Yamaha win 2006 Australian Supersport and Superbike Titles

After clinching the Australian Supersport title last month Jamie Stauffer has today claimed his and Yamaha’s first ever Australian Superbike title with a clean sweep at the final round of the 2006 YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway.

Yamaha Racing Team claim Supersport and Superbike Titles
NOVEMBER 19 2006

Yamaha Racing Team have cemented themselves as  Australia’s premier road racing outfit after claiming the 2006 YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship and a clean sweep of the 2006 YMF Loan Australian Supersport Series at the final round of the series at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway today.

  After taking out the Australian Supersport title last month, victory in the first race of the day secured Jamie Stauffer his and Yamaha’s first ever Australian Superbike Championship but the celebrations did not stop there, the factory Yamaha team dominated the Supersport category with Stauffer’s team mates Mark Atchison and Jason O’Halloran completing the championship clean sweep.

  Yamaha Racing Team – 2006 Australian Superbike Champions

After clinching the Australian Supersport title last month Jamie Stauffer has today claimed his and Yamaha’s first ever Australian Superbike title with a clean sweep at the final round of the 2006 YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway.

The Superbike title caps off a remarkable year for the Yamaha Racing Team rider who has claimed pole position in the Superbike class at all seven rounds of the series, won more rounds than any other rider in both the Supersport and Superbike Series and recorded the fastest ever lap of Eastern Creek Raceway on a motorcycle.

 Today’s victory was not without drama, with the first race run in two parts after it was red flagged. Stauffer led both legs of the interrupted race from start to finish without any challenge from the rest of the field. In the final Superbike race of the year the 27-year old enjoyed a battle with Shawn Giles in opening laps before taking the lead on lap 5 and storming to race, round and championship victory.

 “It is a great feeling to have wrapped up Yamaha’s first ever Superbike title,” Stauffer said “To dominate both classes this way is something I’d only ever dreamed about. This success is proof of the Yamaha Racing Teams’ thorough preparation and the amazing performance of the YZF-R1SP.”

 “We have come a long way in a short time and our results this year will really set us up for next years campaign,” Stauffer added.

 Yamaha Racing Team Manager John Redding said the dual championship win justified the hard work of the Yamaha Racing Team.

“This is certainly one of the most rewarding times of my career.” Redding said. “To not only have won two titles but also completely dominate the Supersport Championship the way we have this year is something the whole team will savour for a long time.”

 “Traditionally motorsport is more lows than highs but our success in 2006 will leave us with many highs for years to come,” Redding commented. “I really want to thank all the staff members of the Yamaha Racing Team, Yamaha Motor Australia and our Yamaha dealers for all the hard work and support given to the team which has enabled us to get to the front of the field in such a short timeframe.

 Yamaha Racing Team – 1^st,2^nd and 3^rd Australian Supersport Champions

  With the 2006 title already in the bag for Jamie Stauffer the Yamaha Racing Team turned their focus to re-writing the record books and becoming the first team ever to finish 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd in the Australian Supersport Championship.

 Mark Atchison led the Yamaha charge winning the round with victory in both 13-lap races to clinch second in the championship ahead of team mate Jason O’Halloran whose third and fourth placing secured him third for the round and third place on the championship ladder.

 With the Superbike title firmly on his mind, Jamie Stauffer rode conservatively in the opening Supersport race to finish fourth.  It was a different story come the second Supersport race with Stauffer having secured his dual championship titles.

The newly crowned Champion finished second behind team mate Mark Aitchison in the race that saw the dominating YZF-R6 fill the top seven positions.

 Recording his second round win for the season Mark Aitchison was ecstatic with his championship result. “Today’s win was a great way to finish the season,” Aitchison said. “It was fantastic to be able to give the guys at YRT second place in the Supersport championship complimenting Jamie’s win and Jason’s third place. The team has been amazing and everyone has worked extremely hard to put us at the front of the field.”

  “I would really like to thank everybody involved with the Yamaha Racing Team for their support,” Aitchison concluded.Team mate Jason O’Halloran echoed Aitchison saying superb preparation set his team apart from the rest. “It was good to salvage third place in this championship and complete the Yamaha/YRT R6 whitewash of the Supersport class,” O’Halloran said.“Although it was a rollercoaster year I think we are in the best possible position to be able to start our 2007 title chase on the front foot. I would like to thank Yamaha for their faith and hope to reward them by winning the 2007 Supersport title,” he added.

Yamaha Motor Australia’s Motorsport Manager Cheryl Muldoon acknowledged the team’s results this season as being second to none, not only for Yamaha locally but also at a global level. “This is a fantastic time for Yamaha Motor Australia with our team’s domination of all three national titles. Jamie has absolutely dominated the Supersport class and also given us our first ever Australian Superbike title. These two titles are complimented by Jon Cartwright’s win in the Naked Bike class.”