Kawasaki WSB / WSS - Vallelunga
Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:21 am
Laconi Scores A Race Two Ninth
Vallelunga, Italy, 21 September 2008
Régis Laconi rode hard for a fine top ten finish on his PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse Ninja ZX-10R at Vallelunga and improved his championship position in the process.
In the first race Laconi just missed out on a point, while Tamada’s lowly starting position stopped him from making progress early on, and he secured 20th place.
Laconi and Tamada made changes to their machines for race two, with Laconi softening his rear suspension settings, then pushing himself to ninth despite being run off the track at one stage.
From a lowly grid position, Tamada rode with determination in each 24-lap race at the dual-character 4.110km Vallelunga circuit near Rome, and he just missed points in race two. He was particularly unfortunate to get caught up in the aftermath of a high-speed crash between two other riders, or he could have joined Laconi in the points.
The end result of Laconi’s seven points from Vallelunga is that he has now overtaken Tamada in the championship table, with 44 points to Tamada’s 41.
The next round is Laconi’s home event, Magny-Cours, on Sunday October 5.
Régis Laconi: “In race one I made a quite good start but after few laps I found the chatter that we thought we had got rid of yesterday. Because of that I found it hard to keep on the proper line. Between race one and race two the whole team worked really well to solve the problem by making the rear shock less stiff and it helped a lot, making easier to manage the bike and I scored a 9th position. I’m really glad about this result as the team deserved it after the great job they did.”
Makoto Tamada: “I just want to forget this weekend as it has been really difficult to accept the results. I still don’t have a good feeling with the bike, especially with the front. We tried to reduce this problem by changing the pressure of the tyres but it didn’t help so I just tried to finish the race. In the second race I made quite a good start but after the crash between Biaggi and Sofuoglu, I was covered in oil and I lost control for a while, losing positions which I was not able to regain during the race. It’s a pity, because the feeling with the bike was better than in race one.”
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Fujiwara Battles Hard at Vallelunga
Vallelunga, Italy, 21 September 2008
Katsuaki Fujiwara from the GIL Kawasaki team secured a finish of 18th today, just a couple of seconds from a points score after a hard race at the 4.110km circuit near Rome. Chris Martin was 20th after running off the track at one stage, having been down the order in qualifying. He will continue in the team for the next rounds, when he hopes more dry track time will help his cause.
Fujiwara is currently 22nd in the rankings, with 14 points.
Katsuaki Fujiwara: “I could catch a lot of riders under braking but it was impossible to pass them going into the corners, or get away from them. This racetrack has two very different parts, one fast and flowing and another slow, very tight. We tried our best as always, but two dry days of qualifying would have been ideal, not one.”
Chris Martin: “I tried my hardest to catch the group up in front of me but on about lap six I ran off the track into the gravel, got back into the groove again and started catching back up to them. But the gap was a bit too big. We gained places in the race from where we qualified, so we were pleased with that.”
Vallelunga, Italy, 21 September 2008
Régis Laconi rode hard for a fine top ten finish on his PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse Ninja ZX-10R at Vallelunga and improved his championship position in the process.
In the first race Laconi just missed out on a point, while Tamada’s lowly starting position stopped him from making progress early on, and he secured 20th place.
Laconi and Tamada made changes to their machines for race two, with Laconi softening his rear suspension settings, then pushing himself to ninth despite being run off the track at one stage.
From a lowly grid position, Tamada rode with determination in each 24-lap race at the dual-character 4.110km Vallelunga circuit near Rome, and he just missed points in race two. He was particularly unfortunate to get caught up in the aftermath of a high-speed crash between two other riders, or he could have joined Laconi in the points.
The end result of Laconi’s seven points from Vallelunga is that he has now overtaken Tamada in the championship table, with 44 points to Tamada’s 41.
The next round is Laconi’s home event, Magny-Cours, on Sunday October 5.
Régis Laconi: “In race one I made a quite good start but after few laps I found the chatter that we thought we had got rid of yesterday. Because of that I found it hard to keep on the proper line. Between race one and race two the whole team worked really well to solve the problem by making the rear shock less stiff and it helped a lot, making easier to manage the bike and I scored a 9th position. I’m really glad about this result as the team deserved it after the great job they did.”
Makoto Tamada: “I just want to forget this weekend as it has been really difficult to accept the results. I still don’t have a good feeling with the bike, especially with the front. We tried to reduce this problem by changing the pressure of the tyres but it didn’t help so I just tried to finish the race. In the second race I made quite a good start but after the crash between Biaggi and Sofuoglu, I was covered in oil and I lost control for a while, losing positions which I was not able to regain during the race. It’s a pity, because the feeling with the bike was better than in race one.”
--------------------------------
Fujiwara Battles Hard at Vallelunga
Vallelunga, Italy, 21 September 2008
Katsuaki Fujiwara from the GIL Kawasaki team secured a finish of 18th today, just a couple of seconds from a points score after a hard race at the 4.110km circuit near Rome. Chris Martin was 20th after running off the track at one stage, having been down the order in qualifying. He will continue in the team for the next rounds, when he hopes more dry track time will help his cause.
Fujiwara is currently 22nd in the rankings, with 14 points.
Katsuaki Fujiwara: “I could catch a lot of riders under braking but it was impossible to pass them going into the corners, or get away from them. This racetrack has two very different parts, one fast and flowing and another slow, very tight. We tried our best as always, but two dry days of qualifying would have been ideal, not one.”
Chris Martin: “I tried my hardest to catch the group up in front of me but on about lap six I ran off the track into the gravel, got back into the groove again and started catching back up to them. But the gap was a bit too big. We gained places in the race from where we qualified, so we were pleased with that.”
Re: Kawasaki WSB / WSS - Vallelunga
Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:45 am
woo hoo we scored 9th!!! 
Re: Kawasaki WSB / WSS - Vallelunga
Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:53 am
Top 10 is a win remember !!