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Team Joe Rocket Suzuki rider Josh Waters headed a blitz on the Superbike lap record during this afternoon’s opening practice session for this weekend’s fifth round of the Woodstock Bourbon Australian Superbike Championship at South Australia’s Mallala Motorsport Park.

In blustery conditions that saw a strong headwind affecting lap times, Waters reeled off a best lap of 1:05.952 to head Team Motologic Oleon Oils Honda rider Wayne Maxwell by just 0.033sec, with Maxwell’s teammate and championship leader Glenn Allerton a further 0.226sec adrift.

All three riders were under the Superbike lap record of 1:06.297 for the 2.6km circuit, held by Yamaha Racing Team rider Jamie Stauffer. Stauffer struggled today on his Yamaha YZF-R1, ending the day sixth fastest as he battled set-up problems.

For Waters it was business as usual this afternoon as he continued his hot form from the previous round at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway three weeks ago, where he took the overall honours after qualifying his 2009-model GSX-R1000 in pole position.

“It was difficult early on to get a good time today as the wind was really strong and kept blowing the bike around,” said 22-year-old Waters. “I tried to be consistent, and when the wind dropped towards the end of the session I was able to get a good time down.”

Fourth fastest this afternoon was three-time champion Shawn Giles, the Team Joe Rocket Suzuki rider fortunate to regain control of his bike when it slewed sideways at over 200km/h through Mallala’s daunting right-hand kink.

“They’ve got so much power the rear tyre spins up all the time on these things,” said Giles. “You get used to it after a while, although this time it was a little more than usual.”

The top four on the timesheet today occupy the top four positions in the seven-round championship, with Waters trailing defending champion Allerton by just seven points – 177 to 170. Maxwell lies third on 147, with Giles 133.

Although third fastest on the timesheet Allerton’s Honda CBR1000RR was fastest through today’s speed trap at 228km/h, the 28-year-old commenting that it was hard work getting through Mallala’s infamous kink in the blustery conditions.

“I’d be lying if I said I can get through there with the throttle fully open,” said the 28-year-old. “I have to roll off the gas momentarily as I enter the kink, and then I push on the outside footpeg to push my body to the inside and help make the bike change direction.

“If you just try and open the throttle without using your body to balance the bike the tyre spins up and the whole bike goes sideways. And that’s not good at around 220km/h!”

Allerton’s victory in the top-speed battle edged out Waters’ and Maxwell’s best by 4km/h, with the latter commenting that he wasn’t concerned by the difference to his teammate.

“Corner speed is where it’s at, and I’m ahead on the timesheet at the moment,” grinned Maxwell. “That’s what matters most.”

Official qualifying takes place tomorrow afternoon, with the fastest eight riders then undertaking a Superpole Shootout to determine the top eight grid positions.

In the Insure My Ride Australian Supersport Championship defending champion Jamie Stauffer topped the timesheet on his Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R6, his 1:07.613 getting the better of privateer Yamaha rider Scott Charlton by 0.307sec.

Stauffer’s Yamaha Racing Team teammate and current championship leader Bryan Staring was third fastest today, with Kawasaki’s Ben Attard rounding out the top four in the Supersport field.

Official qualifying for all six national championship classes – Superbike, Supersport, Superstock 1000, Superstock 600, 125GP/250GP Mono and Sidecar – takes place tomorrow.

AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP, ROUND FIVE, MALLALA MOTORSPORT PARK, MALLALA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2009

PRACTICE TIMES

SUPERBIKE
1 Josh Waters (Vic), Suzuki 1:05.952
2 Wayne Maxwell (Vic), Honda 1:05.985
3 Glenn Allerton (NSW), Honda 1:06.211
4 Shawn Giles (NSW), Suzuki 1:06.343
5 Robert Bugden (Qld), Suzuki 1:06.449
6 Jamie Stauffer (NSW), Yamaha 1:06.481
7 Craig Coxhell (Vic), Honda 1:06.817
8 Dan Stauffer (Qld), Yamaha 1:07.400
9 Kevin Curtain (NSW), Kawasaki 1:07.452
10 Zac Davies (NSW), Yamaha 1:07.540

SUPERSPORT
1 Jamie Stauffer (NSW), Yamaha 1:07.613
2 Scott Charlton (Vic), Yamaha 1:07.920
3 Bryan Staring (WA), Yamaha 1:07.973
4 Ben Attard (Qld), Kawasaki 1:08.184
5 Cole Odendaal (Qld), Yamaha 1:08.244
6 Shannon Johnson (Vic), Honda 1:08.305
7 Christian Casella (Vic), Yamaha 1:08.379
8 Troy Herfoss (NSW), Suzuki 1:08.526
9 Jed Metcher (Vic), Yamaha 1:08.683
10 Brodie Waters (Vic), Honda 1:08.940

Click here for detailed results