Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GAULOISES DUTCH TT - ASSEN
22ND JUNE 2004 - EVENT PREVIEW

NAKANO AND HOFMANN READY FOR ASSEN CLASSIC

The Dutch TT and the Assen road course present a special MotoGP
challenge, and one that is eagerly anticipated by Fuchs Kawasaki riders,
Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann.

Coming off a successful weekend of racing and testing in Barcelona last
week, both riders are in a confident mood going into this Saturday's
sixth round of the MotoGP World Championship.

Nakano's seventh place in the Catalunya GP was the best result by a
Kawasaki rider since the Japanese factory returned to MotoGP at the end of
2002, while Hofmann's determined ride into eleventh was a reward for
the consistency and pace the German rookie, about to start just his 14th
MotoGP race, is capable of displaying.

Both Nakano and Hofmann stayed on at Barcelona after the race for a
test day as part of Kawasaki's on-going engine development programme, with
fuel injection settings and power delivery for the increasingly
competitive Ninja ZX-RR the main focus for the two riders.

But it is the special challenge of the fast flowing Assen circuit -
with racing's fastest lap average speed of 181kph - that faces the Fuchs
Kawasaki squad for the Dutch TT's traditional Saturday race date on June
26th.

The 6.027km track is a personal favourite of Hofmann's and was the
scene of a superb tenth place finish in last year's rain-lashed race as a
Kawasaki wild card entry.

While Nakano appreciates the difficulty of Assen, he is also a fan of
the track's unique character, with its sequence of banked corners born
of the TT circuit's public road origins.

Following further treatment and training Nakano expects to be close to
100% fit for the Dutch TT. The gritty Japanese ace raced in Catalunya
still suffering from a bruised back as a result of his horrifying 300
kph crash in the Italian GP at Mugello earlier this month.

The TT circuit continues to undergo improvements that are transforming
the classic Assen road course into one of the safest and most modern
circuits on the calendar. This year bike spectators will be treated to
the addition of 12,000 hard standing parking areas, while on the track
MotoGP racers will welcome improved safety measures.

Run-off areas have been increased at the exit of the Ossebroeken and
Meeuwenmeer corners, while an extra 550 metres of air-fence has been
installed; 350 metres at Madijk and 200 metres at Strubben.

Despite recent changes Assen remains an awesome challenge for riders
and a compelling attraction for spectators, with organisers again
preparing to cater for a race day attendance well in excess of 100,000 at the
world renowned Cathedral of Speed.

Shinya Nakano: No. 56
"Assen is very fast; there a lot of blind corners and it is difficult
to see the next turn with the speed and change of direction. But I like
the track because the banked corners with high grip levels remind me of
many tracks that I once raced in Japan. One thing you have to do each
year at Assen is adjust to the speed, the bike feels very, very fast on
the first few laps. Corner entry, change of direction and front tyre
feel are important and these are the strong points of the new Ninja
ZX-RR. My body is much stronger now than for the Barcelona race, which was a
pleasant surprise for me, finishing seventh and keeping pace with a lot
of the Honda guys."

Alex Hofmann: No. 66
"Assen is a highlight for me. The track is the fastest roller-coaster
in bike racing and there are always a lot of German fans there, so it's
like a second home race; always a lot of fun. Tenth last year in the
wet was a great experience for me and since then the 2004 model ZX-RR
chassis has made a big step forward in steering and handling, which is
critical for all the fast changes of direction at Assen. The Barcelona
race was a trouble-free weekend for me, so hopefully, that's good sign, a
change of luck, after some disappointing weekends. So, I'm going to
Assen in a positive frame of mind and to try and repeat the job I did
there last year."

Assen round free-to-air info:

Channel 10
PROGRAM: Moto GP
EPISODE: Round 6 - Assen - Holland
GENRE: Sport
DATE: Saturday 27 June 2004
START TIME: 1:20 AM
DURATION: 3hrs

Foxsports2
Sat 26 Live
8.00pm
LIVE World Moto C'ship, Round 6, Dutch GP
Motor Sports


mario

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GAULOISES DUTCH TT - ASSEN
24TH JUNE 2004 - QUALIFYING PRACTICE 1

NO JOY AT RAIN SOAKED ASSEN FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI RIDERS

A wet and windy Assen provided little joy for Fuchs Kawasaki riders,
Alex Hofmann and Shinya Nakano, during the opening day of qualifying for
Saturday's Dutch TT.

Both Hofmann and Nakano could not hide their disappointment at sharing
the last row of the provisional grid in 22nd and 24th positions
respectively.

On a water-logged circuit both Ninja ZX-RR riders struggled with rear
grip, as track temperatures barely rose above a chilly 12 degrees. To
compound his misery, Nakano was forced to ride the final 20 minutes of
the session with a rear brake problem.

