News 19 Oct 2009

ASBK: Motologic leads championship into final round after GP

MOTOLOGIC RACING:

The 2009 IVECO MotoGP brought the Oleon Motologic Racing Team great success over the weekend at Phillip Island, but leaves the Australian Superbike Championship points closer than ever.

Races 2 and 4 were the points scoring races for the Australian Superbike Series and although extremely entertaining for the spectators, the results now leave the Championship title very much up for grabs with 3 riders now in contention for the number one plate.

The level of racing brought before the MotoGP crowd by the Australian Superbike riders was fantastic, in particular Oleon Motologic’s Wayne Maxwell whose new lap record for domestic Superbikes of 1:32.316 sec would apparently place him very nicely in the second row of the grid in a World Superbike race.

Wayne Maxwell took the Round 6 win for the Australian Superbike Series and almost made it a clean sweep on his birthday on Sunday, just missing out on 4 race wins from 4 starts by mere tenths of a second to Josh Waters as in the final moments of race 4 the Suzuki rider passed Maxwell down the start/finish straight to snatch the win. However, with pole position and 3 race wins, Maxwell comes away more than happy.

“The weekend was a great success. Three wins from four races and pole position certainly has me leaving Phillip Island on a high, but I know I will need to be very focused when we return to the island in November for the final round. With Glenn leading and Josh riding as strongly as he is, it will require everything I’ve got to go from third place in the championship to win the title.”

The other half of the Oleon Motologic Racing Team and the man defending his title, Glenn Allerton had to be content with third place overall this weekend. After a huge crash at the notorious hayshed on Friday in qualifying, Allerton was forced to move onto his spare bike for the races and although still on the pace he was unable to clinch a win in such a competitive field.

“I’ve come away from the weekend basically looking to the final round now. I was disappointed to have come off on Friday and not come away with at least one race win, I just need to regroup and focus on the last round. I still hold the lead in the championship, but only by 2 points. With Josh Waters breathing down my neck and Wayne riding so strongly I know it will not be an easy task, but it is there for the taking and all my focus from here will be on retaining the number 1 plate.”

With just over a month until the final round and 2 riders vying for the championship win, the pressure is on.

Maxwell has dominated the domestic series of late seemingly finding that extra little something needed to make it across the finish line in front of an extremely skilled and competitive field time and time again. The top three riders in the 2009 series are closer than ever in points and with Maxwell just as much in contention for the title as defending champion Glenn Allerton, the Oleon Motologic Racing Team Owner and Manager, Paul Free is cautiously pleased with the odds.

“Oleon Motologic Racing has 2 of the 3 riders who are in a position to win the title which is terrific however we are under no illusion to the fact that it will be very much a hard fought battle as Josh Waters is extremely competitive and very fast out there on the track. The Honda CBR1000RRs were great performers this weekend and the Dunlop tyres endured the heated on-track battle exceptionally well. It is all going to come down to that last race at Phillip Island in six weeks.”

The final round of the Australian Superbike Series will see Oleon Motologic Racing back at Phillip Island at the end of November on their Honda CBR1000RRs for a fierce battle to the finish line. The pressure is most definitely on!

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