Waters put the brand new GSX-R1000K9 on Superpole at Eastern Creek's ASBK round

Team Joe Rocket Suzuki’s Josh Waters won Superpole for the fourth round of the Woodstock Bourbon Australian Superbike Championship at Eastern Creek in New South Wales today, riding his brand new 2009 model GSX-R1000 to the fastest lap in the one-lap shootout.

Waters’ blistering lap of 1:31.166 was good enough to edge out Yamaha Racing Team brothers Daniel and Jamie Stauffer, who are having their best weekend to date on the big-bang YZF-R1, while defending champion Glenn Allerton is fourth for Motologic Racing Honda.

Rounding out the top eight Superpole contestants on row two is Allerton’s teammate Wayne Maxwell, lining up alongside Craig Coxhell, Robbie Bugden and Shawn Giles to complete row two.

Visit the official Computime website here for detailed results throughout the classes from all the weekend’s action so far. MotoOnline.com.au will have instant race updates directly after each race tomorrow for the Superbike and Supersport classes, with images and video still to come.

More, from a press release issued by International Entertainment Group:

Team Joe Rocket Suzuki rider Josh Waters reeled off a stunning lap of 1:31.166 to claim pole position and a bonus championship point for this weekend’s fourth round of the Woodstock Bourbon Australian Superbike Championship at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway.

Waters’ lap came in the one-lap Superpole Shootout for the top eight riders after he had qualified fourth quickest in regulation qualifying for the 28-rider field.

“I knew I’d done a good lap as the time flashed up on my data display as I crossed the finish line, but at first I didn’t believe it,” said Waters, who is in his first season of Superbike racing.

“It was only when I got back to the pits that I realised I’d got pole. It would have been even faster, except I made a mistake at Turn One which probably cost me a tenth or two.”

It was an impressive performance by the 22-year-old Superbike rookie, who has the added responsibility of debuting the new 2009-model Suzuki GSX-R1000 at this weekend’s round of the series.

Waters’ one-lap pole lap time was just 0.109sec outside the Superbike lap record of 1:31.057 for the 3.93km Sydney circuit, held by Yamaha Racing Team rider and two-time Australian Superbike Champion Jamie Stauffer.

Stauffer, who topped the timesheet after today’s two regulation qualifying sessions, secured a front row start with the third fastest time in Superpole, 0.367sec adrift of Waters and just 0.066sec shy of elder brother and teammate Daniel, who will start from position two in tomorrow’s two 13-lap races.

Dan Stauffer’s jump from eighth after regulation qualifying was impressive, the Yamaha Racing Team rider the first on track in the top-eight one-lap Shootout.

“I had a fresh tyre which had been scrubbed in on the last lap of the final qualifying session, and it was a pretty clean Superpole lap,” said the 32-year-old. “A front row start is important, and that’s what we’ve got.”

Completing the front row of the grid is reigning Australian Superbike champion and current championship points leader Glenn Allerton, the Team Motologic Honda CBR1000RR happy to secure a front-row start after languishing down the grid prior to the one-lap Superpole run-off.

“I had some troubles on Friday with the bike wanting to wheely every where,” said Allerton. “It just wouldn’t keep its front wheel on the ground, but we seem to be heading in the right direction.”

Privateer Craig Coxhell had earlier surprised his more fancied and more heavily funded rivals aboard his CJC Racing/Bisley Workwear Honda CBR1000RR by holding on to top spot on the timesheet for the majority of regulation qualifying, only being dislodged in the closing minutes of the second session by Jamie Stauffer.

Coxhell dropped from second to fifth in the Superpole Shootout, but remained confident he can run with the front pack in tomorrow’s two 13-lap races.

The biggest shock in Superpole came from three-time Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles, who had been quickest in Friday’s demanding conditions when wind gusts reached 60km/h. Giles, the most experienced rider in the field, could only salvage eighth-fastest time in the one-lap Shootout when his bike developed technical problems on the one lap which counted most.

“After surviving those wind gusts, debris on the circuit, and flying chairs on Friday it was disappointing to end up eighth fastest today,” said Giles. “Still, second row is better than row three, and I know the bike has the pace to run at the front.”

Like Waters, Giles is debuting the new 2009 Suzuki GSX-R1000 in the Australian Superbike Championship this weekend.

Under clear blue skies and improved weather conditions today the Superbikes were hitting speeds of 285km/h into Turn One, up 10km/h on the best speeds recorded in yesterday’s windy conditions.

Friday’s violent windstorm had seen Australia’s top Superbike riders ducking for cover as debris was blown across the 3.93km circuit, with Giles lucky to avoid colliding with a flying plastic chair in the day’s final practice session.

“All of a sudden this giant gust came out of nowhere,” said Giles. “I was just about to tip into Turn Three and I saw a plastic chair up above my head and heading straight for me. It was just luck that I didn’t hit it.”

After three rounds, 28-year-old Allerton leads the seven-round series on 134 points from Waters (125pts), with Allerton’s Team Motologic Honda teammate Wayne Maxwell (110pts) and Giles (101pts) third and fourth respectively.

In the Insure My Ride Australian Supersport Championship defending champion Jamie Stauffer topped the timesheet on his Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R6, his 1:32.627 underneath his own lap record of 1:32.654 for the 3.93km circuit and good enough to have placed the 30-year-old an impressive 10th on the Superbike timesheet.

Team Joe Rocket Suzuki rider Troy Herfoss was second fastest in the Supersport category, with Yamaha Racing Team’s Bryan Staring and Team Kawasaki rider Ben Attard completing the front row for tomorrow’s two 13-lap Supersport races.