In similar conditions in this race last year Hofmann finished in tenth
place, after a superb wet-weather ride.
And being so far back on the grid is unfamiliar territory for the
stylish Nakano, who just last week finished in a brave seventh place in the
Catalunya GP in Barcelona. That result marked Kawasaki's best finish
since returning to MotoGP at the end of 2002, after an absence of more
than two decades.

Not surprisingly both riders have today expressed a preference for a
dry Dutch TT come race day this Saturday.
Kawasaki and Bridgestone engineers will evaluate the data from today's
session in an attempt to find solutions, so that Hofmann and Nakano can
move up the grid in tomorrow's final qualifying.

Today the 6.027km Assen circuit was drenched by constant rain that made
conditions extremely difficult, with blinding spray and blustery winds
buffeting riders all the way round the fastest track on the MotoGP
calendar.

Alex Hofmann: 22nd (2'18.074)
"Being on the second page of the timing screen is not where I want to
be. It was impossible to go faster in these conditions with the level of
rear grip today, and it is not a lot of fun riding like this. At the
beginning of the session I could do consistent times, but later, when I
tried to go deeper on the brakes and open the throttle earlier, it was
difficult to improve the lap time as I didn't have a lot of confidence
with the rear grip. Right now I hope we have a dry race."

Shinya Nakano: 24th (2'19.765)
"Today was a bad day for me. I couldn't open the throttle on the corner
exits and all the other riders were faster than me through the turns.
And then, for the final third of the session, I had a problem that
reduced the braking pressure on the rear wheel. Hopefully we can adjust the
engine characteristics to improve things tomorrow if conditions are
still wet. Like my teammate, I'm hoping for a dry race on Saturday."

QUALIFYING PRACTICE 1 - FINAL TIMES
1. Sete Gibernau (SPA) Telefonica Movistar Honda 2'12.540; 2. Alex
Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda +1.183; 3. Ruben Xaus (SPA) dAntin Ducati Team
+1.336; 4. Michel Fabrizio (ITA) Harris WCM +1.352; 5. Troy Bayliss (AUS)
Ducati Marlboro Team +1.576; 6. Carlos Checa (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna
Yamaha +2.118; 7. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +2.379;
8. Colin Edwards (USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +2.415; 9. Kenny
Roberts (USA) Suzuki Grand Prix Team +2.533; 10. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel
Honda Team +2.562; 11. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team +5.534; 12.
Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +7.225

Lets hope it dry's out for both riders and spectators .



mario

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GAULOISES DUTCH TT - ASSEN
25TH JUNE 2004 - QUALIFYING PRACTICE 2

SUPER SHINYA SETS NEW QUALIFYING MARK FOR FUCHS KAWASAKI

From last place to fifth on the grid; Shinya Nakano set a new
qualifying mark for the Fuchs Kawasaki Racing Team with a super-fast performance
at Assen today.

Nakano's second row starting spot for the Dutch TT is the best by a
Kawasaki rider since the return of the factory team to MotoGP competition.

Just 24 hours earlier Nakano found himself in last place after a
disappointing wet session on a water-logged track.

His Fuchs Kawasaki teammate, Alex Hofmann, will start from 11th place,
after his best qualifying performance of the season, although the
German rider was frustrated not to have been much faster.

Hofmann, with Nakano following, paced his fastest lap for the final
minute of qualifying. The result was a complete transformation from first
qualifying, with both riders moving forward dramatically from the last
row of the grid.

While Nakano was both overjoyed and surprised with his efforts, Hofmann
could only think of what might have been. The 24-year-old German
rider's late session speed was slowed by his engine momentarily cutting out
and then being baulked by a slowing rider on the exit from the final
chicane to the finish line.

After two days of almost constant rain, final qualifying was run in
heavily overcast but dry conditions. This left Kawasaki and Bridgestone
technicians with less than an hour to maximise dry settings and tyres,
not only for qualifying, but in anticipation that the forecast improved
weather will arrive for race day.

Despite the lack of dry track time both Fuchs Kawasaki riders have high
hopes for a strong race performance tomorrow.

Shinya Nakano: 5th (2'00.775)
"I didn't expect this fifth position after such a difficult day
yesterday. And for this to be the best qualifying result so far for Kawasaki
is even better. With the rain we have lost a lot of time for a dry
set-up but, finally, this afternoon, with some changes, the rear of the bike
was working much better. Our race set-up in the dry is still not
perfect, but the bike feels good through the fast sections. I was lucky that
the seat padding that broke away did so just at the end of the final
lap, because if this had happened earlier I would have had to abandon my
last qualifying run."

