i-Style Natural Aprilia Racing Enjoys Top End Podium Success

i-Style Natural Aprilia Racing Team rider Ben Attard put in a stunning weekend performance to finish in third place overall for the round held at Darwin’s impressive Hidden Valley Raceway over the weekend 15-17 April.
 

The weekend started strongly before the team even arrived at the track with the coup of securing the services of world renowned technical guru - and former racer - Warren Willing to accelerate the chassis development of the i-Style Natural Aprilia RSV-4.
 

The team worked hard in practice and qualifying to find a good setup for the demands of the technical Hidden Valley layout. Second fastest in qualifier one and fourth overall in regulation qualifying was a good result. In the pressure packed QBE Superpole Shootout Ben scorched around the demanding circuit - his fastest lap of the weekend, improving one position to third. A front row grid position a deserving result for all the hard work put in by the team, and rider Attard.
 

The best conditions of the weekend greeted the teams for Sundays all important seventeen lap races. Ben got a flying start in race one and completed the first lap in second position. The early laps were hectic with multiple passing manoeuvres by the top 6 riders every lap.

Eventually the field settled down and Ben rode to a strong fourth place finish behind race winner Josh Waters, who set a new lap record.
 

 

Race two saw another great start by Ben to complete lap one again in second place. Passed by championship leader Glenn Allerton, on lap two Ben settled into a fast rhythm as the lead three riders broke away from the remainder of the field, the top end heat using all the riders’ reserves of fitness. With the freight train of Allerton, Waters and Attard and two thirds of the race completed, and only three tenths separating the top three , it was anyone’s guess as to who would win the race. With the laps winding down and a safe third place on offer Ben rode the i-Style Natural Aprilia home to place third overall for the round.
 

“This weekend’s been great, we’ve got some new parts - and Steve has got Warren Willing in and we’re moving forward in leaps and bounds - we’ve really broken away from that second tier group now and now we’re up the front. In the second race I was moving in on them but made a few mistakes and just had to calm down a bit, there were good points on offer and to be third in the championship one point off second – we’re coming on strong” said an excited Attard.


Team owner Steve Trinder was delighted with the whole team’s effort over the weekend “This has been a great weekend for the team, also getting Warren on board has been a tremendous step forward - he’s renowned as one of the best chassis development engineers in the world. He knows there is still more to do so this is all very exciting for us. Second fastest in first qualifying and then third in Superpole and third in the race and round, the Aprilia is now ready and we are all very excited”.
 

 

Round four of the Viking Group ASBK will be held at Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway in conjunction with the V8Supercar Championship over the weekend 29 April to 1 May.
 

The i-Style Natural Aprilia Racing team’s assault on the 2011 Viking Group ASBK would not be possible without the continued, ongoing support of their sponsors, Motul, RST Leathers, Alpinestars, RK Chain, Goodridge, Sportsbike, Monza Imports & Archers Paint & Panel who have all been long time supporters of the team.


2011 Viking Group asbk Superbike Championship Series Points:
1 G Allerton (BMW) 138, 2 T Herfoss (Suzuki) 101, 3 B Attard (i-Style Natural Aprilia) 100, 4 C Coxhell (Honda) 90, 5 J Waters (Suzuki) 88, J Stauffer (Honda) 84.