Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

2003 Shell Advance Australian Superbike Championship

Round 5 (FINAL) – Sunday Report – Eastern Creek – August 31, 2003

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

Australian Superbike racing experienced both dramatic highs, and lows, as the five-round 2003 Shell Advance Australian Championships concluded at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway today.

The high came when 20-year-old Shepparton rider Craig Coxhell won his first Australian Superbike Championship. The Team Suzuki rider took both race wins today to earn enough points to win the crown and give the Sydney crowd a popular victory.

Coxhell had to get the better of his three-time, and reigning, Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles to take the win.

Giles was gracious in defeat. “I think that a youngster like Craig winning the title is good for the sport. And of course the main thing is that a Suzuki still won the title, and with myself coming home behind Craig, we gave Team Suzuki a fantastic 1-2 result for the year, which is exactly what we set out to do.”

The perfect performances from the Team Suzuki riders, along with some important contributions from Suzuki privateers Robert Bugden, David Butler and Luke Wicks, also helped Suzuki to surpass Honda in the race for the Manufacturers Cup. With that win, and their unprecedented fourth consecutive Australian Superbike Championship, the weekend could not have gone any better for Suzuki Australia.

Nikon Yamaha’s Kevin Curtain and Daniel Stauffer also put in great rides and took the Suzuki pairing to the wire in each race. But the Newcastle-based riders had to settle for hard earned third and fourth places respectively in the championship. However, Stauffer did leave Eastern Creek with the new Production Superbike lap record after setting a new benchmark of 1:32.982 around the 3.93-kilometer Eastern Creek layout.

But Curtain didn’t have to settle for third best in the Australian Supersport Championship. The long-time Yamaha stalwart did earn the #1 plate in the Supersport Championship. Curtain has now won five Australian Road Race Championships across three different classes. The Newcastle based rider won his first Supersport Championship in 1996 before winning the title again in 2000. Curtain also won the 250cc Production Championship in 1995, and the Australian Production Superbike Title in 1998.

But Queensland teenager Brendan Clarke did not make things easy for his vastly more experienced teammate–the youngster pushed hard throughout the whole year and the race for the title went down to the wire. The diminutive pairing gave the Nikon Yamaha squad a 1-2 finish in the Championship and also helped to earn Yamaha the honour of being named the leading constructor in the Supersport class.

Honda’s Joshua Brookes was also a major factor in the Supersport class this weekend, as was Kawasaki’s Russell Holland. Brookes took the win in the opening Supersport race for the weekend and was fighting hard with Holland for the win in the second race before the duo fell on the entry to the main straight. Their demise left Brendan Clarke to take both the race win and the outright round win. Glenn Allerton also put in a great performance this weekend and his excellent fifth outright and healthy swag of points certainly helped Yamaha to the constructors win.

Western Australia’s Peter Taplin had wrapped up the Australian 250cc Grand Prix Championship at the previous round. But the Honda rider did not back off this weekend as he took another clean sweep to continue his perfect winning record to a record-breaking 14 consecutive wins.

The 125cc Grand Prix Title had also been decided prior to this round with 16-year-old Mildura rider Joshua Waters winning the title in Queensland. Waters managed to take all the wins at this round but did come under heavy attack from a rider even younger than himself. Jason O’Halloran, 15, put in a great performance at his home track to come within 0.02 second of breaking the lap record to earn second overall in 125cc Grand Prix points.

Multiple Australian Champion Shane Soutar had dusted off his 500cc World Championship sidecar for this event. Under 2003 rules two-strokes are no longer allowed in Australian Sidecar events but Motorcycling Australia afforded Soutar special dispensation for this race meeting for Soutar to make a guest appearance on his two-stroke screamer. The Victorian rider showed that he has not lost the competitive spirit by winning the opening race at Eastern Creek yesterday. He didn’t have it all his own way though as he came under heavy attack from the Victorian pairing of Vince Messina and Alison Scoullar, themselves multiple time Australian Champions. Messina and Scoullar took the win in the final race for the round but the South Australian duo of Neville Lush and Martin Scott earned enough points to take out the Australian F1 Sidecar Championship. South Australia also took home the F2 Sidecar Title, David Jones and John Cutting earning the F2 crown on their Honda powered machine.

