DOUBLE PODIUM FOR WATERS & SUZUKI AT GOULBURN SBK

Josh Waters – GSX-R1000 – 3rd-3rd
Markus Chiodo – GSX-R1000 – DNF-18th

Defending Australian Superbike Champion Josh Waters scored a double podium position aboard his Team Suzuki ECSTAR GSX-R1000 in the second round of the Australian Superbike Championship at Goulburn Wakefield Park Raceway at the weekend.

In hot and windy conditions at the New South Wales circuit, Waters raced to 3-3 finishes for third overall, while new rookie team-mate Markus Chiodo had a challenging day with a crash and 18th place.

Josh Waters:

“Last year in the wet was the first time I’d ridden a Superbike at Wakefield, so we don’t have a lot data, but coming into the weekend after testing, we were heading in the right direction, but still had some work to do. Qualifying third and being one of only four riders to go under 58 seconds showed we were on track, then finishing third in race one, I was happy with the improvements. In race two though, I managed to close the gap to Wayne (Maxwell) and Troy (Herfoss), walking away with some more confidence and some critical championship points.”

Markus Chiodo:

“It was a really difficult round for me after the test here last week went reasonably well, so I thought that this weekend may have gone a bit differently. My crash on Friday meant we lost some critical track time putting me back in 18th place on the grid for both races. Another crash in the first race put me on the sidelines while in race two, I just wanted to finish and move on to Tailem Bend. I’m going to forget about this round and put all my focus on the new track at the next round.”

Dale Brede – Team Owner:

“What a weekend! Markus had some bad luck with a crash on Friday setting the tone for a tough weekend while Josh continued to show why he’s the reigning champion, taking consistent steps forward from practice to qualifying and through both races. It’s a learning year for Markus on the Superbike and weekends like this, where he doesn’t feel like he took steps forward are tough on the rider, but we know what he’s capable of and we’re behind him. The team continues to work incredibly well under pressure and we’ve come away from what could be considered a weak track for us with a solid point haul.”

Team Suzuki ECSTAR Australia now begin preparations for round 3 at Australia’s newest race track, The Bend, in South Australia on April 18-22th, where no rider has had the opportunity to race to date and will present a whole range of opportunities and challenges for the entire ASBK paddock.