From a press release issued for Formula Xtreme Promotions Pty. Ltd. by publicist Steve Reeves:

Event 1, 2003 Yamaha Formula Xtreme TT Series
Eastern Creek Raceway, NSW

DEFENDING CHAMPION PERFECT AT EASTERN CREEK

The opening round of any championship is always difficult, as the competitors take time to assess their opponents, but this was not the case for the defending Formula Xtreme and Supersport champion, Newcastle’s Kevin Curtain, as he totally dominated round one of the 2003 Yamaha Formula Xtreme TT Series, held at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway this weekend.

Curtain, riding for the new Nikon Yamaha Racing Team this year, was in blistering form as he took pole position and a clean sweep of all eight races that he contested.

Changeable weather conditions made machine preparation difficult for the competitors. Saturday’s qualifying sessions and opening races were held in hot conditions, while rain showers passing over the circuit at irregular intervals affected Sunday’s races.


YAMAHA XTREME

As the defending champion and winner of four Formula Xtreme titles, Kevin Curtain was always going to start the year as the early title favourite, but no one would have expected his first round display to be as dominant as it was.

After putting his Nikon Yamaha Racing Team YZF R1 on pole position by the end of qualifying on Saturday, Curtain continued to lead from the front and took out each of the four 8-lap Yamaha Xtreme races.

The only rider that was in a position to challenge was teammate Daniel Stauffer, but even he could not get close to the champion and finished the weekend with three seconds and a third.

Stauffer’s third place finish in the final race came after what appeared to be Curtain’s first defeat of the day. Heavy rain began to fall moments before the start of the final race and it was Albury’s Alistair Maxwell who led the opening six laps aboard his Suzuki GSX-R1000. Curtain made a steady start and was in fourth place on the opening laps. He then picked up the pace and on the penultimate lap made up 3.6 seconds on Maxwell, to not only catch him, but also take the race lead in what was a masterful display of wet weather riding.

Maxwell’s result gave him third place overall for the weekend, one place ahead of Gold Coast Suzuki rider Robert Bugden and Victorian Stephen Tozer (Stafford Yamaha)

“What can I say really,” Curtain said. “The team have worked extremely hard over the past month preparing the bikes and to get them at this competitive standard in that time is fantastic. Not only were we happy with the bikes, but the Dunlop tyres as well. They performed well under all of the various track conditions that we had over the entire weekend and basically didn’t miss a trick. All in all a great weekend.”

Overall points standings after round 1 of the Yamaha Xtreme are:
1. Kevin Curtain (100); 2. Daniel Stauffer (76); 3. Alistair Maxwell(56); 4. Robert Bugden (46);
5. Stephen Tozer (45); 6. Warwick Nowland (45); 7. Nicholas Barton (32); 8. David Butler (25);
9. Luke Wicks (19); 10. Jason Kain (18).


YAMAHA SUPERSPORT

As he showed in the Xtreme class, Curtain was in race winning mode, which extended through to the four Supersport races as well.

Pole position aboard the new fuel injected Yamaha YZF R6 sent out the warning signals to his competitors.

The round was seen as the first major confrontation of the season for those in the Supersport class with manufacturers Yamaha and Kawasaki both fielding very potent new model machines for 2003. The new model Yamaha YZF R6 and Kawasaki ZX-6RR’s were equally competitive, but it was the form of Curtain that proved the difference.

“The new 2003 model Yamaha YZF R6 is so easy to ride, it actually feels as though it has less power than last years bike, but that is because the fuel injection has made the power delivery so smooth,” said Curtain. “The team has done a great job with getting the bikes so competitive and in the conditions we had today we were also able to show how good the new Dunlop tyres are. It was a great day, not only for myself, but for the whole team.”

Brisbane teenager Brendan Clarke chased his teammate home all day and was credited with second overall after scoring three seconds and a fourth (in race three).

Team Kawasaki Australia’s Russell Holland led home a trio of Kawasaki riders that filled the minor placings, finishing third overall ahead of Marty Atlee and Simon Rattenbury. Brisbane’s Mark Aitchison was the best of the Suzuki riders, finishing sixth overall, ahead of Wayne Maxwell (Rob Phillis Racing Kawasaki) and Mark Stanley aboard his Lismore Motorcycles Yamaha YZF R6.

Overall points standings after round 1 of the Yamaha Supersport are:
1. Kevin Curtain (100); 2. Brendan Clarke (65); 3. Russell Holland (60); 4. Marty Atlee (35); 5. Simon Rattenbury (33); 6. Mark Aitchison (33); 7. Wayne Maxwell (32); 8. Mark Stanley (31); 9. Christopher Seaton (27); 10. Deon Coote (25).


EXEL APRILIA FX PRO-TWINS
In the Exel Aprilia FX Pro Twins class, Shaun Geronimi (Forza Aprilia RSV1000) took the challenge up to the reigning champion Craig McMartin (Ducati Sydney / Ducati 998S), ending a 22 race winning streak by the champion.