Alex Hofmann: 11th (2'01.617)
"I'm quite upset, because what was supposed to be a fast, fluid lap at
the end of the session was much slower than it should have been. My
motor cut out twice during the lap, and then onto the straight from the
final chicane Jeremy McWilliams backed off right in front of me; maybe he
didn't realise I was there. I struggled to get around him, but there's
not a lot of room at that part of the track. This is not what I wanted
from qualifying. I think I could have been with Shinya on the second
row, but after struggling in the wet I think we have a very good race
set-up for both tyres and bike."

Harald Eckl - Team Manager
"Fifth and eleventh for Shinya and Alex is great, especially after the
problems in the wet first qualifying yesterday. In a dry race I think
we can have a strong result here, although there has been limited time
to assess race tyres and machine set-up. Unfortunately, on his fast lap,
it seems Alex may have either accidentally activated the kill switch or
there was an intermittent electrical problem which cut the motor and
upset his rhythm, but for this he could have been faster."

QUALIFYING PRACTICE 2 - COMBINED TIMES
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha 1'58.758; 2. Carlos
Checa (SPA) Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha +0.682; 3. Sete Gibernau (SPA)
Telefonica Movistar Honda +1.145; 4. Marco Melandri (ITA) Gauloises Fortuna
Yamaha +1.966; 5. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.997; 6.
Alex Barros (BRA) Repsol Honda +2.219; 7. Kenny Roberts (USA) Suzuki
Grand Prix Team +2.424; 8. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Camel Honda Team +2.454; 9.
Ruben Xaus (SPA) dAntin Ducati Team +2.554; 10. John Hopkins (USA)
Suzuki Grand Prix Team +2.835; 11. Alex Hofmann (GER) Kawasaki Racing Team
+2.859; 12. Max Biaggi (ITA) Camel Honda Team +2.877; 13. Colin Edwards
(USA) Telefonica Movistar Honda +2.884

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
GAULOISES DUTCH TT - ASSEN
26TH JUNE 2004 - MOTOGP RACE RESULT

HOFMANN MAKES BRAVE CHARGE AT ASSEN AS NAKANO RETIRES EARLY

German rider Alex Hofmann was the sole finisher for the Fuchs Kawasaki
Racing Team, with a determined charge through the field to thirteenth
place in today's Dutch TT.

Hofmann was rewarded with two championship points for his exhausting
effort, making up time from 18th place at the end of lap one.

Japanese teammate, Shinya Nakano, failed to finish the 19 lap sixth
round of the MotoGP Championship, after retiring his Ninja ZX-RR with a
mechanical problem on lap eight. Prior to stopping Nakano had raced with
the Honda of Nicky Hayden and the Suzuki of John Hopkins.

Both Nakano and Hofmann suffered from poor acceleration off the start
line and lost valuable places in heavy traffic on the tight confines of
the flowing Assen circuit.

Nakano dropped from fifth on the grid to tenth at the end of the first
lap, while Hofmann lost seven positions to cross the line at the end of
the opening lap in 18th place.

For the next 18 laps Hofmann raced hard, and in the latter stages of
the race was poised to challenge for a top ten finish with a group of
riders that included Neil Hodgson, Norick Abe and Hopkins.

But Hofmann's efforts were spoiled when he lost time with a passing
move on Hopkins, running wide at the first chicane as a result.

The Dutch TT, a classic race on the MotoGP calendar, was watched by
just over 90,000 spectators.

Alex Hofmann: 13th
"That was hard work, especially after losing so many places from the
start. The first lap was a disaster, and it was the same for Shinya.
Hopefully we can find a solution, because it's difficult to overtake and
run at your own pace when you lose time like this. Otherwise I was a
happy to do full race distance, and I had a lot fun racing the other guys.
I was with the Hodgson and Abe group challenging for the top ten, but I
lost the tow and some pace when I passed Hopkins and ran onto the grass
at the chicane. But my race speed was good, despite a lack of time to
test tyres on a dry track."

Shinya Nakano: DNF
"At the end of the back straight I heard some noise from the motor and
then the rear end locked up suddenly, so I knew the race was over. I'm
really disappointed after qualifying fifth; this is a day to forget for
me. For sure we need better acceleration, especially on a track like
Assen with everyone racing away from the start. But it's over now and I
just want to think about going to the next race in Rio."

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
"After a good qualifying performance yesterday, this result is
disappointing, especially for Shinya, who suffered an engine problem that ended
his race early. Alex made the best of his situation and never gave up
on track, where the race was run at high speed and you need strong
acceleration. The start is something we have to look at. We need to make it
easier for the riders to launch off the line, by changing slightly the
power characteristics of the engine. The good side is that Alex scored
some points and we have a lot of information to move forward with for
the coming races."

I hardly think 2 or 3 places is a Charge through the field...