News 9 Sep 2010

Privateer Profile: Craig Coxhell

MotoOnline.com.au checks out former ASBK champion Craig Coxhell's high profile CJC Racing team.

Rider: Craig Coxhell

Team name: CJC Racing

Team sponsors:
Bisley Workwear, BMW Southbank Motorcycles, Ankermann, Shepparton Motor Body Builders, Bell Real Estate, Akrapovic Exhausts, Sportsbike Tyre Warmers, TechSpec Grip Pads, Armour Bodies.

Team website: www.cjcracing.com.au

Bike: 2010 BMW S 1000 RR

Career highlights:
1999 Australian 250cc Production Championship – 2nd
2000 Australian Superbike Championship – 4th
2001 Australian Superbike Championship – 2nd
2002 Formula Xtreme Tri-State Series – 5th
2003 Australian Superbike Champion
2004 British Superbike Championship – 13th
2005 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup – 3rd
2006 British Superbike Championship – 13th
2007 Australian Superbike Championship – 2nd
2008 Australian Superbike Championship – 5th
2009 Australian Superbike Championship Privateer Cup winner (6th overall)

Victorian-based team CJC Racing and Craig Coxhell have impressed with BMW's S 1000 RR during 2010.

Victorian-based team CJC Racing and Craig Coxhell have impressed with BMW's S 1000 RR during 2010.

Victorian Craig Coxhell has featured as one of Australia’s brightest Superbike talents over the last decade, debuting as a factory rider at just 17 years of age with Radar’s Team Yamaha in the year 2000 and establishing himself at the top of the sport on a domestic level.

Following a successful junior motocross career, Coxhell’s transition to being a successful road racer was a quick one, racing to the Australian Superbike Championship in just a few short seasons for Team Suzuki in 2003.

“When I was younger I always had the goal of reaching World Superbike or MotoGP and to achieve that I felt that I had to win the Australian Superbike Championship here before going overseas,” Coxhell reflected.

“When I signed with Suzuki it was just one of those years where everything went right and the feeling that I got from that, I’ll probably never have again. To achieve one of my goals, I was pretty stoked, but I just want to win another one now to get that feeling again.”

It was a solid result for the Shepparton-based contender, prompting him to make the move overseas for the following three seasons in both the British Superbike Championship and Superstock 1000 FIM Cup series.

Despite solid results, Coxhell returned to Australia with Suzuki in 2007 with Suzuki to claim second in the Superbike title, before taking fifth one year later again with Suzuki.

The 2009 season marked Coxhell’s first as a privateer in the premier category where he won the Privateer Cup onboard a Honda CBR1000RR, finishing sixth overall for the year.

“I had been overseas and struggled a lot with the politics of the sport, so I just needed to get my head back together and regroup,” he continued. “When I was riding for factory teams I was just feeling pressured all the time and wasn’t really enjoying riding as much, so to do my own thing and only having myself to answer to took that added pressure away.”

Without the pressure that comes with being a professional racer, Coxhell has experienced another side of life – working a fulltime job to pay the bills that come along with fielding a privateer outfit.

“I started to enjoy racing again and I’m enjoying what we are doing,” Coxhell said. “It’s a lot tougher and I don’t really get to train anymore because I work a fulltime job so we can afford to go away racing. It might be tough, but it’s very enjoyable at the same time.”

It’s been the 2010 season where Coxhell has really made his mark as a privateer runner, dominating the Superstock 1000 A and B grade category onboard brand new BMW’s S 1000 RR since joining the series at Queensland’s third round.

Coxhell raced on a near standard bike at Hidden Valley’s round two in the Superbike ranks before switching to the Superstock class for the for Queensland, dominating the proceedings since that point with the assistance of Dave ‘Radar’ Cullen back in his corner.

“Superstock isn’t really the place I initially wanted to be, but when I found out it was hard to get parts for the BMW we decided to enter the first Queensland round in Superstock,” he explained.

“I planned on progressing to Superbike, but I’ve enjoyed Superstock that much this year that I’ve actually stayed in it.”

Not only has 27-year-old Coxhell been winning the Superstock ranks, he’s been challenging the Superbike runners and has twice qualified for Superpole – the only Superstock rider to achieve that feat in the merged categories.

“To be on a bike with a Power Comander and an Akrapovic exhaust on it and to finish sixth amongst the Superbikes was a really good feeling for me and very confidence building,” he admitted.

Entering the final two rounds of the series, Coxhell now sits within striking distance of the championship lead despite missing the opening two rounds of the year.

Next year could see Coxhell return to the Superbike category with BMW, something that he looks forward to if all goes to plan.

“I’ll spend the rest of this year building my confidence and developing the S 1000 RR in Superstock, before hopefully next year I can stay on a BMW and step straight up to the mark in Superbike,” Coxhell concluded.

Featuring one of the most professional teams in the paddock, CJC Racing and Craig Coxhell may just be the ones to put BMW on the map in Australian Superbike competition against the Japanese might.

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