Racing: Stauffer to lead Ducati superbike team

Jamie Stauffer has finally been confirmed as the lead rider to steer Ducati's fortunes in the 2010 Australian Superbike Championship.

Stauffer, a two-time national superbike champion with Yamaha, will line up on this year's grid alongside young team-mate Jordan Burgess, as Ducati's makes its official return to racing for the first time since 1999. For its re-entry, Ducati has enlisted the services of the Melbourne-based Motologic Racing - a former collaborator with Honda - to make it happen.

Stauffer has just come off a difficult 2009 with Yamaha, where the former perennial front-runner regularly found himself labouring in the second half of the top 10.

With Yamaha now officially pulling out superbike racing, the former dirt track star has found a new home at Motologic Ducati - and his contingency plan of racing speedway in the UK has now been put on hold for at least another year!

"I am really excited about joining forces with Motologic and Ducati Motologic," said Stauffer. "It's a professionally run team lead by Paul Free who has a lot of experience in leading a team to victory.  I feel that with a team of this calibre on a bike as successful in superbike racing as Ducati, we definitely have a formula for a successful year.

"It's great to see Ducati back in the Australian Superbike Championship and I will do my best to have it at the front of the field.  I am looking forward to testing the bike and competing in the first round of the ASBK at Phillip Island in February (26-28)."

Burgess finished second in last year's inaugural superstock 1000 title.

Round one of the Australian Superbike Championship will be held as a support to the world superbike round at Phillip Island.

Click on the following link to buy tickets to the event.