Team Suzuki’s Josh Waters maintained his lead in the 2012 Australian Superbike Championship over the weekend, finishing second overall at Phillip Island in Victoria on 18-20 May.
Waters qualified second at the picturesque 4.445-kilometre Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on a weekend that saw the Superbikes compete alongside the V8 Supercars, before going on to seal two second place finishes in the pair of 12-lap races.
The 25-year-old from Mildura led seven laps in Saturday’s opening race and nine laps in race two on Sunday, but was edged out for the victory on both occasions by title rival Wayne Maxwell.
Waters finished 1.466 seconds behind Maxwell in race one and 0.571sec off the win in race two, but has retained the championship lead by a healthy 22.5-point margin following four of seven rounds.
“It was really close in all sessions and both races were good for us as far as the championship goes,” the 2009 series champion said. “Second isn’t a win, but it’s still good for me in what was a pretty tough weekend. I led for a lot of laps during the races, so we were definitely really close during the sessions and in the races. We’ll move onto Queensland now and hopefully do well up there.”
Queenslander Robbie Bugden made it two Suzukis on the podium at Phillip Island with third overall, bouncing back from an incident in Western Australia a fortnight ago to seal his second podium of the season. Despite a cracked tailbone and with his wrist not yet at 100 percent, Bugden qualified fourth via Superpole and raced on to 4-3 finishes.
“It was a good weekend for me and having two Suzukis on the podium is never a bad thing,” Team Volvo Group Suzuki satellite rider Bugden explained. “Phillip Island has always been a bit of a battle for me, so to pick up third place was great heading into my home round at Queensland next.
“The 2012 GSX-R1000 really suits me and it’s a full credit to the team after I crashed hard in Perth a couple of weeks ago. The guys work hard and I have to thank the entire Volvo Group Suzuki team for making my job easy. Hopefully we can climb a couple of steps up the podium in Queensland.”
Waters’ Team Suzuki teammate Ben Attard had a consistent weekend with sixth in both races and overall, but he’s aiming to compete further toward the front in upcoming rounds. During race one on Saturday, Attard was recorded with the fastest top speed of the weekend at a blisteringly quick 303km/h aboard the potent 2012 GSX-R1000.
“It wasn’t the best of weekends for me and I really feel like I’m letting the team down with the results I’m getting on that bike,” Attard reflected. “I know it’s capable of so much more, but at the end of the day that’s all I felt comfortable doing last weekend. I look forward to Queensland, where hopefully I can push through and get back up the front there.
“My GSX-R1000 is really quick and I was able to get a good draft when I recorded my top speed, but I seemed to have the quickest bike all weekend in the speed trap, so the team have done a great job of preparing the motorcycle. It’s definitely fast – I just need to go through the turns a bit quicker!”
Bugden now sits fifth in the championship chase and in a position to battle for an outright podium, while Attard is directly behind him in sixth following a consistent maiden season with Team Suzuki to date.
Team Suzuki Supersport regular Brodie Waters returned for his second Superbike outing on the GSX-R1000, claiming ninth overall as he gains further experience in the sport’s premier category on a domestic level. With ninth in race one and a promising eighth in the second, Waters enjoyed the additional seat time during the weekend.
“The weekend went well for me and I was able to get faster in every session,” Waters commented. “It was good to battle with the likes of Ben Attard and Scotty Charlton, even though I was further back than where I’d like to be.
“Those guys have a lot of experience, so it’s good to learn a little bit from them what Superbike racing is all about. I had a little bit of arm-pump, but I look forward to more seat time in the future.”
Victorian privateer Chas Hern took over the lead in the Australian Prostock Championship at Phillip Island, riding his superstock-specification GSX-R1000 to the round win. Hern finished second in race one before taking the win in race two, cementing the overall. Hern claimed a new Prostock lap record of Phillip Island with a 1:36.024 and now enjoys a nine-point lead in the series.
The Australian Superbike and Supersport series will be back in action at Queensland Raceway in a standalone event on 1-3 June.
Round Four, 2012 AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
Superbike Round Results:
1. Wayne MAXWELL 51
2. Joshua WATERS (Team Suzuki) 40
3. Robert BUGDEN (Team Volvo Group Suzuki) 35
4. Jamie STAUFFER 34
5. Glenn ALLERTON 33
6. Ben ATTARD (Team Suzuki) 30
7. Scott CHARLTON (Racers Edge Performance Suzuki) 27
8. Ben HENRY (Cube Racing Suzuki) 26
9. Brodie WATERS (Team Suzuki) 25
Superbike Championship Standings:
1. Joshua WATERS (Team Suzuki) 170.5
2. Wayne MAXWELL 148
3. Glenn ALLERTON 129
4. Jamie STAUFFER 121.5
5. Robert BUGDEN (Team Volvo Group Suzuki) 118
6. Ben ATTARD (Team Suzuki) 115.5
7. Ben HENRY (Cube Racing Suzuki) 106.5
8. Scott CHARLTON (Racers Edge Performance Suzuki) 89
9. Brodie WATERS (Team Suzuki) 45
10. Chris TROUNSON 26
About SUZUKI
Formed as a weaving loom manufacturer in 1909, Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan started producing motorcycles in 1952.
Suzuki is an established brand in the Australian market, as the third-highest selling motorcycle brand.
For further information on Suzuki products, interested customers should visit their local Suzuki dealer, who can be found through the Dealer Locator on www.suzuki.com.au.
For further information contact:
Sou Fong
Event / Racing Coordinator
Suzuki Australia - Motorcycles
Ph: (03) 9931 5590
Email: sou_fong@suzuki.com.au
