Houwen Unstoppable In FZ6 Cup
Queenslander Josh Houwen won all three races on his way to claiming round victory at this weekend’s fourth round of the Yamalube FZ6 Cup at Mallala Motorsport Park, powering from P1 on the grid to shake off all challengers.
Queenslander Josh Houwen won all three races on his way to claiming round victory at this weekend’s fourth round of the Yamalube FZ6 Cup at Mallala Motorsport Park, powering from P1 on the grid to shake off all challengers.Quick in Friday free practice, the championship leader headed into the meet full of confidence, riding a large points buffer over second place.
He qualified two-tenths of a second ahead of NakedBike regular and reigning champ Jon Cartwright, who was eager to give the standings a shake-up with his wealth of racing experience. The two were locked in battle for much of the opening 7-lap race, before Cartwright made an early exit, falling just two laps from the finish. While he was unhurt, his weekend would certainly suffer, giving Houwen a good break at the front.
The second FZ6 Cup race saw the fierce upfront battle re-ignited, with Cartwright and Houwen together on track again, the two Queenslanders giving it their all lap after lap.Race honours again went to Houwen, pipping Cartwright at the post by less than a tenth of a second, setting up a real grudge match for the final race of the day.
The results proved to be a carbon copy, but this time Cartwright was closer still, just 4 hundreths of a second shy of Houwen as the riders greeted the chequered flag. Ewan McClue kept the battle group honest, finishing within a second of the top two, with his consistent run boosting him to second for the round.
The Victorian also sits second in the standings on 115.5 points, but has a lot of ground to make up if he is to get close to Houwen in first on 162.5 points – 47 points ahead.“I had a great weekend at Mallala and was pushed the whole way with Cartwright very close behind,” explained Houwen.
“There was some really enjoyable racing, the field was fairly close due to the limited modifications on the bike and it was a good test of skill and track knowledge.”
“I’ve extended my series lead but I’ll be taking the races one at a time, there’s no use getting ahead of yourself in racing, it’ll be great to head down to Tasmania and give the locals a taste of the new FZ6 series.”
For Cartwright, the weekend’s racing was an enjoyable addition to his schedule.
“It was great fun, very close at the top, the control formula gives everyone a good shot and Josh was very quick,” said Cartwright. “It’s a shame I didn’t finish the first race as I believe that it would have been incredibly close across the final two races as we both looked for points.”
The Yamalube FZ6 Cup is contested at each round of the Australian Superbike Championship, backed by dealers providing an affordable racing solution in a fun and competitive class.The next round will be held at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains, 18-20 May.
Mallala Round Results
1. Josh HOUWEN (QLD), 75
2. Ewan McCLUE (VIC), 56
3. Chris KNOX (NSW), 51
4. Keith GREENTREE (NSW), 47
5. Beau McKENZIE (QLD), 44
6. Jack FOX (VIC), 41
7. Jon CARTWRIGHT (QLD), 40
8. Joel STAFFORD (VIC), 39
9. Rick OLSON (NSW), 38
10. Jade DURLING (VIC), 31
2007 Yamalube FZ6 Cup Championship Standings
1. Josh HOUWEN (QLD), 162.5
2. Ewan McCLUE (VIC), 115.5
3. Keith GREENTREE (NSW), 112
4. Jack FOX (VIC), 109
5. Chris KNOX (NSW), 106
6. Beau McKENZIE (QLD), 87
7. Joel STAFFORD (VIC), 81.5
8. Rick OLSON (NSW), 75
9. Byron MILLS (NSW), 63.5
10. Jade DURLING (VIC), 63
