Kawasaki SBK - Monza

[MadKaw]

LACONI FASTEST INTO SUPERPOLE THEN SEVENTH ON THE GRID
Monza, Italy, 12 May 2007 - Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse Ninja ZX-10R) was in dazzling form in pre-Superpole qualifying, setting a new track best and qualifying fastest rider before Superpole decided the final grid positions. His best ever time stood until eventual Superpole winner Noriyuki Haga set an even faster lap.
Laconi’s lap time in the pre-Superpole session was better than his Superpole mark, and thus Laconi dropped down from provisional pole to seventh on the grid for Sunday’s two 18-lap races.

Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse Ninja ZX-10R) was 13th before Superpole and stayed in that position after Superpole. Both Laconi and Nieto used new specifications of engines at Monza, because of all the high-speed sections, with Laconi feeling the most benefit.

A third rider joined the team for this race, with Mauro Sanchini(PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse Ninja ZX-10R) qualifying 19th out of 25 riders, just missing out on Superpole qualification.

Regis Laconi: “The crash in the afternoon free session just shouldn’t have happened! It’s a miracle that my foot is not broken because it was trapped under the bike and the pain was bad. Because of this accident I couldn’t try the qualifying tyre before Superpole and this penalized my final time a lot. Then I made some mistakes in the Superpole lap because my psychological condition was not ideal after the crash. Anyway I think that getting onto the second row was not a bad result. The new engine has a good top speed, this is what we need in this kind of circuit.”

Fonsi Nieto: “Of course I am not satisfied with the result of Superpole but I feel the race pace I have is good. I tried our new engine spec but without feeling the difference that Regis felt. We have problems entering the corners right now, as the bike wants to go wide. We have to concentrate on that during warm-up tomorrow to be able to play my cards during the races.”

FORET SIXTH FASTEST IN MONZA QUALIFYING
Monza, Italy, 12 May 2007 - Fabien Foret (GIL Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) ended the two official qualifying sessions at Monza in sixth place overall, and is thus the top Kawasaki rider on the grid.
The Frenchman, winner of the Australian WSS race this season, worked hard in the practice sessions to get himself up to full speed and was only 0.612 seconds from pole, in a close contest at the 5.793km Monza track. At this impossibly fast and evocative circuit, the Kawasaki ZX-6R proved to be as quick as any of the main competitors, registering over 280kmph through the speed trap.

A less successful qualifying venture for Pere Riba (GIL Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) put him 13th out of 37 riders, after he spent much of the available time trying to perfect his chassis set-up.

Fabien Foret: “It is pretty close in the qualifying but I would like to be on the front row to try and avoid any problems at the first chicane tomorrow. We have to get away properly in the race and make sure we stay with the front group. There will be a lot of slipstreaming as usual but I feel happy and confident about things, even if the track seems a little bumpy in some places.”

Pere Riba: “I did not get the best start in qualifying and I could not get the right feel from the bike because I was trying out lots of settings today, especially with chassis. I need a good start in the race and then I can hopefully move forward in a fast group.”

[MadKaw]

EARLY PROMISE BUT LACONI FINALLY EIGHTH
Monza, Italy, 13 May 2007 - Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse Ninja ZX-10R) was up as high as second in the second 18-lap Monza race today but chattering from his machine held back his ultimate result, and he finished eighth. In race one head been forced out of contention after experiencing a technical problem.
Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse Ninja ZX-10R) was twice forced to quit from races at Monza, a round which had promised much in the run up to one of the most hotly contested weekends on the calendar. Fonsi's second race lasting only a single complete lap when his machine suffered an air intake problem which lost him power at this horsepower heavy circuit.

In the championship standings Laconi has now overtaken Nieto and sits 12th, with Nieto one place behind, and five points behind.

REGIS LACONI: “I can’t explain it because today the chattering followed me, as it had all this weekend. In race two it wasn’t possible to continue to push hard and I didn’t want to crash. Between race 1 and 2 we made some changes but it didn’t solve the situation. I did a good start in race two but then I entered the first chicane too fast and dropped back a bit to ensure I did not suffer a penalty. Then I pushed, but after four laps the problem returned. I finished the race even if I was pushing the front beyond the maximum all race long. Not for one lap, for all the race.”

FONSI NIETO: “To tell the truth I want to forget this weekend as fast as I can. In race one the bike was losing oil onto the tyre and I risked crashes three times, so I went to the box. In race two I had a problem with the air-box and everyone passed me. The only thing I could do was to go straight to the box.”


FORET SECOND AFTER THRILLING BATTLE
Monza, Italy, 13 May 2007 - Fabien Foret (GIL Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) continued his impressive 2007 form on his new Kawasaki by securing second place after an intense 16-lap battle, which included full contact with another rider as he approached the finish line.
Foret was only ninth on lap one, and only got up to second on lap 15, such is the need for slipstreaming in normal circumstances at Monza. Foret, no ordinary rider and on no ordinary machine, made up the ground he lost in the first chicane by cornering faster and braking harder than riders in front and pulling himself up to the group ahead, despite the lack of slipstream for some parts of the race.

Foret is still second in the championship overall, but is now 34 points ahead of his nearest challenger.

Pere Riba (GIL Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R) was struggling once more to match his early season pace, but he still scored points for 12th, and sits 10th in the championship standings, on 30 points.

Fabien Foret: “I made not such a good start and had to make up a lot of ground and pass riders in front on the brakes. The bike and tyres were good, as always, and the only real problem I had at the end was thinking that West would come to try and pass me on the outside. Then he went inside which was a surprise. I could not do anything about the win today so to be second makes me very happy.”

Pere Riba: “I have had problems here and at Assen with my confidence to really push and early this weekend, when I tried to go fast, I fell and that affected my confidence in the early laps here. I think I was 22nd on lap one and I had to ride hard to move up the finishing order.”