Ducati's Jamie Stauffer claimed Superpole at Phillip Island this morning alongside the V8 Supercars. Image: TBG Sport/Andrew Gosling.

Ducati Motologic’s Jamie Stauffer secured his and the Italian manufacturer’s maiden Superpole victory in a thrilling eight-rider showdown at Phillip Island’s sixth round of the Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship this morning.

Stauffer completed a spectacular lap as the final man to enter the circuit in Superpole, lapping fastest through each of the splits as he extracted every inch of performance out of the factory 1198R.

A fastest lap of 1:34.2100 was good enough to seal the pole for former dual champion Stauffer, setting him up as the favourite for this afternoon’s race after also lapping quickest in regular qualifying.

“It was a great lap – I can’t believe how tight I was during the lap,” Stauffer admitted. “I used to be good at the one-lap dashes, I haven’t been up here in a long time so I was trying pretty hard and it’s good to win the pole position.”

Second fastest was Demolition Plus GAS Honda Racing’s Wayne Maxwell with a 1:34.8040, also a superb lap as he aggressively negotiated the 4.445-kilometre oceanside circuit.

Maxwell pipped fellow Honda rider Bryan Staring’s best of 1:34.9660 on the Cougar Bourbon-backed CBR1000RR, while completing the front row was Valvoline Superbike Team’s 2008 champion Glenn Allerton.

Heading the second row in fifth was a solid performance from KTM’s Shannon Johnson, while the Phil Tainton Racing-prepared Suzukis of Shawn Giles, Scott Charlton and Robert Bugden completed the Superpole contenders.

Superbike race one is scheduled to take to place 1:37pm this afternoon, with live coverage set to be televised on Channel 7’s V8 Supercars telecast with Aaron Noonan and Ken Wootton heading up the commentary team.

The Supersport category will also race today, that event scheduled to run on 3:10pm this afternoon.