Scott Charlton will be looking for a change of luck when he competes in the Australian Superbike Championships at Phillip Island next month.By Stuart Teather
CRANBOURNE North Superbike racer Scott Charlton will look to put a difficult season behind him when he races in the Australian Superbike Championships at Phillip Island next month.
Charlton has had a run of bad luck in recent rounds, culminating in a spectacular crash at Symmons Plains in Tasmania in August, when he hit a patch of water on the track, crashed out and was taken to hospital.
The crash ended a weekend of high expectations for Charlton, who races in both the Superbike (1000cc) and Supersport (600cc) classes for the Kawasaki Racing Team.
But Charlton said the crash did little to deter him from racing.
“It knocks your confidence around a little bit, but once you get back into it you’re laughing,” he said.
“I’ve had a bit of a shocker this year. I actually broke my scaphoid (bone between thumb and hand) as well on a jet ski when we were out training, and I missed a round with that, so it’s been a pretty ordinary season.”
Going into the next round, which is held alongside the MotoGP at Phillip Island, Charlton said he was looking forward to a better result.
He said he expected a podium finish in the Supersport class, but only a top-10 finish in the Superbikes.
“It’s a new Superbike and it needs a lot more development. It’s not as competitive as we first thought.
“The 600 is not going too bad, it’s lacking a bit of bottom to mid-end speed, but the top end is awesome and that’s why we were doing pretty good at Tassie (before the crash).”
After joining Kawasaki at the start of the year, Charlton is reaping the benefits from being a part of the team.
“It’s good to be in a factory team, and just fly in, ride the bike and fly home – it makes it easier,” Charlton said.
The 28-year-old is no stranger to road racing, and has a decade-long history of success.
Back in 1998, a then 18-year-old Charlton won the first of two successive 250cc Class World Superbike Championships.
In 2002 he finished second in the Australian Supersport class, and in 2006 he placed fifth in the Australian Superbikes.
Last year he won the Australian Naked Bike Championships, which he listed as a career highlight.
The Naked Bike division involves stripping the bike of the plastic fairings, which tends to help in acceleration but hinders the bike’s top speed.
As for the future, Charlton has his eye on a berth on the international circuit.
“I’d like to continue with a factory team. I wouldn’t mind having a ride in the World Supersport (Championship), but other than that I’m pretty much happy getting a factory ride in Australia.”
