News, 19/08/04
Refreshed and motivated after a three week summer holiday, Fuchs Kawasaki riders Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann are eagerly awaiting a return to track action at Brno this weekend.
Nakano took time off to go home to Japan to visit family and friends, while team-mate Hofmann relaxed mainly at his home in Switzerland. Both riders kept up their fitness programs with motocross riding, although Hofmann also spent a lot of time cycling in the mountains near his home.
But while Nakano and Hofmann were on vacation, there was no rest for Kawasaki engineers and Japanese test rider Akira Yanagawa. The latest development parts for the in-line four cylinder Ninja ZX-RR engine came on stream in August, with Yanagawa completing a series of important test sessions in Japan.
Positive results from an engine specification featuring revised crankshaft mass and cylinder heads has the Kawasaki squad facing the second half of the season with renewed confidence.
With the Kawasaki MotoGP project still in an evolution stage, the primary focus is on improved rideability and mid-range acceleration, although the latest engine specification has also meant a small increase in RPM and top end power.
While the ZX-RR went through its paces in Japan, Kawasaki's tyre partner Bridgestone was also hard at work and hot weather Bridgestone test sessions at Brno, in conjunction with the Suzuki test team, have produced valuable data ahead of this weekend’s race. Both Kawasaki and Suzuki share a technical partnership with Bridgestone and testing by both factories returns mutual benefits.
"I had a very good holiday in Japan, but I'm ready to go back racing after three weeks away from the track,” commented Nakano, who lies 13th in the current standings. “During the break I just relaxed with my family and did some motocross riding and training to keep up my fitness.
“I want better results over the second part of the season and, hopefully, the work done by the Kawasaki engineers will enable us to capitalise on the potential of the ZX-RR. I know Yanagawa-san did a lot of testing, so I'm looking forward to riding the bike at Brno where you need a strong motor. I'm just happy to be getting back on the bike."
"I did a lot of training in the holidays, mainly cycling in the mountains, as the second part of the season is very busy - with four races outside Europe - which cuts into training time,” added Hofmann. “This will be my first time at Brno on the latest ZX-RR and I think it will suit the fast flowing sections of this track, although the uphill part and the long straight are always a test of engine performance.
“It's one of my favourite circuits, with a really great atmosphere and usually a lot of fans from Germany. I had some bad luck in the first part of the season, but that is behind me now. My aim is to be in the points at every GP and finish the season strongly."
Team Manager Harald Eckl has also had a busy summer making arrangements for the rest of the season and says he is looking forward to seeing the results on the track. "There is no time to rest in MotoGP, as our hard working Kawasaki engineers in Japan demonstrated during the short break between Donington Park and Brno,” he said.
“But I'm sure all our rival factory teams were doing the same, so I expect this first race back will be just as tough as all the others. The next stage of our engine development program has produced a little more top end power, with more RPM, but it has also focussed on improving mid-range engine response.
“Akira Yanagawa tested motors with revised crankshaft mass and cylinder heads and Brno now provides the opportunity to measure the performance in race conditions. Alex and Shinya are rested, motivated and ready to race; and I'm confident that the work done by Bridgestone at Brno will also prove to be a step forward."
Quoted from motogp.tiscali.com