The battle for the Australian Superstock Title for ‘C’ and ‘D’ graded newcomers has been hectic. Ballarat’s Leigh McKenzie and Taree’s Alex Cudlin have been hard at it all year. McKenzie took the title, but it was Cudlin who dominated the Eastern Creek meeting.

After all the excitement from the thrilling racing action, the tight-knit Australian Superbike fraternity was left in shock after a horrific fall during the final Supersport leg for the day. A number of riders went down after a fierce collision at Eastern Creek’s turn one. The incident was treated as extremely serious and the organisers chose to abandon the remainder of the meeting as ambulances carried the injured riders away for treatment.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Sunday Morning AMA Supersport Practice Times:

1. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:28.309
2. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 1:28.777
3. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:28.781
4. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 1:28.901
5. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 1:28.904
6. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 1:29.225
7. Jake Zemke, Honda, 1:29.311
8. Alex Gobert, Honda, 1:29.619
9. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki, 1:29.842
10. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda, 1:29.997
11. Marty Craggill, Honda, 1:30.045
12. Ty Howard, Honda, 1:30.472
13. Lee Acree, Yamaha, 1:30.610
14. Mike Hale, Yamaha, 1:30.670
15. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:30.702
16. Chris Rankin (of Texas), Honda, 1:32.252
17. Chris Peris, Honda, 1:32.265
18. Darren Luck, Suzuki, 1:32.476
19. Jason Curtis, Honda, 1:32.926
20. Dirk Sanchez, Kawasaki, 1:32.946
21. Giovanni Rojas, Yamaha, 1:35.193
22. Crash Lowe, Suzuki, 1:35.768
23. Marcus Winfree, Suzuki, 1:36.172
24. Heath Small, Yamaha, 1:36.542
25. Chris Siebenhaar, Honda, 1:36.737
26. Nathan Dressman, Yamaha, 1:37.448
27. William Johnson, Suzuki, 1:37.615
28. Darby Brauning, Yamaha, 1:38.525
29. Hector Romero, Yamaha, 1:40.050
30. Adrian Jones, Suzuki, 1:42.703
31. Michael Garofalo, Suzuki, 1:44.267
32. Chad Klock, Kawasakim 1:47.010

The session was stopped near its halfway point for a crash involving Giovanni Rojas. The practice was resumed after debris from the incident was cleaned up.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Sunday Morning AMA Formula Xtreme Practice Times:

1. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:25.799
2. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:26.200
3. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:26.566
4. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR954RR, 1:26.693
5. Josh Hayes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:27.189
6. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:27.286
7. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda CBR954RR, 1:27.461
8. Marty Craggill, Honda CBR954RR, 1:27.731
9. Ty Howard, Honda CBR954RR, 1:28.633
10. Jason Curtis, Honda CBR954RR, 1:31.057
11. Corey Eaton, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:32.630
12. Nate Kern, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:35.127
13. David Bell, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:37.040
14. Shane Gonyea, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:37.954
15. Bob Siebenhaar, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:38.053
16. James Bonner, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:40.842

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Moments after the conclusion of the AMA Supersport race and with calls going out to the Superbike competitors to grid up, it began raining again at Virginia International Raceway.

The rain was not as severe as many expected, but all activities were put on hold to inspect the portion of the track surface that had been affected earlier in the day by an oil spill.

With the rain bringing up oil in the turn three-four-five area, AMA officials and the promoters decided to cancel the rest of the day’s activities and to start again with practice at 8:00 a.m.

“The water (rain) brought the oil right back up on the track and made it too slick through turns three, four and five,” said AMA Pro Racing Road Race Series Manager Ron Barrick. “If it weren’t for that we would have sent the Superbikes out on wets for a warm-up and at least got their race in before it got dark.”

“It was pretty bad. All that oil and whatever stuff they put on it just came right back up to the surface,” said Mat Mladin. “The lady from the AMA I went out there with ran along and jumped into it and skated like she was on ice.

“I just wanted to go out and see it because we didn’t know if we were going in or out at the time. I just wanted to go see it with my own eyes in case we did go out. You could see it. The whole track’s white with water and oil mixed, just all coming out.

