From a press release:

FORMULA XTREME PROMOTIONS
MEDIA INFORMATION
For immediate release
14 April 2002

2002 Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State
Round 2, Winton Motor Raceway, Victoria
Race reports

BAIRD EXTENDS FORMULA XTREME LEAD AT WINTON

After the rain affected conditions of yesterday, Winton Raceway was bathed in sunshine for today’s action at round two of the Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State and it was defending Formula Xtreme Champion Robbie Baird who took full advantage of the conditions.

YAMAHA FORMULA XTREME
Defending Formula Xtreme champion Robbie Baird (Radar’s Team Yamaha YZF R1) shared today’s race win honours with teammate Kevin Curtain, with the pair scoring two wins apiece from today’s four eight lap sprint races.

With two wins, a second and a third, Baird totalled sufficient points to earn himself the round win and an extended points lead in this year’s series. With two rounds now completed, Baird has a total of 169 points, eight ahead of Curtain’s 161, with Craig Coxhell third with 114 on the third of the Radar’s Team Yamaha YZF R1’s.

The meeting also highlighted the talents of rising star Liam Magee. The 19-year-old from Ballarat qualified his Vicstate Distributors Suzuki GSX-R1000 second fastest during a wet qualifying session, but showed he has the skills in the dry to match the best riders in Australia. He finished today with a tally of two thirds and two fourths against some very fast opposition. He will be a talent to watch in the future.

Curtain took the opening race win after passing Baird at mid-race distance when the defending champion hit a false neutral as he down shifted for the esses at the end of the start / finish straight. The pair battled all the way to the flag, but Baird was unable to find a way past his teammate. Magee grabbed third ahead of Tony Rees (Bikebiz Yamaha YZF R1) and Coxhell.

Race two saw drama at the esses on the opening lap when Curtain and Josh Brookes (Team Honda CBR954RR) were forced off the track after tangling with other riders as the field streamed into the turn for the first time. Both riders were lucky not to have fallen in the wet infield and rejoined the race well down the order. Both showed immense courage and determination by moving into the top ten by the conclusion of the race.

With Curtain well down the field, Baird was joined at the front of the field by Coxhell and later by multiple New Zealand champion Tony Rees, who was charging on his Bikebiz Yamaha YZF R1. At the flag the trio were separated by just 0.725 of a second. Magee was fourth followed by Daniel Stauffer (Bio Magnetics Sport Yamaha YZF R1) and Curtain.

Race three turned into a battle between Baird and Curtain, but it was Baird who was able to hold on to score his second win of the day. Curtain had opted for a harder compound rear Dunlop that didn’t quite suit the conditions and didn’t give him the grip he needed. Magee grabbed third ahead of Rees, while Coxhell was promoted up one place after official penalised Jamie Stauffer for allegedly passing under a yellow flag.

The final race saw Curtain in a determined mood as he stormed to the lead and eventual race win ahead of Coxhell, Baird, Magee, Rees and Jamie Stauffer.

The $1000 Yuasa Batteries award to the rider who is credited with a new Formula Xtreme lap record at the conclusion of the round went to Jamie Stauffer. The Bio Magnetics Sport rider set a time of 1:26.649 in the fourth race to claim the cheque.

Yamaha Formula Xtreme, points after 2 of 6 rounds
1. R Baird 169; 2. K Curtain 161; 3. C Coxhell 114; 4. T Rees 98; 5. J Stauffer 88; 6. J Brookes 69; 7, L Magee 58; 8. D Stauffer 57; 9. C McMartin 40; 10. M Henderson 37.


YAMAHA SUPERSPORT
The Yamaha Supersport class is seen as one of the toughest classes to win and it wasn’t any further from the truth today.

Four different winners from four races was the order of the day, with wins going to Adam Fergusson (Cooper Racing Suzuki GSX-R600), Daniel Stauffer (Bio Magnetics Sport Yamaha YZF R6), Cameron Donald (Team Brown Gouge Suzuki GSX-R600) and series points leader Kevin Curtain (Radar’s Team Yamaha YZF R6).

The number of winners reflected the closeness of the racing, but at the end of the day it was former Australian Supersport Champion Curtain who came away with an extended points lead in this year’s series. With a total of 174 points, Curtain leads the series from Donald (111) and Jamie Stauffer (Bio Magnetics Sport Yamaha YZF R6) with 90.


FX PRO-TWINS
Defending FX Pro-Twins champion Craig McMartin (Ducati 996SPS) was in dominating form this weekend, making it a clean sweep in the four six lap races held.

The Wagga rider, who sees Winton Raceway as his home track has a commanding lead in the series points chase with a total of 183. Second is held by Peter Hinton (BEARS RACING / Bray Properties Ducati 916SP) with 123, with Aprilia RSV1000 mounted Mike Soderland (Gowanloch Engineering) third with 121.

Three different riders chased McMartin home in each race, they being John Lyons (Bears Racing Ducati 916sp), Hinton and Soderland in the remaining two
races.


EXEL APRILIA CHALLENGE
Caleb Stalder claimed the opening Exel Aprilia Challenge race wins on Saturday, but with a dry track it was Troy Elliott and Joshua Forster who rode to the top in the final two races held on Sunday.

Elliott cantered away to a somewhat easy win in race three, but race four saw Forster overcome a four-way battle for the race lead to claim victory.

After two rounds, Forster leads the EXEL Aprilia Challenge with 130 points, ahead of Dustin Goldsmith (122), Stalder (118) and Paul Simonson (108).


BUELL NAKEDBIKES
Craig Trinder (Bio Magnetics Sport Yamaha FZ1) kept a perfect scorecard all weekend, taking four wins from four starts and is the only rider in this years Yamaha Xtreme Tri-State to hold a perfect scorecard as he also went through the opening round at Eastern Creek unbeaten.

He was chased home hard by Dave Butler (Yamaha FZ1) who claimed three second places finishes to Trinder after finishing sixth in a wet opening race.

They were closely chased by Leo Cash (Pirelli Yamaha FZ1),Michael Thomas (Wet 4 U Kawasaki ZXR1100) and Benn Archibald aboard the Buell Dealer Team Buell X1.

Archibald showed his experience aboard the Buell in the opening race where he chased Trinder home and was consistently fast in the remaining races.


FORMULA OZ
Alistair Maxwell was the man to beat this weekend in the Formula Oz taking three race wins from four starts aboard his Kawasaki ZX-7R Superbike.

He held out defending champion John Allen (Aluma Lite Racing Honda) who finished the weekend with two seconds, a third and a win in the final race.

Allen leads Maxwell by just six points (181 to 175) after two completed rounds.

Conditions were difficult for Allen as he has the luxury of being able to switch between a Honda RS250 and an exotic Honda NSR-V500 grand prix machines. The choice can also have a down side as the 500 V-Twin is a handful to ride in wet conditions and he then switched to the 250. Maxwell on the other hand had his tried and tested Kawasaki at his disposal which he made full use of.


FORMULA X UNLIMITED
Honda CBR929 mounted Michael Wright took victory in the C&D grade Formula X Unlimited race held over 6 laps.

He was in full control of the race, taking victory by 7.321 seconds from Glenn Warlond (Yamaha YZF R1), Lindsay Brown (Central Coast Performance, Suzuki GSX-R1000) and Steve Vece (Doin’ Bikes Honda CBR929RR).