New R1 on lap record pace

 Reigning Australian Superbike Champion Jamie Stauffer wasted little time in getting up to speed at last week’s thorough pre-round test session at Queensland Raceway, eclipsing the existing lap record after just a few hours of track time.The Yamaha ace, who also holds the title of 2006 Supersport Champion, debuted the 2007 YZF-R1 for the first time on tarmac, literally hours after arriving home from an international flight.

Development on the new race machine had been ongoing since the start of the season, with the series’ leading team opting to run the ultra-competitive 2006 machine for the first five rounds.
The lap time of 1.09.67 was around two-tenths of a second quicker than the mark set by Russell Holland in 2006.

Stauffer’s impeccable record speaks for itself – 4 from 5 round wins, and a 50 point lead in the championship. With the finely-tuned 2007 model now ready to race, he is certain to be the favourite to take out the upcoming double-header event at Queensland Raceway at the end of the month."Perhaps I ride faster when I'm jetlagged and haven't had much sleep, as I went slower on the second day than I did on the first," said Stauffer."The new bike feels pretty good straight out of the box, although we've got a little bit of work to do to get the rear suspension dialed in."

While Jamie enjoyed a smooth run, his brother Dan was less fortunate, and was lucky to emerge from a terrifying high-side incident with only minor injuries. Dan, who sits second in the standings, was still able to record the third fastest time on the opening day, and is confident of bouncing back to fighting fitness for the upcoming event.

The Yamaha Racing Team will now set about preparing the bikes for the upcoming meet, from June 28-July 1, rounds 6 & 7 of the championship