NGK Spark Plugs Australia

Team Joe Rocket Suzuki rider Josh Waters gave the new Suzuki GSX-R1000K9 a dream debut when he powered to overall victory at the fourth round of the Australian Superbike Championship at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway on Sunday, August 9.

Waters’ victory also resulted in a debut win for the Team Joe Rocket Suzuki GSX-R1000K9.

The 22-year-old, who had qualified in pole position in Saturday’s Superpole Shootout, also claimed a new Superbike lap record for the 3.93km Sydney circuit as he charged to victory in race two.

Waters’ benchmark 1:30.998, set on lap three, was just 0.538sec shy of the outright motorcycle record of 1:30.360 held by Spaniard Alex Criville on a 500cc Grand Prix bike.

Waters’ win in race two, close second in race one to reigning Australian Superbike Champion Glenn Allerton and bonus point for qualifying in pole position moved the Victorian to within 7pts of the championship lead with three rounds still to run.

In his first season of Superbike racing, Waters admitted he was outsmarted by Allerton on the last lap of race one when the reigning champion muscled his way past the Superbike rookie to claim victory by a mere 0.150sec.

But Waters commented he was not going to make the same mistake twice, and led every lap of race two as he gave his new 2009-model Suzuki GSX-R1000 a debut win in the series.

“The new bike is awesome, but I felt like I let the team down in that opening race when Glenn got past on the last lap,” said Waters. “I wasn’t going to let that happen in race two, so I put my head down and tried to break away in the early laps."

“It’s been a great day, and I can’t thank the team enough.”

Waters fastest lap in race two came on lap three as he broke clear of the pursuing pack, his new lap record of 1:30.998 testimony to his pace.

Three-time Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles and reigning New Zealand Superbike Champion Robert Bugden finished fourth and fifth overall respectively, the two Team Joe Rocket Suzuki riders rounding out a memorable weekend for the team with three riders in the top five.

Giles had topped the timesheet after Friday’s practice sessions before strong winds battered the Sydney circuit. Saturday’s qualifying was unfortunately hindered by a bug in the ECU programming, however the problem was rectified in time for Sunday’s racing.

“The bike performed faultlessly on Friday and raceday,” said Giles. “Phil was able to isolate the bug that effected qualifying and had the GSX-R1000 dialled in come Sunday.”

Second overall for the round with a win over Waters in the opening heat and third in heat two was Allerton, with Wayne Maxwell third (4th, 2nd).

Waters has now closed the points gap to series leader Allerton to just 7pts (177 to 170). Maxwell lies third on 147pts. With Giles fourth (133pts) and Bugden fifth (120pts), Team Joe Rocket Suzuki has three riders in the top five.

In the Australian Supersport Championship 22-year-old Troy Herfoss had a meeting of highs and lows on his Team Joe Rocket Suzuki GSX-R600.

Herfoss, the 2008 US Supermoto Champion and in his first full season of road racing, proved how quickly his learning curve is developing with the fastest lap in race one and a podium finish in race two.

In both races Herfoss was in a winning position as he battled with reigning Supersport champion Jamie Stauffer and Bryan Staring, losing out to his more experienced adversaries by just 1.302sec in race two to finish third.

In race one a missed downshift as he entered Turn Nine on lap six sent Herfoss crashing to the tarmac, but by then he’d signalled his ability to run at the front of the Supersport pack.

Stauffer took overall round honours in the Australian Supersport Championship from Bryan Staring courtesy of the bonus point for pole position, with Shannon Johnson third. Stauffer and Staring shared a win and second a piece.

The next round of the 2009 Australian Superbike Championship is at South Australia’s Mallala Motorsport Park on 28-30 August, 2009.