Teknic Honda Preview Symmons Superbike Round

Teknic Honda SBK TAS Rd 5 – Preview Fact Sheet

Team: Teknic Honda (factory Superbike and Supersport road race teams)
Event: 2007 Australian Superbike Championships Round 5
Where: Symmons Plains, TAS
When: 18-20 May, Saturday: (qualifying and racing) & Sunday (racing only),
Machines: CBR1000RR and CBR600RR

* This is the fifth of eight rounds (including two double rounds) of the national championships

Early Forecast:

Friday: A little rain. Min: 09; Max: 17
Saturday: A little rain. Min: 08; Max 17

Track Information

Symmons Plains Raceway is located on the Midland Highway, around 30km south of Launceston. The Australian Superbike series makes its second visit to Tasmania since 1999, and the Symmons Plains circuit since 1994.

Length: Approx 2.4km
Direction: Anti-Clockwise
Fastest Point: Straight between kink on Turn 6 and Turn 7
Slowest Point: Turn 4 hairpin

Rider/Team Information

* Bryan Staring will be in attendance this weekend whilst he continues to recover from an operation to correct a wrist injury sustained earlier this season. He is hopeful to be race fit for Queensland in early July.

* Russell Holland – who set the inaugural lap record of 53.697 at Symmons Plains last year – tested at the circuit earlier this month, setting down impressive times. Holland is generally fit, however he is struggling slightly with a fractured metatarsal sustained during a testing session at Suzuka.

* Supersport privateer Chris Trounson – who was runner up in last year’s Superstock class in his first year on the national scene – will be stepping up to ride Staring’s full factory Teknic Honda CBR600RR in Tasmania.

Trounson made significant in roads at the South Australian round held in April, after previously struggling to make ground in the 600 class.

So far this year, Chris has been the quickest of the Superstock graduates by a long way, having qualified in front of many factory riders at other rounds. He also holds the current Superstock lap record at Symmons Plains.

2006 Season Stats – Tasmania

2007 Season Stats

Quotes

Russell Holland – “I was very competitive last year in Tasmania, and was pretty much on the mark at our testing session, so I am expecting to be able to go well this weekend. I’m having a bit of niggling pain in my foot from this injury, but it shouldn’t hold me back too much.”

Bryan Staring – “I’m happy to be coming along again for the round to be part of the Team, but of course, it’s frustrating to not be out there racing. Unfortunately, this injury hasn’t been straight forward and the recovery time has taken longer than I’d hoped.”

Chris Trounson – “To say we are all excited is a huge understatement. I’m rapt that I am thought of as the first ‘reserve’ rider and I am looking forward to the challenge. I have worked with the factory guys once before when I rode Krusty’s bike at the Stars of Tomorrow meeting last year. This is as an opportunity to learn a lot.”