Kawasaki Press Release Brno

[redzedx7r]

Nakano is a great rider. On a more competitive bike, he'd probably be battling for podiums instead of top 10's. The points he's scored for Kawasaki this year are testament to his ability.

Nakano is a good test rider and good qualifier. He is not much of a racer. He had a competitive Yammy a couple of years ago and did stuff all with it, he is only in MotoGP because Bridgstone paid for his seat. They are Japanese company and they wanted a Japanese rider. As for being a Japanese rider he's not in the same league as Haga, Ryu, Kato or Tamada. Like Yanagawa he's good for spekky crashes.

[MadKaw]

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GAULOISES CZECH REPUBLIC GRAND PRIX - AUTODROM BRNO
22ND AUGUST 2004 - MOTOGP RACE RESULT

NAKANO AND HOFMANN IN THE POINTS AT BRNO

Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, showed true grit
and determination as they fought their way through the field from the
back of the grid, to add to their points tally in today's gruelling
Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno.

Nakano finished in 12th place, just one tenth of second ahead of
Hofmann, as the Ninja ZX-RR team-mates engaged in a furious dice over the
final seven laps of the 22-lap race.

Nakano had stormed to 17th at the end of lap one, but he struggled with
a less than ideal rear tyre choice and, by lap ten, Hofmann had charged
to 16th to lead the group of Jeremy McWilliams, Nakano and Ruben Xaus.

By lap 18 Nakano had taken over as the pace maker in this tight battle
and, over the final stages, the Japanese ace was shadowed by Hofmann
all the way to the chequered flag.

Despite the points finish, both Nakano and Hofmann were less than
satisfied, knowing that without the frustrating problems suffered with grip
levels and engine power delivery in wet qualifying, better results were
possible in today's race.

With Nakano starting from 25th on the grid, and Hofmann one place
further back, both riders rode superbly to overcome a charging pack of
MotoGP rivals and finish in the World Championship points.

The Kawasaki team is staying on at Brno for an important two-day test
session, which will enable evaluation of new components and allow
back-to-back comparisons with today's race performances.

Revised chassis, suspension and engine components - including a
modified exhaust system - are on the test agenda for the continuing Ninja
ZX-RR development program.

Shinya Nakano: 12th
"I made a good start, but in the early part of the race I couldn't push
hard; I didn't feel comfortable with the set-up and I think we probably
made a wrong rear tyre choice. The problem was lack of dry practice
time, and I also suffered with front end chatter. Over the last five laps
I pushed to stay in front of Alex, but even though I finished in the
points after starting at the back of the field, I don't enjoy racing so
far from the front. The test here over the next two days is now very
important to me and to Kawasaki."

Alex Hofmann: 13th
"It was a really enjoyable race, especially towards the end with Shinya
and Jeremy McWilliams. I thought I had a chance to pass Shinya coming
to the final corner on the last lap, but the yellow flags were out
because of a crash. After the start it was difficult to pass in the early
laps, but once the race settled down I found a good rhythm and got to the
front of the group with McWilliams, Shinya and Xaus. After that it was
a hard race right to the finish. It was a frustrating two days of
qualifying in wet conditions, so getting some points is a bonus, but I hope
we can make a step forward at the tests over the next two days."

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
"It is satisfying to score points after starting from the back of the
grid, but it was hard work for both Shinya and Alex. At the moment we
don't have enough top end power, and that makes it difficult to pass on
the straights, with the result that both riders lose time in the early
stages of the race. If we had started closer to the front I'm sure we
could have challenged the group for a top ten place. It was a tough
weekend, but the test over the next two days, with new chassis, suspension
and engine components, will hopefully provide some solutions for the
coming races."

MOTOGP RACE - FINAL TIMES:
1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 44'03.480; 2.
Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +3.514; 3. Max Biaggi (ITA)
Camel Honda Team +4.330; 4. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team +16.257;
5. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +17.930; 6. Carlos Checa
(SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +21.181; 7. Colin Edwards (USA)
Telefonica Movistar Honda +22.471; 8. Norick Abe (JPN) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha
+31.079; 9. Marco Melandri (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +31.158; 10.
Kenny Roberts (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix Team +31.625; 11. Neil Hodgson
(GBR) dAntin Ducati Team +34.094; 12. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing
Team +54.124; 13. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +54.288

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS AFTER 10 OF 16 ROUNDS:
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 184; 2. Sete Gibernau
(SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 167; 3. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda
Team 158; 4. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 104; 5. Alex
Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda 86; 6. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda 83; 7.
Carlos Checa (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 82; 8. Loris Capirossi
(ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team 75; 9. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team 69;
10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 64; 11. Norick Abe
(JPN) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 49; 13. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki
Racing Team 41; 17. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team 27

[MadKaw]

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
FUCHS KAWASAKI RACING TEAM DEVELOPMENT TEST
23RD AUGUST 2004 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRUELLING TEST FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI'S NAKANO AND HOFMANN

Less than 24 hours after finishing in the points in Sunday's Czech
Republic Grand Prix, Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann,
were back on track and racking up the laps as they continued the
development of the Ninja ZX-RR during the first of two days of testing at the
Brno circuit.

