Maxwell: ‘I need to perform at every round’ Viking Group Australian Superbike Championship frontrunner, Honda’s Wayne Maxwell has identified this weekend’s Queensland Raceway round as the highest hurdle in the second half of his race for title honours. The 27-year-old Victorian hopes to have overcome a gripe with tyre grip which saw him sliding backwards from pole position when the series last visited the 3.12km circuit in June. The Demolition Plus GAS Honda CBR1000RR pilot left the event noting there was plenty to be done to match the pace of the riders he was battling for the points lead and has worked hard to turn around the result. “It wasn’t our weekend, that’s for sure,” said Maxwell. “With pole position I thought I’d gotten the momentum going but we struggled with tyres during both races and ended up going backwards.” Maxwell, winner of the opening round of 2010, also identified race fitness as a factor and felt he had made good progress from the point he was at in June. “My training had been affected by injury and I wasn’t feeling as fit as I could have. I’ve added running back into my program which seems to have helped quite a bit. The opportunity to race in the heat and humidity at the Suzuka 8 Hour where endurance is vital was another good way to keep focused and allowed me some good time on the bike.” Trailing championship leader Bryan Staring by 4.5 points, Maxwell was hopeful of overturning a run of lacklustre results in the Sunshine State. “This needs to be a good weekend, I need to perform at every round. I’m confident I can do well at both Phillip Island and Symmon’s Plains in the final two rounds but Queensland Raceway has been a sticking point in the past. “I need to be scoring consistent points at every event we go to in order to keep the pressure on Bryan (Staring, fellow Honda rider and championship leader).” The top three contenders in the Superbike class have shared an equal spread of race and round wins in 2010 Maxwell won 2 from 2 at Phillip Island, Josh Waters won 2 from 2 at Hidden Valley and Staring won 2 from 2 at Queensland Raceway. Separated by just 9.5 points in total, the top three have set the bar high but are not yet clear of a handful of experienced riders ready to pounce given the opportunity. Three-time Superbike titleholder, Team Suzuki veteran Shawn Giles is steadily closing the gap to third place and is only 22.5 points shy of teammate and defending champion Waters. “I’m looking forward to getting back on the Superbike this weekend and feel I can really challenge the leaders for race wins,” said Giles. “Our season has been solid it’s all about being consistent and picking up every point that’s on offer. “It’s been a long break between rounds but I’ve kept up the intensity in training. Riding works best for me so I try and get out on the mountain bike or dirt bike every day to maintain fitness and strength.” 2008 champion, Valvoline Superbike Team rider Glenn Allerton is in hot pursuit, 2.5 points back, and top privateer performer Racer’s Edge Suzuki rider Scott Charlton is just a point shy of Allerton. Local crowds will be cheering for Brisbane-based rider, Team Mack Trucks Suzuki’s Robbie Bugden, who has lapped the circuit thousands of times in his competitive career and knows every bump and braking point like the back of his hand. Bringing two new manufacturers into the mix for 2010, KTM Superbike Team’s Shannon Johnson and The Natural Aprilia Racing’s Daniel Stauffer also cannot be discounted as they continue to make signficant progress with the development of their race machines. Two-time champion, Ducati’s Jamie Stauffer will be hoping for a better run of results after the last round where he was quickest in Friday practice but plagued by mechanical problems on race day. The action gets underway at 9am on Saturday August 21 for qualifying and Motul Superpole, and again on Sunday August 22 for all the day’s racing action including two 16-lap Superbike races. A host of support classes will be on show, as well as all the action of the Aussie Racing Cars and Australian Supermoto Open plus exciting freestyle motocross demo’s from the Showtime FMX team. Tickets start at just $20, with the Family Pass ($80 for 2 adults and 3 children for 2 days) offering best value. Visit asbk.com.au for further details or follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/AustralianSuperbikes Viking Group ASBK Standings 1 Bryan Staring 115pts; 2 Wayne Maxwell 110.5; 3. Josh Waters 104.5; 4 Shawn Giles 82.5; 5 Glenn Allerton 80; 6 Scott Charlton 79; 7 Shannon Johnson (Vic, KTM) 66; 8 Jamie Stauffer 60; 9 Robbie Bugden 58; 10 Jordan Burgess (NSW, Ducati) 53.5.