Waters and Maxwell split Aussie wins

From Team Suzuki News Service

Team Joe Rocket Suzuki rider Josh Waters has moved to within two points of the championship lead after executing a last-gasp pass to take a 0.024-sec. victory in the second race at the sixth round of the Australian Superbike Championship at Victoria's Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit last Sunday.

Run as a support event to the 2009 Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, the 22-year-old thrilled the Sunday crowd of over 50,000 as he battled with race-one winner Wayne Maxwell over the six-lap journey before timing a slipstream pass to perfection in the run down Gardner Straight to the checkered flag.

"Turns 11 and 12 are my favourite corners on the circuit and I knew I had to get drive out of them to have a chance of pulling off the pass," said Waters.

Waters, who finished second in the opening eight-lap Superbike race behind Maxwell by just 0.166 secs., has now moved to 251 points in the seven-round series, just two points behind defending champion Glenn Allerton.

Allerton finished third in each of the two championship races, with the 2009 title to be decided at the final round at Phillip Island on Nov. 27-29. Just nine points separates the three riders, setting up a thrilling finale.

Waters' Team Joe Rocket Suzuki team-mates Shawn Giles and Robbie Bugden rounded out a great day for the team with fourth and fifth placings overall, giving the new 2009 GSX-R1000K9 three of the top-five positions in only its fourth race meeting.

Bugden, the reigning New Zealand Superbike Champion, got the better of Giles by just 0.053 secs. in the opening eight-lap race to claim fifth place, with the three-time Australian Superbike Champion reversing the result in race two and finishing 0.044 secs. ahead of two-time champion Jamie Stauffer and Bugden seventh.

Waters recorded the fastest lap of race two with a 1:32.622 on his final lap as he set up for his pass on Maxwell, but the 22-year-old Superbike 'rookie' saw his national Superbike lap record of 1:32.471 fall to Maxwell in race one when the latter recorded a 1:32.316.

Waters, in his first season of Superbike racing, had entered the round 11 points adrift of Allerton and eight ahead of Maxwell, with Maxwell's bonus point for pole position giving him the overall round win from Waters.

"It's been a great day to be only two points off the championship lead - I'm looking forward to Phillip Island in a month's time," said Waters. "That win in race two is so important for the championship. Wayne is riding so well I knew it would be difficult to get past, but I knew where he was strong - and where I was too. I'd had a go at him in an earlier race, but made a small mistake and couldn't close down the gap. I knew I had to get good drive on to the straight to have a chance in that final race, but I really like those last two corners and everything worked as planned."

With one round remaining, Allerton leads on 253 points to Waters' 251. Maxwell lies third on 244 with Giles fourth (196pts) and Bugden fifth (184pts).

Superbike Overall Results
1 Wayne Maxwell; 2 Josh Waters; 3 Glenn Allerton; 4 Shawn Giles; 5 Robert Bugden; 6 Jamie Stauffer; 7 Jake Holden; 8 David Anthony; 9 Kevin Curtain; 10 Jordan Burgess

Superbike Championship Points (after 6 of 7 rounds)
1. Glenn Allerton 253; 2 Josh Waters 251; 3. Wayne Maxwell 244; 4. Shawn Giles 196; 5. Robert Bugden 184; 6. Jamie Stauffer 163; 7. Craig Coxhell 163; 8. Dan Stauffer 140; 9. Kevin Curtain 138; 10. Chris Trounson 104

Supersport Overall Results
1. Bryan Staring; 2. Jamie Stauffer; 3. Shannon Johnson; 4. Ben Attard; 5. Scott Charlton; 6. Troy Herfoss; 7. Christian Casella; 8. Brodie Waters; 9. Mitchell Pirotta; 10. Cameron Keevers

Supersport Championship Points (after 6 of 7 rounds)
1. Bryan Staring 275; 2. Jamie Stauffer 258; 3. Ben Attard 189; 4. Shannon Johnson 177; 5. Troy Herfoss 155; 6. Scott Charlton 155; 7. Christian Casella 141; 8. Chris Quinn 126; 9. Cameron Keevers 123; 10. Jed Metcher 114