Trevor Hedge talks with 2011 ASBK Champion Glenn Allerton about his recent Victorian High Country BMW GS Ride and ASBK season 2012 and the changes to the BMW S 1000 RR for 2012.

Glenn Allerton, the 2011 ASBK Champion, has re signed with Procon BMW for the 2012 season and will be aiming for back-to-back titles on the new 2012 BMW S 1000 RR.

This year’s historic title win was the first Australian title for the BMW S 1000 RR and with the enhanced 2012 model set to land soon, Glenn will again be the man to beat.

Procon BMW Team Principal, Wayne Hepburn, was also excited by Glenn’s decision. “It was great news and along with Glenn we are already working on the task ahead. The Procon BMW team has been reconfigured so that our total focus will now be on supporting Glenn as he chases the ASBK crown in 2012″ said Wayne.

General Manager BMW Motorrad Australia and New Zealand, Tony Sesto, was excited with news of Glenn’s re-commitment for 2012.

“Glenn and the Procon BMW Team did a fantastic job in 2011. Their commitment, professionalism and Glenn’s immense talent showcased the dynamic ability and power of the BMW S 1000 RR. Winning the title was fantastic. I am excited that Glenn has committed for 2012 and look forward with great optimism to his title defence,” said Tony.

For Glenn, it will be aiming for ASBK title number three and the second on the BMW S 1000 RR.

“The BMW S 1000 RR was a fantastic motorcycle to ride and winning the 2011 title in the RR’s first complete ASBK season was a career highlight. I am excited that we will be testing the new 2012 RR very soon and head into the new season full of confidence” said Glenn.

The 2012 ASBK season begins February 24-26 at the Phillip Island WSBK Round.

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Josh Waters ran away with today’s second race of the QBE Australian Superbike Championships at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains on a day where Glenn Allerton battled injury to secure his second premier class title.

The Suzuki-mounted Waters annihilated his own lap record, set in February, to win by a comfortable margin after a race-long battle between the factory Honda and Suzuki teams.

Crucially, it was the fifth place finish for Procon Maxima BMW’s Glenn Allerton which saw him lock away an unbeatable points lead and secure a triumphant second Superbike title, only the fifth rider in the ASBK’s history to do so.

Yesterday’s clash with Robbie Bugden resulted in a severely-swollen arm for Allerton, who dismissed the discomfort and finished the job he had come to do.

The 30-year-old won his first championship in 2008, and his success in 2011 has been led largely by his own determination and the chances taken by his Hepburn Motorsport crew on a potent but unknown quantity in the BMW S 1000 RR.

“We have to race this bike this year,” were the words spoken by the Sydney-based rider after the team’s first test just weeks before the ASBK season-opener in February.

11 consecutive podiums, including 6 race wins, validate the decision which sees him crowned the 23rd Australian Superbike Champion.

“I didn’t get a great start today and though I passed a few people straight up I just didn’t feel strong enough under brakes with my arm the way it is,” said Allerton.

“I kept pushing and pushing but in the end held onto 5th, at the end of the race I honestly thought I was a point off taking home the championship but my team let me know I’d done it which was a great feeling.

“So many people in the team have worked hard for this, I have to thank everyone at Procon Maxima BMW for their hard work week in, week out but also all of those people behind the scenes as well that have helped me make the most of this opportunity including BMW who have been so supportive.

“I’d like to dedicate the win to my grandfather who passed away last week, he’s played a huge part in my career and my life.”

For Waters, the result was redemption after he retired to the pits yesterday while enjoying a similar lead in the opening race.

“Yesterday was just one of those things, the engine problem was disappointing but we bounced back today,” said Waters.

“I got a good start but made a mistake at the hairpin on the first lap. It probably made for a great race for the crowd to see us all battling it out at the start.

“I worked my way through and made a bit of a break, I was lucky to be fast enough to keep the other guys just behind me.

“Breaking the lap record again shows just how fast the bike is here and I’m looking forward to getting to Phillip Island and finishing the year off really well.”

Race 1 winner Jamie Stauffer finished second on the Team Honda machine, while Troy Herfoss added another race podium to his name in third.

Stauffer locked down another round win with the result today, and was only 2 points shy of forcing Glenn Allerton to wait another week to race for the title.

“It was a pretty hard race again from seventh on the grid, I attacked early on and was able to move forward but there was no catching Josh in today’s race,” said Stauffer.

“It’s good to get the round win and keep focused on the goal of second in the championship.

“Congratulations to Glenn on a great win, he was always going to be tough to beat with such a big lead.”

As it did yesterday, the 2.4km circuit’s hairpin proved a challenge to riders who pushed their bikes to the limit under brakes.

A heart-stopping moment for Allerton typified the nature of the corner, missed by a narrow margin after a late-braking lunge by Waters.

Like yesterday, the large Tasmanian crowd was treated to a spectacular display of racing, with the Superbikes proving an exceptionally-popular support class to the V8 Supercars.

Brodie Waters won both Prostock Challenge races this weekend, showing versatility in switching between his regular ride in the 600cc Supersport class to step up to Suzuki’s 1000cc machine.

It wasn’t, however, enough to prevent Linden Magee from claiming top honours in the championship, with the Coastline Motorrad BMW winning by a 20-point margin at the conclusion of the three-round showdown at the 2+4 events.

The final round of the QBE Australian Superbike Championships, a multi-discipline ‘festival’ of two-wheel racing, will be held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit from November 18-20.