“That was the best call, because the first guy who went in there was just going to go down. Very slick. It was just a mess, full stop.

“I don’t know what they’re going to do tonight. I guess they’re just going to hope it’s dry in the morning.”

The Superbike race is scheduled to start at 9:15 a.m. and to run for 20 laps.

The Formula Xtreme and 250cc Grand Prix races will run 12 laps and will start after the Superbike race.

Barrick said that AMA officials hope to finish racing in the morning so they don’t use up the whole day; Keith Code’s California Superbike School has the course rented on Monday.

Stay tuned.


More, from a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

RAIN FORCES POSTPONEMENT OF SECOND AMERICAN SUPERBIKE RACE AT VIRGINIA – WILL NOW RUN ON MONDAY MORNING

Alton, Virginia, USA (Sunday, 31 August) – Continual rain showers throughout the day at Virginia International Raceway have forced race to reschedule today’s round of the AMA Chevy Trucks US Superbike Championship to tomorrow morning

Officials tried desperately to complete the day’s program, but yet another rain shower hit the circuit moments before the scheduled start of the Superbike race. The wet surface, along with remnants of an oil spill left after an incident during the preceding Supersport event prompted officials to make their decision.

The Superbike national, round 16 of the championship, has now been rescheduled to run tomorrow morning and will run over 20 laps instead of the original 28. The remaining Formula Xtreme and 250cc Grand Prix races will run after the Superbike race.

Earlier in the weekend Australian Mat Mladin won his tenth Superbike national of the year after winning yesterday’s 28-lap race by 2.093 seconds from American Honda’s Miguel DuHamel.

Mladin’s win, his 24th career victory in the championship, has seen him extend his points advantage at the top of the table to 43 as second placed Aaron Yates completed yesterday’s race in sixth position.

There is one double-header round of the championship remaining after tomorrow’s rain delayed race is held, with the series heading to Alabama for the first time to take on the new Barber Motorsports Park course on September 20 – 21.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Sunday Morning AMA Superbike Practice Times:

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:26.019
2. Aaron Yates, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:26.202
3. Kurtis Roberts, Honda RC51, 1:26.476
4. Ben Bostrom, Honda RC51, 1:26.493
5. Miguel Duhamel, Honda RC51, 1:26.622
6. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 998RS, 1:27.047
7. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:27.052
8. Jordan Szoke, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:27.991
9. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:28.360
10. Steve Rapp, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:28.562
11. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:29.188
12. Eric Wood, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:29.526
13. Jake Holden, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:30.053
14. Geoff May, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:30.220
15. Jeremy Toye, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.074
16. Michael Barnes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:31.436
17. Brian Stokes, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:31.636
18. Chris Voelker, Ducati 996, 1:32.523
19. Byron Barbour, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:32.603
20. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki GSX-R750, 1:32.725

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Just before 4:00 p.m., a special 10-minute 600cc Supersport practice sessions at VIR had concluded.

The session was called to allow the riders to assess track conditions prior to the start of the race.

The track is obviously in decent condition, seeing as Jason DiSalvo turned a lap in 1:29.780.

The 3-minute horn blew for the race at 4:00 p.m.

Times from the special 10-minute practice session follow:

1. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, 1:29.780
2. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, 1:29.931
3. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:30.090
4. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 1:30.207
5. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:30.437
6. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 1:30.439
7. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki, 1:30.451
8. Marty Craggill, Honda, 1:31.046
9. Ty Howard, Honda, 1:31.533
10. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 1:32.359
11. Jake Zemke, Honda, 1:32.923
12. Chris Rankin, Honda, 1:32.959
13. Darren Luck, Suzuki, 1:33.676
14. Mike Hale, Yamaha, 1:33.908
15. Alex Gobert, Honda, 1:34.387


Update:

The Supersport race has been shortened from 17 to 12 laps, and the final Superbike race has been shortened from 28 to 20 laps in an attempt to beat darkness and another rainstorm approaching the track.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

AMA Pro Racing Assistant Manager of Sponsorship Implementation Gary Beggrow married Jennifer McBrayer on Saturday, August 30 in Canal Winchester, Ohio.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The Supersport race at VIR, originally scheduled to start at noon and postponed until 12:30 p.m. to allow for a wet practice session, was further delayed by oil on the track.

