Staring slithers to superbike title

Honda rider Bryan Staring has clinched the 2010 Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship by a narrow 6.5-point margin with a nervous ride to eighth place on a wet and slippery track in the final round at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains Raceway this afternoon.

Today’s 16-lap race at the rain-swept 2.4km Launceston circuit was won by Wayne Maxwell (Honda), the only other rider still in contention for the 2010 title, but the 13 points Staring secured for eighth place assured him of the superbike crown.

“That was the hardest race I’ve ever ridden,” said Staring. “I got a reasonable start but got rain inside my helmet and started going backwards. I couldn’t see from about lap five.

“My plan was to sit in a safe place in the leading group in the early laps, but it didn’t work out that way. I’ll readily admit I was pretty nervous, especially after yesterday’s crash.”

Staring, the 2009 Australian supersport champion, had given his Honda team a nervous moment on Saturday morning when he crashed spectacularly during his Superpole qualifying lap, but fortunately emerged unscathed from his high-speed tumble at turn seven to secure fourth in the opening 14-lap race held on Saturday afternoon.

The 23-year-old’s 30-point haul from the weekend’s two Superbike races secured fifth overall for the round, but more importantly the 2010 championship.

Overall honours for the weekend went to race one winner Glenn Allerton (Honda), the 2008 Australian superbike champion backing up with third place in race two on Sunday.

“This place seems to suit me – I really like riding here,” said Allerton.

“It’s been a long time coming after what’s been a difficult year. At this stage I’m not sure what’s happening next year and whether I’ll even be racing.”

Maxwell finished second overall for the round from his fifth in Saturday’s race one and win in race two today, with outgoing Australian superbike champion Josh Waters third overall on his Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Allerton’s round win this weekend helped secure third overall in the championship for the Honda rider, 20 points ahead of Suzuki privateer Scott Charlton.

Earlier in the weekend, Suzuki rider Troy Herfoss claimed the 2010 Australian Supersport Championship with a narrow 0.135-second win over the Triumph 675 of arch rival Christan Casella on Saturday, making it a clean sweep for the weekend for the Suzuki rider with a second victory in Sunday’s race, again over Casella.

“I was watching the race on the Superscreen every time I went down the front straight, so I knew what sort of gap I had,” said Herfoss.

“My second season in Supersport has been close to perfect aboard the GSX-R600, it’s all panned out how I had planned and now I am hoping to get the chance to get on a superbike and keep chasing my dream.

“The Australian championship is very competitive and I really want to get a season or two behind me on a 1000cc machine before I look towards a ride overseas.”

Brodie Waters made it two Suzukis in the top three this year, finishing 21 points adrift of Casella.

“It was a good feeling to be able to wear the number plate for Sunday’s race – I really wanted to finish off the year with a win in that final race today.”

SUPERBIKE

RACE ONE (14 laps)

1 Glenn Allerton (NSW), Honda
2 Jamie Stauffer (NSW), Ducati
3 Josh Waters (Vic), Suzuki
4 Bryan Staring (Qld), Honda
5 Wayne Maxwell (Vic), Honda
6 Robbie Bugden (Qld), Suzuki
7 Scott Charlton (Vic), Suzuki
8 Kris McLaren (Vic), Honda
9 Beau Beaton (NSW), Ducati
10 Craig Coxhell (Vic), BMW

FASTEST LAP:  Glenn Allerton 54.1760

RACE TWO (16 laps)
1 Wayne Maxwell (Vic), Honda
2 Josh Waters (Vic), Suzuki
3 Glenn Allerton (NSW), Honda
4 Jamie Stauffer (NSW), Ducati
5 Ben Attard (Qld), Aprilia
6 Scott Charlton (Vic), Suzuki
7 Robbie Bugden (Qld), Suzuki
8 Bryan Staring (Qld), Honda
9 Kris McLaren (Vic), Honda
10 Craig Coxhell (Vic), BMW

FASTEST LAP: Wayne Maxwell 59.344

FINAL POINTS ( AFTER SIX ROUNDS ): SUPERBIKE: 1 Bryan Staring 241pts; 2 Wayne Maxwell 234.5; 3 Glenn Allerton 192; 4 Scott Charlton 172; 5 Jamie Stauffer 165; 6 Robbie Bugden 144; 7 Josh Waters 143.5; 8 Shawn Giles (NSW, Suzuki) 142.5; 9 Shannon Johnson (Vic, KTM) 119; 10 Kris McLaren 82.

SUPERSTOCK 1000 A: 1 2 Brendan Clarke (Qld, Honda) 231; 2 Craig Coxhell 225; 3 Chris Trounson (Vic, KTM) 204; 4 Ben Attard (Qld, Ducati) 153.5pts; 5 Cole Odendaal (Qld, BMW) 151.

SUPERSTOCK 1000 B: 1 Beau Beaton 232.5; 2 Danny Moulton (Vic), Yamaha 207; 3 Liam Daniels (Qld, Yamaha) 202; 4 Matt Griffin (Vic, Honda) 198; 5 Heath Brinsley (Vic, Suzuki) 178. 

SUPERSPORT
RACE ONE (14 laps)
1 Troy Herfoss (NSW), Suzuki
2 Christan Casella (Vic), Triumph
3 Brodie Waters (Vic), Suzuki
4 Aaron Gobert (NSW), Yamaha
5 Ben Burke (NSW), Yamaha
6 Nicholas Waters (Vic), Suzuki
7 Chris Quinn (NSW), Yamaha
8 Des Darby (Qld), Triumph
9 Ryan Taylor (Vic), Yamaha
10 Andy Lawson (Qld), Honda

FASTEST LAP: Christan Casella 56.176

RACE TWO(16 laps)

1 Troy Herfoss (NSW), Suzuki 
2 Christan Casella (Vic), Triumph
3 Aaron Gobert (NSW), Yamaha
4 Nicholas Waters (Vic), Suzuki
5 Brett Simmonds (Tas), Yamaha
6 Brodie Waters (Vic), Suzuki
7 Ben Burke (NSW), Yamaha
8 Des Darby (Qld), Triumph
9 Lawrence Gude (Tas), Suzuki
10 Andy Lawson (Qld), Honda

FASTEST LAP: Des Darby 1:01.723

FINAL POINTS ( AFTER SIX ROUNDS ): 1 Troy Herfoss 275pts; 2 Christan Casella 233; 3 Brodie Waters 212; 4 Aaron Gobert 164; 5 Chris Quinn 152; 6 Ben Burke 149; 7 Ryan Taylor 125; 8 Des Darby 111; 9 Andy Lawson 100; 10 Blake Leigh-Smith (Qld, Suzuki) 85.