Geronimi won the first three races ahead of McMartin despite riding with an injured right ankle after a touch football mishap, just two days prior to the meeting.

McMartin struggled with bike set up over the weekend, but managed to stay in touch with Geronimi. In the final race, rain brought both Geronimi and McMartin unstuck with both riders crashing out. Geronimi was unable to re-enter the race whereas McMartin fought back to finish fifth.

Zac Davies (BelRay / Australian Security Concepts / Aprilia RSV1000) displayed a level of maturity beyond his 18 years to finish on the podium in the first three races and finish the final race without mishap.

When the points were tallied, Geronimi leads McMartin with 75 points to 71, setting the scene for an epic battle between Aprilia and Ducati for the rest of the season.


NAKEDBIKE

Defending Nakedbike champion Craig Trinder (Nikon Yamaha Team / Yamaha FZ-1) turned the tables on fellow Yamaha FZ-1 rider Graeme Wilshaw (Procycles Yamaha) in Sunday’s races to claim the round win. The pair shared two wins apiece from the four contested over the weekend, but a crash in the third race left Wilshaw out of overall contention.

In a battle befitting any State of Origin showdown, Gold Coast resident Trinder held it over Sydneysider Wilshaw in a battle of the wills that will surely last the whole season. The pair staged a sensational dice in the wet third race, which came down to a last lap duel that unfortunately ended dramatically for Wilshaw when he crashed out at turn nine.

Wilshaw earlier captured the opening two races of the season on Saturday from Trinder, while Matthew Waldron (FTN Prod JD Concrete Yamaha FZ-1) made it a Yamaha clean-sweep overall.

John Allen brought home his Aluma-Lite Racing Aprilia Tuono in fourth overall on debut.

Rob Carrall (Doin’ Bikes Honda Hornet 600) dominated the Streetfighter category while Rex Wolfenden (T-Rex Honda CB750) clean-swept the Forgotten Era Four-stroke class from Mick Neason (Honda CB1000).


AUSTRALIAN SECURITY CONCEPTS XTREME ULTRA LITES

Jai Curtis (Caringbah MC/Keith Muir Honda CBR400) dominated the all-new Formula Xtreme Ultra Lites category after capturing three race wins. Comeback kid, Judd Greedy (Top Rider Honda CBR400) prevented a King Curtis clean sweep when he chose the right tyre in the rain-affected third race held on Sunday.

Gavin Hainsworth (RB Racing Honda RVF400) was a constant thorn in Curtis’s side and secured second overall thanks to three second-place finishes, while Caleb Stalder (Cold Coast Aprilia RS250) claimed third overall and first two-stroke home after scoring two podium finishes.

C-grader Craig White (WRP Bridgestone Honda VFR400) finished sixth overall and first in the C&D-grade privateers’ points, while Pat James (Team Caringbah Motorcycles Honda CBR400) topped the B-grade privateer ladder.


ALUMA LITE RACING FORMULA OZ

Many new riders have entered Formula OZ this year and the door has been left open for a new champion to be crowned after the winners of the past two titles, Alistair Maxwell and John Allen, have both moved on to other classes.

The first round at Eastern Creek found a new star in Kurk Dahms who with three wins from four starts, gave him the overall round win.

The fast and consistent Queensland ‘D’ grade rider, on a mildly modified Yamaha YZF R1, threw the challenge out to James Spence (Circuit Breakers Yamaha YZF R1), Michael Wright (SCR Engines Honda CBR 929RR) and the rest of the field from the very first race.

The 125/250 GP class started with only three riders but interest centred on newcomer, and the only female rider in Formula Oz, Karel Pavich, (Yamaha TZ350) who took out the class win and showed potential to move up the outright points table.

In the Clubsport 600 class, Mark Fullerton (RB Imports GSXR600) showed his speed, winning outright and throwing the gauntlet to both his fellow 600 riders and the rest of the field.

The Forgotten Era-Two Strokes were predictably outclassed by the rest of the field in all four races. Simon Bell on a well-prepared Yamaha TZ 350 took the class win.


FORMULA X UNLIMITED

Victorian C Grader Jason Cartledge (Morwell Motorcycles / Kawasaki ZX-6RR) took full advantage by a mishap by early race favourite, Queenslander Kurk Dahms Yamaha YZF R1) to take the race win in the Formula X Unlimited race, which is for C & D Grade riders only.

Cartledge had shown a lot of promise during a number of the earlier Supersport races that were held in both dry and wet conditions and continued that form with victory in the final race of the day.

Dahms crashed out of contention on lap five of the six lap race, leaving Cartledge to take the win ahead of Tony Mihaljevic (Suzuki GSX-R1000) and Jon Cartwright (Yamaha TRX850).


2003 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Event 1 – February 16, Eastern Creek (New South Wales)
Event 2 – March 16, Oran Park GP (NSW)
Event 3 – May 4, Winton Raceway (Victoria)
Event 4 – June 1, Queensland Raceway (Queensland)
Event 5 – July 13, Eastern Creek (New South Wales)

6-Hour Endurance Event – October 5, Eastern Creek (New South Wales)