World SBK - Donnington

[MadKaw]

Home Race For Sykes As Vermeulen Returns
WSBK, Donington Park, United Kingdom, 23 March 2011
Tom Sykes and Joan Lascorz will be joined in the official Kawasaki Racing Team this weekend by Chris Vermeulen, as the regular KRT trio get set to meet the challenge of Donington Park in England. Sykes feels that Donington is an ideal circuit to make the next development steps at, as he and his former BSB team have an intimate knowledge of the circuit in a variety of weather and track conditions. That may well be an important part of race weekend, as this early in the English springtime weather conditions can be variable but almost certainly on the cool side compared to most other races through the season.

Chris Vermeulen undertook some track tests recently, in Spain on Monday and then yesterday at Cadwell Park in England, to determine whether or not he could ride at Donington. The intention now is that Chris will ride as much as he is able to this weekend, including raceday if his knee injury allows. He will then take part in the full weekend of racing at the next round at Assen on April 17, and should be back to his competitive best at the Monza round, on 8 May.

In his debut WSBK season Joan Lascorz has had some highs and lows but his long recovery from injury to his arm continues and he expects to be even more competitive than he was at round one in Australia. He is a big fan of Donington, and like his fellow competitors he will find some changes to the circuit when he takes part in first practice on Friday. Increased runoff, a remodelled Foggy Esses and other detail changes will appear at a circuit that WSBK last visited in 2009.

The Kawasaki Racing Team effort in Europe is based at the premises of Paul Bird Motorsports (PBM) in Cumbria, England, meaning that most team members - including Sykes - arrive at Donington for the first of two home rounds in the 2011 season.

Tom Sykes: “I’m obviously looking forward to Donington, not just because it is my home round but it is a circuit I really enjoy. We still need to keep working on the development of the bike so going to Donington is probably a good thing. Both the team and myself know what we need to make the bike work well round this track, so that will help us in our development stage. I am more confident this year that we can put on a better show for the British fans. I am very lucky in that I have a good fan base and hopefully I can repay them with something good this weekend. Everybody on the grid is in the same boat and at this time of year it will be cold around Donington. The team and I also have good experience there in a variety of conditions so I am looking forward to it. It is a good track for us at this stage of the new Ninja ZX-10R’s race development.”

Chris Vermeulen: “I will ride to use this weekend but almost as a test at first. From my doctor’s point of view I am improving well, but I should just be increasing my riding step-by-step. I rode yesterday at Cadwell Park in England, did about 30 laps in total on the Ninja ZX-10R, and it felt really good. My speed was OK but I was not going to break any lap records. My knee started to swell up afterwards so we rested it up. We have decided to ride this weekend but to look at it as a test; not only for my knee but to get some information on the bike, to ride the new generation Pirellis and just get out there on track and see how it goes. If it goes well we will race, but at this stage races may be quite difficult.”

Joan Lascorz: “I like Donington and I have good memories of racing there last time when I finished second in the WSS race. It is quite a hard track in terms of the muscle power you have to use to move the bike around, particularly down Craner Curves, and there are also places where you have to use the brakes very hard from high speed. I have been working out a lot physically and my arm is improving every day. The bike is still quite new for me because it was only my third time on the new bike in Australia. So I am looking to Donington to improve settings and feelings on the bike. I have been working hard with my personal trainer and I'm more fit and strong than in Australia. I hope to make another step and be nearer the top riders for the second round. For sure Sykes will be a good reference on this track because is his home and he should go well.”

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Podium The Aim For Both Parkes And Salom
WSS, Donington Park, United Kingdom, 23 March 2011
After a thrilling first round for second placed Broc Parkes and fourth placed David Salom their attentions now turn to Donington Park, for round two of the 2011 WSS season. Parkes was only 0.009 seconds from the win in Australia and Salom only 0.272 from victory, in what was an exiting start to the season almost a month ago. Both Broc and Salom are well proven entities in WSS racing, as is the Ninja ZX-6R they will race once more at Donington.

Both riders have had the chance to ride in small scale tests since the first round in Australia, to make sure they remain sharp and prepared for the latest of what will be 12 outings through the 2011 season.

The Donington circuit has undergone some changes since the last visit of this class in 2009, mainly to the outfield and the run off areas, although the Foggy Esses are somewhat altered at the exit.

Broc Parkes: “Donington is a good track and I hope the weather will be the same. None of us raced there last year so a lot do us will be going in there to compete on level ground. I have been back in Europe for a couple of weeks and I caught a cold when I came back from the sun in Australia. I did a little test in a small track in Spain, just to get some time on the bike before we go to Donington and that was fine. It was good to get a podium at the first round so we should be aiming for the same kind of result in round two. I heard there is a small change in the track at the Esses but we will see how it is when we get there. It’s also just nice to be back racing again.”

David Salom: “I have a very nice feeling when I think about Donington. Every part of the circuit is very different; a chicane, some fast corners and some slow corners. The camber changes in places and the elevation changes mean that there is a lot of variety. I really like it but maybe we have to keep a check on the weather. After Phillip Island I trained hard on my cardio to make sure I ride at my very best.”

[Baddie]

Front ROW......

http://www.kawasaki-racingteam.eu/road- ... 561EC25BBC

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA_bMp01I_Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEqoMHWNGlo

Chris....poor barstard still got sore knee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIttT5slbGg

[GPZ_Jim]

w00t! be good to see a kwack on the podium again hopefully this new found progress can carry on to other rounds too!

[Six Addict]

wow, biaggi was riding like a twat, what a surprise

[triway]

wow, biaggi was riding like a twat, what a surprise

Where did you see qualifying?

