In this edition of Rewind we look back to the start of the 2010 Australian Superbike Championship season and Bryan Staring’s eleventh-hour deal that would eventually result in a premier class title.

Victorious in the 2009 Australian Supersport Championship, Staring was left without a ride when his Yamaha Racing Team elected not to compete in ASBK the following year.

As the prize Superbike seats dried up, the West Australian was left with the real prospect of being absent from the grid in 2010.

Staring’s saving grace was the newly-formed Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing team, a single-bike operation from the Victorian-based Full Throttle Sports outfit.

He spared little time in getting up to speed, taking two podium spots from as many starts at the season opener in Phillip Island.

He returned to the podium at the next round in the Northern Territory, showing the first round was no flash in the pan.

Staring then proceeded to not only score his first Superbike race win, but string together five in a row across two rounds at Queensland Raceway and the following round at Phillip Island.

Eight podiums from 10 starts saw him head into the season’s final round at Symmons Plains in the points lead.

Weather threatened but stayed away for the first race, with Staring coming home a solid fourth. The heavens opened on Sunday, however, and it was a wet, tricky track that greeted riders for the final race of the year.

A bundle of nerves, Staring only needed to finish but at times admitted to feeling like he’d forgotten how to ride as he steered safely clear of passing riders.

His Honda CBR remained upright and he crossed the line in eighth place, holding out fellow Fireblade pilot Wayne Maxwell by a narrow 7.5-point margin.

Fast-forward to 2013 and Staring is just days from making his first Grand Prix start at the pinnacle of motorcycle racing – MotoGP.

Two solid seasons in World Superstock competition saw Staring catch the eye of Fausto Gresini who took a chance on the ambitious and hard-working Australian, drafting him into the GO&FUN Gresini Honda team to pilot the team’s FTR-Honda CRT bike.

He will make his debut under lights at Losail International Circuit in Qatar on Sunday, and as the lone Australian rider in the premier class, will have plenty of home support behind him in his bid for success.

Click here to read the original announcement of Staring’s signing with the Cougar Bourbon Honda Racing team in February 2010.

Staring on his way to a maiden Australian Superbike Championship at Symmons Plains.