Young Canadian Chris Peris crashed during the wet practice session after the drain plug fell out of his Honda CBR600RR. The incident extensively oiled turns three, four and five.

A crew member later said that Fernando Peris, Chris’ father, had forgotten to tighten and wire the drain plug.

Just before the rescheduled 2:00 p.m. start, riders took a warm-up lap and then reported to officials that the track was still too slippery from a slurry-like combination of oil-dry, oil and water to proceed. Riders have been sent back into the pits while crews head out to clean the track again, using a fire hose.


This just in:

Oil was apparently spilled on other parts of the track as the crash truck carried Peris’ leaking Honda back to the pits, and the clean-up has spread. But the major concern remained in the area of turns three, four and five.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Beth Wyse

Mike Sanchez took two wins at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit during the WERA National Challenge Series races on Sunday. The Shogun Motorsports/Motion Cyclesports rider was competing in his first WERA National event as an Expert.

Sanchez won 750cc Superstock on a Suzuki GSX-R750, passing Tray Batey for the lead on the fourth of eight laps. Batey remained close to Sanchez until he crashed on the final lap. A light rain during the race was too much for Batey’s intermediate tires.

Sanchez later won the Pirelli Formula One race on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Batey, on the Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R750, crashed in turn two on the second lap, putting Sanchez in the lead until the checkered flag.

Between the 750cc Superstock and Formula One races, Batey won the Heavyweight Twins race on his Suzuki TL1000R.

Mark Junge won in Open Superstock on the Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R1000, leading twice during the race. Junge led off the start but dropped back to third when he slowed down to pass a lapped rider who was leaking fluids. He retook the lead with two laps remaining.

Robert Jensen won the 600cc Superstock race on a Yamaha YZF-R6. He moved into the lead on lap three and was able to hold off Junge on the Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R600.

XT Racing’s David Weber won the 750cc Superbike race on a Suzuki GSX-R750 in a race that started on a wet track that got wetter as more rain began to fall on the first lap. Weber took the lead at the start and was never challenged.

Weber also was the first rider across the line in the Expert 600cc Superbike race on a Suzuki GSX-R600, although the combined Expert/Novice race saw Novice Matt Lynn win overall on a Suzuki GSX-R600. Lynn took the lead on lap five and was able to pull away. The race was run on a wet track, and slippery sealer patches throughout the course gave riders a tough choice in tires.

Bradley Champion took his eighth consecutive win in Lightweight Twins, winning by about 17 seconds on his Suzuki SV650.

Three Experts entered the Formula Two race. Martin Musil pulled in after the warm-up lap because he was on slick tires and rain was beginning to fall. Jason Pirtle pulled in after the first lap, and Jason Jenkins was left to win on his Suzuki SV650.

Rain throughout most of the weekend, and wet track conditions and sketchy traction during all of the practice sessions prompted many racers to leave early.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yamaha’s Damon Buckmaster took his first-ever AMA Supersport victory Sunday by beating Kawasaki’s Tommy Hayden in a short but exciting back-and-forth battle at Virginia International Raceway.

Buckmaster passed Hayden on the brakes at turn seven on the final lap and beat him to the finish line by less than a bikelength.

Buckmaster’s win and bonus points for leading the most laps and earning the pole position bring him within 15 points of Supersport point leader and teammate Jamie Hacking.

Hacking, who led by 30 points going into the race, finished eighth.

Hayden’s teammate Tony Meiring came from seventh on lap four to claim the final spot on the podium by passing Aaron Gobert on the last lap. Yoshimura Suzuki’s Ben Spies, Honda’s Miguel Duhamel and Hacking followed Gobert across the line.

The Supersport race start was delayed over four hours due to changing weather, an oil spill, two lengthy clean-up attempts and extra practice sessions. The race was shortened from its original distance of 17 laps to 12 laps to beat an approaching rainstorm.

