Yamaha Racing Team rider Jamie Stauffer stepped straight off a plane from Japan on Thursday morning, jumped aboard his new 2007-spec Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike for the first time, and promptly shattered Queensland Raceway’s Superbike lap record during a closed two-day test session at the 3.12km Willowbank circuit on Thursday and Friday of this week.

Stauffer recorded a best lap of 1:09.60 in his first outing on the team’s new 2007 Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike on Thursday morning, opting to leave the 2006 YZF-R1 SP that he’s used with devastating effect so far 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, although Stauffer was unable to repeat his record lap in the blustery conditions on Friday.

"Perhaps I ride faster when I’m jet-lagged and haven’t had much sleep, as I went slower on the second day than I did on the first,"   said Stauffer.

"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 suspension linkage and set-up to old one, so that’s what we were concentrating on over the two days."

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

Emphasising the competitiveness of the Kev Marshall-developed Yamaha Racing Team 2007 YZF-R1, teammate and elder brother Dan recorded a best lap of 1:10.30 in his maiden outing on the new bike - his best time coming in Friday’s windy conditions and faster than he’d lapped in last year’s championship round.

However, Dan’s day came to a premature end when he was flicked high out of the seat of his Yamaha at Turn Two, a heavy landing on the bike’s fuel tank leaving the 30-year-old with a badly bruised groin and painful rib injury. He was transported to Ipswich hospital for observation.

Current lap record holder Russell Holland split the Yamaha duo on the timesheet on his Teknic Honda CBR1000RR, a 1:10.10 on Thursday his best time on a circuit that most riders said was rougher and bumpier than last year.

Dan Stauffer wasn’t the only Superbike rider to fall victim to the Willowbank circuit during the two-day test session, with Honda privateer Glenn Allerton crashing spectacularly at 160kmh at Turn One, the fastest corner on the circuit.

"The front just tucked suddenly, and I couldn’t save it,"  said Allerton. "I remember tumbling through the gravel, and then swallowing a rock that got scooped up by helmet. It went into my mouth and straight down my throat before I could spit it out. I’ve got a few burn marks from the abrasions, but otherwise I’m okay."

Allerton’s Allect Racing Honda CBR1000RR was less fortunate, a number of somersaults through the gravel trap leaving it bent and battered. The New South Welshman had just recorded a 1:10.20 on the lap before his crash, the second-fastest time on the second day.

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

However, Coxhell was fastest on day two of the tests with a best lap of 1:10.10, improving nearly a full second on his Thursday time.

"It’s the sort of circuit that seems to come in blocks of time,"  said Coxhell. "I’ll find a couple of tenths easily, and 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."

Robbie Bugden didn’t attend day one, but recorded a 1:10.90 on day two on used tyres on his Team Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Kawasaki Racing Team rider Shannon Johnson concentrated solely on his ZX-6R Supersport bike on Thursday, 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.

Yamaha Racing Team rider Jason O’Halloran was fastest of the eleven Supersport riders who attended the test session, his best lap of 1:11.80 one tenth quicker than defending Supersport champion Jamie Stauffer. The top five Supersport riders were all below the current lap record for the class of 1:12.431, set by Stauffer at last year’s championship round.

Victorian Chris Trounson was the only Supersport rider to crash, a highside on Friday afternoon leaving him bruised but otherwise unhurt.

Queensland Raceway will host rounds six and seven of the eight-round YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship in a unique double-header event on June 28-July 1.

Superbike Practice Times (Combined ­ Both Days)

1 Jamie Stauffer, Yamaha Racing Team, 1:09.60
2eq Russell Holland, Teknic Honda, 1:10.10
2eq Craig Coxhell, Team Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:10.10
4 Glenn Allerton, Allect Racing Honda, 1:10.20
5 Dan Stauffer, Yamaha Racing Team, 1:10.30
6eq Scott Charlton, Vern Graham Yamaha, 1:10.90
6eq Robbie Bugden, Team Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:10.90
8eq Shawn Giles, Team Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:11.10
8eq Chris Seaton, ElectroRegenisis Yamaha, 1:11.10
10 Shannon Johnson, Kawasaki Racing Team, 1:11.20
11 Wayne Maxwell, Kawasaki Racing Team, 1:11.50
12 Gareth Jones, ElectroRegenisis Yamaha, 1:12.00
13 Cole Odendaal, Oleon Oils Honda, 1:13.70

Supersport Practice Time (Combined ­ Both Days)

1 Jason O’Halloran, Yamaha Racing Team, 1:11.80
2 Jamie Stauffer, Yamaha Racing Team 1:11.90
3 Russell Holland, Teknic Honda 1:12.10
4eq Jeremy Crowe, Yamaha Racing Team, 1:12.30
4eq Judd Greedy, Sunstate Racing Honda, 1:12.30
6 Josh Waters, Team Yoshimura Suzuki, 1:12.60
7 Shannon Johnson, Kawasaki Racing Team, 1:13.00
8eq Chris Seaton, ElectroRegenisis Yamaha, 1:13.30
8eq Chris Trounson, Sunstate Racing Honda, 1:13.30
10 Gareth Jones, ElectroRegenisis Yamaha, 1:13.80
11 Mitchell Carr, Joe Rocket Suzuki, 1:14.40

YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship

Progressive points after 5 of 8 rounds