Bucky back on a Kawasaki

[MadKaw]

Damon Buckmaster Makes a Return To Aussie Superbikes As Lap Records Tumble At ASC Winton Test

JAMIE ON TOP AT WINTON TEST…
…AS RECORDS AND RIDERS TUMBLE

Yamaha Racing Team rider Jamie Stauffer topped the timesheet at the end of the two-day ASC factory teams’ test session at Victoria’s Winton Raceway on May 5-6 – but had to pick himself up off the slippery Winton track surface to do so.

Stauffer was one of a number of riders to fall victim to the technical Winton circuit in the cool weather, with YRT teammate – and brother – Dan, Teknic Honda rider Jason O’Halloran and Sunstate racing rider Judd Greedy also having step-offs.

Stauffer’s fastest lap of 1:22.0 was a tenth of a second under his own Superbike lap record, an impressive time given it was set on old rubber in conditions that were far from ideal.

“The front tucked at tank corner and I was down,” said Stauffer. “It was a low-speed fall, there was no damage, and I was able to ride the bike back to the pits.”

Championship leader Glenn Allerton was second fastest on his Teknic Honda CBR1000RR, also under Stauffer’s lap record, with Day One pace-setter Dan Stauffer third on the combined timesheet.

The elder Stauffer crashed on Day One when he ground his YZF-R1’s fairing in one of the slow rights.

“We’ve had to raise the bike to give it more clearance,” said YRT manager Kev Marshall. “The lean angles here are impressive.”

All four factory-backed Superbike teams were limited in their testing by a shortage of new rubber, the next shipment of Dunlop race slicks still a day or two away.

“We’re even using some used tyres from 2007,” added Marshall.

Jeremy Crowe was quickest in Supersport on his Dunlop-shod Yamaha Racing Team YZF-R6, his 1:23.9 just one tenth clear of the Pirelli-shod Teknic Honda CBR600RR of Wayne Maxwell.

Intermittent rain showers throughout Day One limited on-track activity on the Monday. Although the showers were generally light and brief, the cool conditions didn’t allow the track to dry sufficiently for meaningful lap times to be recorded.

A further complication on Day Two surfaced early afternoon when water began seeping past some of the sealant patches and through cracks in the track surface. Worst affected was the left-hand sweeper (Turn Four), with water running across the racing line.

Another seepage patch caught out Greedy, who crashed spectacularly two thirds of the way along the side after exiting Turn Nine. Greedy was battered and bruised in the get-off with a sore back and elbow the main damage. He was fortunate to escape major injury.

O’Halloran was another of the crashers, losing the front-end at the change of direction after exiting the sweeper. Suspected ligament damage to his knee will now mean a race against time to be fully fit for the upcoming round.

Absent from the two-day test session were Kawasaki Racing Team riders Shannon Johnson and Scott Charlton, both nursing injuries from recent training accidents. Charlton fractured his scaphoid in a heavy-landing jet-ski incident on Anzac Day, with Johnson damaging his shoulder ligaments in a pushbike crash on Friday, May 2 when he was forced off the road by an inattentive driver.

Recalled from retirement to fill the vacant ZX-10R saddle(s) at the Winton test was ex-TKA rider Damon Buckmaster. Buckmaster’s last race was for Attack Kawasaki in the US in September 2006. His last race at Winton was back in 1998.

“It’s taking a while to get up to speed,” said 35-year-old Buckmaster. “I really need to get some track time, so losing most of Monday because of the weather was frustrating. I’ve been out of racing for 19 months – just doing some enduro riding.”

Present at the test but not riding was Yamaha Racing Team rider Bryan Staring, the 20-year-old nursing the scars of his recent high-speed Mallala get-off.

“My right wrist turned out to be okay – just some skin missing,” said Staring. “However, my left wrist was dislocated and there’s some damage to the ligaments and scaphoid. It looks like I’ll need an operation to wire things back together. I’m seeing one of Melbourne’s top hand surgeons this Friday (May 9) to get a second opinion.”

Yamaha Racing Team riders Jamie and Dan Stauffer worked primarily on bike set-up and suspension, as did the Teknic Honda duo of championship leader Glenn Allerton and Jason O’Halloran.

“We’ve done some more development on the bike since Mallala and it’s got more power, so I’ve been working on the rear set-up to improve drive out of the turns,” said Allerton. “I spent most of Tuesday afternoon working on the one corner.”

KRT boss Dave ‘Radar’ Cullen concentrated his efforts on fine-tuning the ZX-10R’s ‘anti-spike’ engine management system, as well as taming the ZX-10R’s power delivery to make it easier for new recruit Buckmaster to ride on the tight Winton layout.

Team Joe Rocket Suzuki riders Shawn Giles and Craig Coxhell were further down the timesheet than expected as they too searched for drive off the turns, and confidence in the front-end.

2007 Superbike runner-up Coxhell has struggled with ‘feel’ from the front-end of his TJRS GSX-R1000 so far in 2008.

“It’s a new multi-compound front tyre this year, and I’ve struggled to get confidence in it,” said Coxhell. “It’s the same tyre as everyone else is using, so it’s a matter of dialling in the front-end to suit.

“There have been new lap records at every track we’ve visited so far in 2008 (Phillip Island, Eastern Creek and Mallala), so there’s nothing wrong with the tyre. I did some good times Monday morning before the weather closed in, so I’m looking forward to Winton in a few weeks to get my championship back on track.”

Round three of the Australian Superbike Championship at Winton Raceway is on May 30-June 1.


WINTON ASC TEST, May 5-6, 2008

SUPERBIKE
Jamie Stauffer, Yamaha 1:22.0
Glenn Allerton, Honda 1:22.1
Dan Stauffer, Yamaha 1:22.2
Jason O’Halloran, Honda 1:22.3
Shawn Giles, Suzuki 1:22.7
Robbie Bugden, Suzuki 1:22.8
Craig Coxhell, Suzuki 1:22.8
Zac Davies, Yamaha 1:23.9
Chris Trounson, Honda 1:24.5
Damon Buckmaster, Kawa 1:25.9
Trent Gibson, Suzuki 1:26.9

Superbike Lap Record: Jamie Stauffer, 1:22.119 (2007)

SUPERSPORT
Jeremy Crowe, Yamaha 1:23.9
Wayne Maxwell, Honda 1:24.0
Josh Waters, Suzuki 1:24.2
Jamie Stauffer, Yamaha 1:24.4
Judd Greedy, Honda 1:24.9
Cole Odendaal, Honda 1:25.8
Ian Andrews, Suzuki 1:26.3
Shaun Geronimi, Kawa 1:26.5
Ben Attard, Yamaha No time*
* Only attended Monday test

SUPERSPORT LAP RECORD: Jason O’Halloran 1:23.465 (2007)

[Big Al Glynn]

Just like old times, great to see Buckmaster back, what a great rider.

[Zoidberg]

I think the TKA boys should stick to training in the gym, the outdoor training seems to hurt them too much! Johnno should especially stay away from treadlies.