AMA Supersport Race Results:

1. Damon Buckmaster, Yamaha, 12 laps
2. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki, -0.034 second
3. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki, -5.926 seconds
4. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, -6.616 seconds
5. Ben Spies, Suzuki, -6.827 seconds
6. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha, -6.875 seconds
7. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, -8.016 seconds
8. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, -8.388 seconds
9. Jake Zemke, Honda, -16.816 seconds
10. Marty Craggill, Honda, -23.914 seconds
11. Lee Acree, Yamaha, -24.055 seconds
12. Alex Gobert, Honda, -24.634 seconds
13. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda, -24.661 seconds
14. Ty Howard, Honda, -32.846 seconds
15. Darren Luck, Suzuki, -34.773 seconds
16. Chris Rankin (of Texas), Honda, -41.267 seconds
17. Jason Curtis, Honda, -53.781 seconds
18. Dirk Sanchez, Kawasaki, -55.950 seconds
19. Michael Garofalo, Suzuki, -56.021 seconds
20. Nathan Dressman, Yamaha, -1 lap
21. Jeremy Haiduk, Yamaha, -1 lap
22. Chad Klock, Kawasaki, -1 lap
23. Crash Lowe, Suzuki, -1 lap
24. Marcus Winfree, Suzuki, -1 lap
25. Darby Brauning, Yamaha, -1 lap
26. Hector Romero, Yamaha, -9 laps, DNF
27. Adrian Jones, Suzuki, -10 laps, DNF
28. Chris Peris, Honda, -11 laps, DNF
29. Giovanni Rojas, Yamaha, -12 laps, DNF, crash
30. Mike Hale, Yamaha, -12 laps, DNF, crash
31. Chris Siebenhaar, Honda, -12 laps, DNF, crash


AMA Supersport Point Standings:

1. Hacking, 308 points
2. Buckmaster, 293 points
3. Spies, 228 points
4. Alex Gobert, 217 points
5. Meiring, 216 points
6. Zemke, 215 points
7. Tommy Hayden, 213 points
8. Aaron Gobert, 212 points
9. Roger Lee Hayden, 207 points
10. DiSalvo, 205 points


More, from a press release issued by Proforma:

LEE ACREE CARDS STRONG FINISHES AT VIRGINIA

Lee Acree went up against some of America’s most talented roadracers as a privateer this weekend at round ten of the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship, and came away with two strong finishes in the AMA Supersport and Superstock classes on his Triad Powersport Yamaha R6.

In the Genuine Suzuki Accessories Superstock event on Saturday, Lee qualified 14th and finished 15th against a field of more powerful 750cc machines. Tire issues kept Lee from taking advantage of the more nimble handling R6 that he was riding. A poor start didn’t help his effort. “My start was at least a tie for career worst,” joked Acree. “My original plan of getting a good start and using turn one to get with the lead pack turned into go to the outside for damage control and try and get back as many people as just went motoring by me on the start. I went by a couple of guys in turn one on the outside and went by a couple more here and there. First, Ciccotto got by me and then Chris (Ulrich). I tried to get by him on the last lap. I got within striking distance and actually got up beside him, but to make the pass would have been potentially detrimental at least to him if not both of us, and I figured where we were in the pack it wasn’t worth punting either one of us. As far as the tires, the rear was a compund that I hadn’t run all weekend and the rear grip wasn’t there. The front was great.”

Lee qualified in seventh position for the Pro Honda Oils Supersport race on Sunday, giving him a second row start. However, rain delayed the start some four hours and the tires that Acree chose did not perform as well as expected. Lee fought with both Roger Lee Hayden and Marty Cragill over tenth place, with Cragill passing Lee on the last lap and pushing Lee to 11th at the checkered flag. “I got an okay start and got down to turn one in about 14th, then tried to get past a couple more exiting turn one, but had to back off because they couldn’t see me. At the end of the first lap is where my progress ended. I was able to go by Roger the first time and was behind Duhamel and just couldn’t match the grip coming off the corners. I finally got Roger and then Cragill came by once and I went back by him. I had some steam on him, but once again, I just didn’t have the grip in the rear. Marty passed me on the last lap going into turn four and I had a chance to pass him back going into seven, but we came up on a lapper and Marty went to the right, which made me have to back off and killed my drive and passing opportunity there. At that point in the race, the right side of the tire just wasn’t there, and coming on the front straightaway I had it as sideways as I cold get it without it throwing me off. The tires were consistent, they were just never great.”