[steve086]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI22kydfGAg did anyone see this makes you want to check every nut and bolt twice!

[Wattie]

thats why you dont ride ducatis with only one nut holding the rear wheel on

[Six Addict]

wow, biaggi was riding like a twat, what a surprise

Where did you see qualifying?

one of the youtube links posted above mate just highlights

[Strika]

Nothing changed regardless of qualifying position. A DNF n a 12th is disappointing after a front row start.

[MadKaw]

Best Result Yet For New Ninja ZX-10R And Lascorz
WSBK, Donington Park, United Kingdom, 27 March 2011
Joan Lascorz and Tom Sykes each ran at a competitive pace at Donington Park this weekend, with Lascorz posting a fifth place in the second race to secure the best single result of the season so far. Lascorz, starting from 12th place in each race, was unable to make a strong push in race one because of the mix of tyre choice and track temperature, plus arm pump in his right forearm. He still finished in a more than respectable tenth. His run to fifth in race two wowed the onlookers at the English circuit, after he had been able to make a better tyre choice in the slightly warmer track conditions.

The locals were highly vocal in their support of Tom Sykes, who has sent them into raptures on Saturday by qualifying third. He was sitting in a confident top four position in race one when he fell at the remodelled Esses section. In race two Tom was not able to use his favoured machine after his earlier crash and he was unable to match his best pace from race one. He finished 12th and is now tenth in the championship, one place ahead of his team-mate Lascorz.

Roby Rolfo and Mark Aithchison from Team Pedercini each scored points today, with Aitchison scoring his first of the year in race one.

The next round at Assen should see the return of the third official Kawasaki rider, Chris Vermeulen, who practiced at Donington but did not race.

Joan Lascorz: “Things were better in the second race than the first. I made a change for the second race and from the beginning the bike was very easy and the tyre did not want to spin so much. The team did a good job so I am very happy to take a fifth place. It was also easier for me to ride in the second race, despite my old shoulder injury, because my physical trainer worked on it, loosened it up and I had no arm pump in race two. There has obviously been a big improvement since Australia. Two races in the points and a top five, not a bad end to the weekend.”

Tom Sykes: “Not what I was expecting going into the day after a front row start. I was quietly confident of coming away with top three or top four results. Race one was going to plan but I had a bit of an issue and it was mainly my mistake that I had a crash at the Esses while lying fourth on lap 18. I was still looking forward to race two, but I had to use the spare bike, which wasn’t in the script. Things did not go to plan again but I got tipped into on lap one, and didn’t really have anywhere to go, lost some ground and I finished 12th. I look forward to Assen now and I think we have done good positive work this weekend in any case.”

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Parkes Still Second In The Points Standings
WSS, Donington Park, United Kingdom, 27 March 2011
Broc Parkes and David Salom had to work hard for their top six race finishes at Donington, but remain second and fourth overall after the second round of the championship came to a close. Broc, second in the first race of 2011 in his native Australia, simply struggled to replicate his best race pace at Donington, during a meeting eventually held in cold and overcast conditions after fantastic spring weather on the first day of practice on Friday. He had qualified on the front row and unlike some other riders was untroubled with significant technical issues in the race, although he lost traction from his rear tyre in the later stages. His top five finish left him in a good second place overall.

Salom had a difficult day in the UK, finding some of the problems that held him back in second qualifying cropping up in the race, but still battling on to a top six finish in a race that had nine non-finishers. He is ranked fourth overall, only one point from third.

Massimo Roccoli and Vittorio Iannuzzo from the Lorenzini by Leoni Team were on good form, with Roccoli seventh and Iannuzzo ninth.

Broc Parkes: “Second in the championship overall and it was good to get some points again. We just didn’t have the pace form the start and I tried to conserve the tyre a little bit, because we were a bit concerned about tyre wear pre-race. I had a go and when I tried to press I just didn’t seem to have the pace. I could see the group in front of me and I tried to stick with them but at the end I could not battle for a podium position. I just didn’t have the grip by that time. Harms had a little bit more pace at the end and he re-passed me. We are second overall, so that’s a good thing for all of us after the first two rounds.”

David Salom: “I had a little problem when I crashed on Saturday morning and I think that caused us some issues today. But I raced as hard as I could when it started but after five laps I had chatter and had to change my riding style to compensate for it, just to keep up my pace. I got a top six and I am fourth in the championship so we have had a more successful weekend than many other riders.”

[09sydrd]

Nothing changed regardless of qualifying position. A DNF n a 12th is disappointing after a front row start.

sykes was looking really good til the front went out in the first race , i reakon he was headed for a podium until that point. Never mind.

[Glen]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI22kydfGAg did anyone see this makes you want to check every nut and bolt twice!

You wouldn't want to be the rear whell nut tightener guy when he got back to the pits.

[Strika]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI22kydfGAg did anyone see this makes you want to check every nut and bolt twice!

You wouldn't want to be the rear whell nut tightener guy when he got back to the pits.

Not something which would fill you full of confidence on your next outing.

[Six Addict]

i thought chris was meant to be back for donnington? now its assen... needs to HTFU and just ride the fuggin thing, thats what kawasaki are paying him for FFS

[Wattie]

i thought chris was meant to be back for donnington? now its assen... needs to HTFU and just ride the fuggin thing, thats what kawasaki are paying him for FFS

they also paid him to ride the clapped out dangerous piece if shit 09 Model last year which caused him to have to ride at 195% his skill level to keep up hence binning it quite badly.

Kwasaki brought it on themselves.