Yamaha Racing Team rider Jamie Stauffer shattered Queensland Raceway’s Superbike lap record in private testing today (Thursday, June 7) after literally stepping off a plane from Japan and jumping aboard his 2007-spec Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike for the first time.

After four days of testing in Japan with the Yamaha factory team for the upcoming Suzuka 8-hour race, Stauffer flew straight to Brisbane for a two-day combined test session with the leading Australian Superbike Championship teams, two hours sleep doing little to slow the pace of the reigning Australian champion and current points leader.

Stauffer recorded a best lap of 1:09.60 in his first outing on the team’s new 2007 YZF-R1, opting to leave the 2006 YZF-R1 SP that he’s used with devastating effect this season in the pit garage.

The 28-year-old’s fastest lap was below the Superbike lap record of 1:09.837, set by Honda rider Russell Holland at last year’s round of the national championship.

"The new bike feels pretty good straight out of the box, although we’ve got a little bit of work to do to get the rear suspension dialled in," said Stauffer. "The 2007 bike has a different linkage and set-up to old one, so that’s what we’re concentrating on."

Emphasising the competitiveness of the Kev Marshall-developed Yamaha Racing Team 2007 YZF-R1s, teammate and elder brother Dan recorded a best lap of 1:10.40 in his maiden outing on the new bike - faster than he’d lapped in last year’s championship round.

Current lap record holder Russell Holland split the Yamaha duo on his Teknic Honda CBR1000, a 1:10.10 his best time on a circuit that most riders said was rougher and bumpier than last year.

Team Yoshimura Suzuki riders Shawn Giles and Craig Coxhell were two who were struggling to get to grip with the bumps, both riders missing from last year’s championship round ­ Giles due to injury, and Coxhell because he was racing in Europe.

"It’s the sort of circuit that seems to come in blocks of time," said Coxhell. "I’ll find a couple of tenths easily, then it’s a matter of working away to try to improve on that time. And then it’ll come, and it’s time to start on the next improvement - it’s not a steady progression like at other circuits."

Last-round winner Glenn Allerton was fourth-fastest today, but spent the day on old tyres whereas his major opposition set their times on fresh rubber.

Kawasaki Racing Team rider Shannon Johnson concentrated solely on his ZX-6R Supersport bike today, leaving his ZX-10R Superbike for Day Two of the test session.

Johnson’s KRT teammate Wayne Maxwell was hampered by injuries to his arm and leg received in a recent training accident on a motocross bike, but commented that he’d be fit for the race meeting in three weeks time.

Superbike Parctice Times: Day One

1 Jamie Stauffer, Yamaha Racing Team, 1:09.60
2 Russell Holland, Teknic Honda, 1:10.10
3 Dan Stauffer, Yamaha Racing Team, 1:10.40
4 Glenn Allerton, Allect Racing Honda, 1:10.70
5 Craig Coxhell, Team Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:11.00
6 Shawn Giles Team Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:11.10
7 Chris Seaton, ElectroRegenisis Yamaha, 1:11.20
8 Scott Charlton, Vern Graham Yamah, 1:11.90
9eq Gareth Jones, ElectroRegenisis Yamaha, 1:12.00
9eq Wayne Maxwell, Kawasaki Racing Team, 1:12.00
11 Cole Odendaal, Oleon Oils Honda, 1:14.00
12 Shannon Johnson, Kawasaki Racing Team, No time