Determined to solve the front end chatter problems that plagued him
during yesterday's race, Nakano completed more than 70 laps as his crew
worked to find a combination of suspension and geometry settings that
would eliminate the chatter. A change to the latest Öhlins forks towards
the end of the day brought about a definite improvement to the front end
of the bike, as well as offering better stability under braking and
more feedback from the front tyre.

Nakano will continue to work on refining the chassis balance of his
Ninja ZX-RR tomorrow, before moving on to test the latest front rubber
from Fuchs Kawasaki's tyre partner, Bridgestone.

There was no rest for Hofmann's crew after yesterday's Czech Republic
Grand Prix, as the 24-year-old German's race bike had to be stripped
down immediately after the race to allow the latest engine and chassis
components to be fitted ready for today's test.

With so many new components and settings to test and evaluate,
Hofmann's crew set a gruelling pace as they worked their way through an
intensive test programme. After completing 73 laps by time the red flag
brought an end to today's session, Hofmann's feedback on the new components
was positive and he was confident that further improvements could be
made during tomorrow's final day of testing.

Shinya Nakano: 70 Laps/1'59.73
"We were all disappointed after yesterday's result, and that definitely
provided the motivation we needed to get through today's test schedule,
as well as trying to find a solution to the front end chatter that
caused me so many problems in the race. For most of the day we didn't seem
to be making much progress with the chatter, but a change to the new
Öhlins front forks and some modifications to the chassis balance for the
final hour of testing made a big improvement. The new forks definitely
feel more stable under braking and they also give more feedback from
the front tyre. We'll continue with these forks tomorrow, when we'll be
working to refine both the suspension settings and the chassis balance."

Alex Hofmann: 73 Laps/2'01.11
"It's been a long, tough day, not just for me, but for my crew as well.
We completed more than 70 laps around one of the longest circuits on
the MotoGP calendar working our way through today's test schedule. It's
tiring, but the fact that we had such positive results from the new
components we tested today made it all worth while. The changes to the
engine have made a noticeable improvement, as have the latest Öhlins forks
we tried for the first time in the bike today. We know where we need to
be in terms of lap times and, while we're not quite there yet, the
progress we've made today has certainly brought us a lot closer to our
goal. Overall, it's been a good day and I'm looking forward to getting back
on the bike tomorrow and improving things further."

Naoya Kaneko: Technical Coordinator
"Both the riders and crew have had to work really hard to get through
what was a pretty intensive test schedule today. While Alex started the
day testing new engine and chassis components, with encouraging
results, Shinya and his crew concentrated on eliminating the front end chatter
he experienced during yesterday's race. The latest Öhlins forks Shinya
tried towards the end of the day certainly reduced the amount of
chatter, but it's not just one thing that is causing the problem; we need to
find a compromise between tyre, suspension settings and front end
geometry if we are to eliminate this chatter completely. This is what we'll
concentrate on with Shinya tomorrow, while Alex continues to work on
the balance of his bike while tyre testing for Bridgestone."

[icebreaker]

Anyone got their lap times during the race?? Or their best lap time during the race...

[Derek_C]

Nakano is a great rider. On a more competitive bike, he'd probably be battling for podiums instead of top 10's. The points he's scored for Kawasaki this year are testament to his ability.

Nakano is a good test rider and good qualifier. He is not much of a racer. He had a competitive Yammy a couple of years ago and did stuff all with it, he is only in MotoGP because Bridgstone paid for his seat. They are Japanese company and they wanted a Japanese rider. As for being a Japanese rider he's not in the same league as Haga, Ryu, Kato or Tamada. Like Yanagawa he's good for spekky crashes.

Nakano can race. Remember he came runner up to Jacque (where is he now) in the 2000 250GP championship by just a fraction of a second. He is currently riding a bike that is underpowered compared to Tamada's. If the Kawasaki was producing the same power as the factory Honda's and Yamaha's, then I'm pretty sure we would have seen a podium from him by now.

[MadKaw]

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
FUCHS KAWASAKI RACING TEAM DEVELOPMENT TEST
24TH AUGUST 2004 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FUCHS KAWASAKI HEAD HOME AFTER FIVE HARD DAYS

Fuchs Kawasaki's Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann completed their second
day of testing at the Brno circuit this afternoon, and now head for a
well earned rest ahead of the Portuguese Grand Prix, after five tough
days on track.

For Hofmann, today was another gruelling test of his fitness. The
24-year-old German rider completed 76 laps of the Brno circuit as he tested
a range of engine and chassis components, including a new exhaust
system from Akrapovic, designed to liberate more power from the latest
specification Ninja ZX-RR motor.

After making some progress with the chatter that caused him so many
problems in Sunday's race, Nakano and his crew today turned their
attention to the Ninja ZX-RR engine. The 27-year-old Japanese rider ran
back-to-back comparison tests on two different specifications of engine and
crankshafts, in order to identify the best combination for the next race
on the MotoGP calendar at Estoril.

