R1) and Andrew Stroud (Suzuki GSX-R1000) will again be out to defend the Kiwi honour.

Formula Xtreme will not be the only class on the program. There are six further classes which offer a wide and diverse range of sports motorcycles and provide great action on the track. These include, Pro-Twins, Aprilia Challenge, Buell Nakedbikes, Streetfighter NK Lites and Formula Oz. As with each round of the series there will also be a separate race for the up and coming riders of the future, Formula X Unlimited. With the exception of this class, each other category will have four races, each of six laps.

In 2002, the Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State has incorporated a number of new and exciting features. Earlier this year it was announced that the Formula Xtreme class would gain exclusive rights on Network TEN, a first for a domestic motorcycle road race series in Australia.

This weekend, we will see another new innovation, with on-track TV and radio now available. Spectators and competitors alike will not only be able to watch the racing on the new giant Superscreen along with live interviews between races. Now for those who are not able to see the Superscreen or hear the PA system Formula Xtreme Promotions has just added both an on site UHF TV Channel and FM Radio channel to the list of things to see and hear at all of the remaining Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State events for 2002.

All you need is you television and radio to guarantee that you do not miss a minute of the action.

Round 2 of the Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State is on this weekend the 13-14th April at Winton Motor Raceway in Victoria. Racing is from approx. 1:00 pm Saturday and 10:00 am Sunday.

Ticketing
Saturday GA Adult Admission $15
Sunday $25
Concessions $15.
Two day Pass $25
Children Under 15 free.

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...