16^th October – #47 Wayne Maxwell takes the overall round honors today for the 2^nd event in a row in the Australian Superbike Category at the 2011 IVECO MotoGP at Phillip Island.
 

 With 4 races scheduled for the Superbikes at the MotoGP only 3 were run as Race 2 yesterday was cancelled due to an oil spill on the track causing lengthy delays.

 
 
After a convincing win in Race 1, Maxwell gave a repeat performance in Race 3 winning with a 2.514 sec gap ahead of Allerton.  Race 3 for Jamie Stauffer was not so positive when he lost the front end of his CBR1000RR on lap 4; his race was finished.
 
Today’s final race of the event for the Superbikes, Race 4 was declared wet when the heavens opened just before the race start and it was then shortened to 5 laps.  Maxwell got off the starting line in the lead, but a spectacular moment on the first lap saw Maxwell leap from his seat yet somehow manage to recover his composure, dropping him back to 3^rd where he remained until the chequered flag.
 
From his P1 position on the grid, #27 Jamie Stauffer finished Race 4 in 2^nd place just .398 sec behind Allerton.  Stauffer finished 8^th overall for the event.
 
Stauffer:  “It was good to finish the final race in 2^nd place although I would have liked to have had more success in the previous 2 races.  This round does not count towards our Australian Championship points though so it was useful to gain more information on the set up of the CBR1000RR as we head to Tasmania for Round 7 of our Championship.”
 
Maxwell is also focusing on the penultimate round of the Australian Superbike Championship as he looks to increase his points and take a place on the podium.

 
Maxwell:  “Today’s race was a bit different to the other 2 with such changeable weather and having to swap bikes on the grid when the rain started.  I got a bit caught out on the first lap with a near crash, but managed to recover which was good. Towards the end of the race I felt comfortable and was able to increase my pace.  I finished 3^rd which is ok and to take the overall win for weekend was terrific.”
 
Team Principle Paul Free is pleased to take the overall round win for Honda and comes away from the MotoGP with some valuable data to take into Round 7 of the Superbike Championship.
 
Free:  “It has been a very successful but trying weekend for Team Honda Racing.  It is awesome for Wayne to take his 2^nd round win in a row and some race victories, but disappointing for Jamie to have the weekend that he had.  The schedule for the GP for the Australian Superbike category is not ideal but it does provide some valuable track time on the very circuit we will finish our championship on at the end of the year.  The information gathered throughout the weekend with incidents like Jamie’s crash highlights areas we need to develop to strengthen our motorcycle.  Moving forward we know exactly what we need to do to win both remaining rounds of the Australian Superbike Championship in Tasmania and Phillip Island.”
 
Team Honda Racing will compete in Round 7 of the ASBK at Symmons Plains Raceway on November 12^th and 13^th.
 

15^th October 2011 – Race 1 of 4 for the Australian Superbike Category belonged to Team Honda Racing yesterday at the 2011 IVECO MotoGP as #47 Wayne Maxwell took the chequered flag 2.461 seconds ahead of Troy Herfoss.  Team Honda Racing’s #27 Jamie Stauffer came in 5^th place after initially leading the 8 lap race.
 
The Honda riders started the race from P1 (Stauffer) and P3 (Maxwell) after Stauffer recorded the fastest lap in Qualifying with a 1:34.357 seconds, but the race was Maxwell’s as he took the lead in the second lap and was untouchable to the finish line.

 Maxwell:  “I’m really happy to take the win for the first race of the event, we still have some changes to make to the set-up of the CBR1000RR for the next race, but it is great to have the Honda at the front from the beginning of the weekend.”
 
Stauffer is keen to take to the grid once more for Race 2 this morning and get back to the front of the field.
 
Stauffer:  “It was great that Wayne took the win for Race 1 yesterday for Honda and I’m really looking forward to giving him a run for his money this morning.  The team made a couple of minor changes overnight so we will see what happens for today’s 2 races.”

The thirty-fourth annual Suzuka 8 Hour Endurance Race presents a rare and immensely exciting opportunity for the Team Honda Racing Riders Jamie Stauffer and Wayne Maxwell.  The pair has been named as the team representing Team Sakurai Honda, at this year’s event.
 
In a break from the traditional team formation of two bikes and a Japanese lead rider, the all-Australian line up of Stauffer and Maxwell will field just one Honda CBR1000RR and form the team in its entirety.  The riders currently race in the Australian Superbike Championship for the Factory Honda Superbike Team under the guidance of Team Principle Paul Free of Motologic.

 
With the support of HRC behind Team Sakurai Honda and the fact that the riders are team mates already in Team Honda Racing; Stauffer and Maxwell believe the team stands a very good chance of winning.
 
Both Australian riders have experience at the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hour Race.  In 2007 Stauffer teamed up with the late Norick Abe to finish a very strong ninth.  That same year, a very busy year for Stauffer, he also won the Australian Superbike Title.
 
Stauffer:  “I am really excited to be returning to Japan to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hour Race and I feel honoured that Team Sakurai Honda has chosen Wayne and I to compete as an all-Australian team.  The opportunity for us is fantastic.  The team itself is a highly professional and successful team and I believe our chance for a podium is very high.”
 
In 2010 Maxwell competed with the then Dream RT Sakurai Honda Team at the Suzuka 8 Hour teamed up with Chojun Kameya so he is no stranger to the team.
 
Maxwell:  “Last year I competed with Kameya-san in the Suzuka 8 Hour Race with the Honda Dream RT Sakurai Honda Team which was an incredible experience.  This year, the team have decided to run an all-Australian team with one CBR1000RR which is definitely an honour.  I firmly believe we stand a strong chance to take a podium position.  The formula is looking good; Team Sakurai Honda is an outstanding team, Jamie and I are current team mates on a CBR1000RR with Team Honda Racing and both Jamie and I have experience at the Suzuka 8 Hour Race.  Is it a wining formula?  I can’t wait to find out!”
 
When the invitation was extended to Team Honda Racing’s Team Principle, Paul Free for his riders to compete together as the team for Team Sakurai Honda he was understandably very excited.
 
Free:  “When Sakurai-san floated the idea of utilising both our riders in their team to compete at the Suzuka 8 Hour Race I was thrilled, the Suzuka 8 Hour race is such a highly regarded and represented event.  Over the years we have seen some extremely well-known Aussies compete and win this event, and to put the two Team Honda Racing riders out there on an HRC-supported CBR1000RR with a team like Team Sakurai Honda, I believe Jamie and Wayne have a fantastic opportunity to do extremely well in the race.”
 
The dream begins with testing at Suzuka International Racing Course, the Suzuka 8 Hour circuit, on the 12^th, 13^th and 15^th July with the main event being held later that month on the 31^st July.