Nakano also tested new clutch components, designed to make the
operation of the slipper clutch both smoother and more predictable, before
moving on to evaluate a range of Bridgestone rear slicks.

Both riders also tested new fuel injection parts, developed in
conjunction with Magneti Marelli specifically for the Ninja ZX-RR. The test was
designed purely to provide engineers with the hard data needed to
continue the development work, but there were positive comments from the
riders; both of whom are looking forward to testing the system again after
further development work has been completed.

The Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team head next for the Portuguese Grand Prix,
which takes place at the Estoril circuit on Sunday 5th September.

Alex Hofmann: 76 laps/2'00.59
"It's been a long day again, but we knew we were going to have to work
hard if we were to complete our heavy test schedule. Conditions on the
track were not so good today, and the wind in the afternoon caused some
problems but, overall, I'm pretty happy with the fact that I managed to
go almost a second faster on race tyres than I did on Sunday in the
race. The last five days have been hard, but we've collected a lot of
valuable information on the components, settings and tyres we've tested
this week, and that will stand us in good stead for the future. Now it's
back to Switzerland and my mountain bike, before heading off to Estoril
next week."

Shinya Nakano: 45 laps/2'00.74
"We spent most of today's test comparing different engine and crank
specifications, to identify a combination that will work best around the
Estoril circuit. The new engine had good top speed, but we still need to
do some work on the way it delivers its power. The new clutch
components gave a smoother, more predictable, feel, which was most noticeable
when launching the bike off the line. Getting away from the start has
been a bit of a problem for us this year, but after making a few practice
starts from the grid today, I think we've made quite a bit of progress
in this area. After five hard days on track, I'm looking forward to
getting back home to Barcelona and relaxing for a few days, but then I'll
be back out training at the weekend, to make sure I'm in good condition
for the Portuguese Grand Prix."

[redzedx7r]

Nakano is a great rider. On a more competitive bike, he'd probably be battling for podiums instead of top 10's. The points he's scored for Kawasaki this year are testament to his ability.

Nakano is a good test rider and good qualifier. He is not much of a racer. He had a competitive Yammy a couple of years ago and did stuff all with it, he is only in MotoGP because Bridgstone paid for his seat. They are Japanese company and they wanted a Japanese rider. As for being a Japanese rider he's not in the same league as Haga, Ryu, Kato or Tamada. Like Yanagawa he's good for spekky crashes.

Nakano can race. Remember he came runner up to Jacque (where is he now) in the 2000 250GP championship by just a fraction of a second. He is currently riding a bike that is underpowered compared to Tamada's. If the Kawasaki was producing the same power as the factory Honda's and Yamaha's, then I'm pretty sure we would have seen a podium from him by now.

Doing well in the 250's these days means very little the current crop of 250 champions/near champions leave a lot to be desired (leaving aside Kato and Rossi), where is Pogialli?. Just about all of them don't know how to ride the more powerful MotoGP bikes and suffer too many front wash outs (Melandri and Biaggi are also prone to this). For the amount of time Nakano has been in the premier class he should be producing better results than he has thus far. I do think he is the guy to fix Kawasakis problems in testing because he is a very good rider and qualifies usually well, he just doesn't have the mental stamina to win races....and don't get me started on Hoffman and Eckl.

To be honest I think that Kawasaki have bitten off more than they can chew and should have made a greater commitment to Supersports in SBK. Now that SBK has smoothed over the Japanese manufactures they should make a full assault on Superbikes, we as riders are more likely to benefit from that than anything from MotoGP (god knows i'll never be able to ride a 250hp bike).. hark backto the wins with ZX750R and ZX7RR's. Its not a "too hard don't try it" statement, but you're not serious about a championship if you're only running two bikes with one rider has paid for his seat.

[Derek_C]

Red,

I guess we have differing opinions on Nakano's talent but we definitely agree that he is th man for the job at the moment.

I think MotoGP is the place to be from a marketing perspective. Here in Asia, the amount of interest in MotoGP has increased markedly since I was here and I even saw a profile on Rossi the other day on MTV Asia. No doubt this has been helped by how boring F1 has become.

Unfortunately the costs of running a MotoGP team is only going to increase and that's going to hurt the smaller factories like Kawasaki. The other problem for Kawasaki is that if they left the premier class, it would be a big loss of face and the that's a big thing to the Japanese.

[Rossi]

I have only 2 things to say about this...

1> Kawasaki have been out of MotoGP for a long time and will need to spend/support their team better than they have been, if they are ever gonna be competitive again!

2>Hoffman & Nakano are doing the best they can under the circumstances......ask any club rider who has raced against supported racers, even at club level the amount spent is critical to success on the track.

It needles you to be flat out and some snotty nose kid with more money passes you on the twisties cos he can afford a new set of rubber for every round, while you're making do with a set that you have scrounged from a mate. Now I can afford to do it, I am too bleeding old to get any where