Race 2, Symmons Plains Results

1. Joshua WATERS (VIC) / Team Suzuki
2. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW) / Team Honda Racing
3. Troy HERFOSS (NSW) / Team Suzuki
4. Wayne MAXWELL (NSW) / Team Honda Racing
5. Glenn ALLERTON (NSW) / Procon Maxima BMW
6. Robert BUGDEN (QLD) / Team Mack Trucks Suzuki
7. Craig COXHELL (VIC) / GAS Honda / Demolition Plus
8. Brodie WATERS (VIC) / Team Suzuki
9. Ben HENRY (QLD) / CUBE Racing / Australian Outdoor Living / Weld West
10. Chris TROUNSON (VIC) / Procon Maxima BMW

Round 7 Overall Results

1. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW), 45
2. Joshua WATERS (VIC), 38
3. Troy HERFOSS (VIC), 38
4. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC), 33
5. Craig COXHELL (VIC), 32
6. Robert BUGDEN (QLD), 31
7. Glenn ALLERTON (VIC), 30
8. Ben HENRY (QLD), 30
9. Chris TROUNSON (VIC), 24

Championship Points after round 7 of 8

1. Glenn ALLERTON (VIC), 293
2. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW), 241
3. Troy HERFOSS (VIC), 223
4. Craig COXHELL (VIC), 213
5. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC), 210
6. Joshua WATERS (VIC), 97
7. Ben ATTARD (QLD), 196
8. Robert BUGDEN (QLD), 179
9. Ben HENRY (QLD), 151
10. Cole ODENDAAL (NSW), 123

 Again the Australian Superbikes were the support events at the 2011 Iveco Moto GP at Phillip Island. Phillip Island definitely put on a good show with some truly amazing weather as did the Superbike Races.

With the unveiling of our newest sponsor for the Procon Maxima BMW Team, VIP Pet Foods which saw the BMW’s take on a new colour scheme and the VIP Pet Food ever popular Paw Print.

Glenn came into this event with extreme confidence after a successful testing session only weeks prior. Qualifying on the second row in Position 4 it was a bit of Deja Vu with this being the same spot he started from at the first round of the Championship where he had won.

Unfortunately the Superbikes only got to Race 3 of 4 races due to a massive oil spill on the Saturday morning which ran down the straight through turn one to turn two.

Each race saw great battles between Glenn Allerton, Wayne Maxwell, Troy Herfoss, Robbie Bugden and Jamie Stauffer. Glenn was showing his great talent in late braking and his speed through corners with some spectacular moves through turn one and going into Honda corner.

On the Sunday morning the weather finally came over in true Phillip Island tradition and rained quiet heavily while the boys were on the starting grid. A quick bike change to the wet bikes and then the boys were back out. Glenn quickly moved to the front and led the race. On the last lap saw on his lap board that he was 3 seconds ahead on P2. Jamie was inching closer and closer and Glenn only realised he was there when coming over Lukey Heights and saw Jamie behind him on the big screen. But Glenn took victory in that race and 2^nd for the weekend.

GLENN’S COMMENTS: “It was a very tough weekend, qualifying on the second row wasn’t exactly the best place to start but throughout the weekend the team and I worked really hard and we ended up back at the top where we belong “

A big thank you to all the sponsors:

Current Australian Superbike Championship leader Glenn Allerton has continued his dominance of the Malaysian Super Series, winning at Sepang last weekend.
Riding for Team Mezzo Racing aboard a BMW S 1000 RR, Allerton qualified on pole position and won both races on Sunday, setting a new domestic lap record of 2:10.974 in the process.

“I’m extremely happy that I’m coming back with a win,” Allerton explained. “The Sepang track is one of my favourites, I felt really good out there.

“The tyres felt pretty good, I had to make sure I avoided the oil spills and just finish the race.”

Riding on Pirelli DOT tyres in the Malaysian championship, Allerton won race one by four seconds before concluding the weekend with a victory by over 10 seconds in leg two.

Allerton’s pole time was recorded a phenomenal two and a half seconds quicker than the second place rider on the grid.

Another successful round for Glenn & The Procon BMW team at Queensland raceway 19-21st August at the 2 x 4 round held in conjunction with the Ipswich 300 round of the V8 supercars. Although finishing 2nd for the round to rival Honda rider Wayne Maxwell, Glenn extends his lead in the championship for 2011. Even though his closest contender for the championship, Jamie Stauffer, won race two with a convincing lead and Glenn coming home in fourth, Jamie’s crash in race one, put him further behind in the run chase.

A consistent 2nd in race one and a fourth in race two, puts Glenn well clear of the second place in the championship, Ben Henry, riding the RSV4 Aprillia and was enough to give him second overall for the day.

The Procon BMW worked well this weekend, but we where having trouble getting drive off turn 2 Glenn said. The bike was just wicking up off the bumps and it was difficult to get the power down despite the BMW’s traction control system. We had it wound off a fair bit in an effort to get some more consistent drive but the very bumpy Queensland track made it hard to find the right setting. We were all happy with the results today, and although a win for the round would have been a better result, I’m happy with second as I have moved further ahead in the championship, Glenn said.

The next round moves to Symmonds Plains in Tassie, a track that I do well at and is well suited to the Procon BMW. We are looking to seal the championship in Tassie and go to the last round at Phillip Island with an unbeatable lead.

1. Glenn ALLERTON (VIC), 263

2. Jamie STAUFFER (NSW), 196
3. Ben ATTARD (QLD), 196
4. Troy HERFOSS (VIC), 185
5. Craig COXHELL (VIC), 181
6. Wayne MAXWELL (VIC), 177
7. Joshua WATERS (VIC), 159
8. Robert BUGDEN (QLD), 148
9. Cole ODENDAAL (NSW), 123
10. Ben HENRY (QLD), 121