ASBK: Maxwell wins epic opening race of 2010 season
Demolition Plus GAS Honda Racing’s Wayne Maxwell has won an epic opening race of the 2010 Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship this morning, the opening leg of this weekend’s season opener at Phillip Island featuring a four-way battle for the victory.
The 12-lap race started with Ducati Motologic Racing’s Jamie Stauffer firing the first shot with a sensational move into the lead around both Josh Waters (Team Suzuki) and Maxwell on the opening lap, before the leaders would swap positions multiple times throughout the journey.
Maxwell asserted himself at the front on the final two laps to eek out a 1.170 second victory ahead of Superbike returnee Bryan Staring (Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing) and defending champion Waters.
Staring made a last lap move past Waters at MG and held onto the position in the race to the line, while Stauffer had to settle for fourth after dropping 5.602 seconds behind Maxwell at the completion.
Stauffer scored the fastest lap of the race with a 1:34.266 early in the outing, with the leading four all breaking into the low 1:34s before the pace dropped back to 1:36s during the closing laps.
A solid fifth was Shannon Johnson in KTM’s debut on the 1190 RC8R with Evolution Sports Group, while trailing him was Waters’ teammate Shawn Giles, Racers Edge Suzuki’s Scott Charlton, Kris McLaren and Valvoline Superbike Team rider Glenn Allerton.
Allerton started strong in the early laps before gradually slipping down the order, with fulltime Superbike rookie Jordan Burgess making his debut with Ducati Motologic Racing in 10th.
Top Superstock 1000 A- and B-grade competitor in the field was Aluma-Lite Racing’s Ben Attard on a Ducati 1198 S.
The opening Supersport race of the day, second and final one of the weekend for the 600s, was won by Team Suzuki’s Troy Herfoss to secure the overall.
It was yet another barn burner to start the season with Brodie Waters (Sunstate Racing Suzuki) and Aaron Morris (Yamaha) battling had for second, eventually coming together at Turn Four and running off the circuit.
Morris recovered quickly to resume battle with Yamaha Racing Team’s Kevin Curtain, but his attempt to claim second was derailed on the last lap at Siberia with another off-track excursion.
That handed second to Curtain, while Waters crossed the line third ahead of a titanic battle between race one winner Christan Casella (AARK Racing Triumph), Jed Metcher (Yamaha), Chas Hern (Suzuki), Rick Olson (Yamaha), Ben Burke (Yamaha) and the determined Morris.
Second overall for the round was Casella, with Waters a solid third to join fellow Suzuki rider Herfoss on the podium at round one.
Stay tuned for race two of the Aussie Superbikes this afternoon, commencing at 2.30pm.
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