Kawsaki Moto GP - Sachsenring

[MadKaw]

Circuit: Sachsenring
Date: 08/07/2008



WEST GOES IT ALONE AT SACHSENRING
Anthony West will be the sole Kawasaki pilot on the grid for this weekend's German Grand Prix at Sachsenring, as teammate John Hopkins is forced to sit out the next two races due to injuries sustained during a high-speed qualifying crash at Assen two weeks ago.

West heads into this weekend's race determined to make amends for a disappointing result last time out at the Dutch TT, where a lap seven crash while lying 11th ended his hopes of a second top ten finish in succession.

The 26-year-old Australian has a good record at the 3.671km Sachsenring circuit, where he finished eighth at last year's German Grand Prix in only his third race aboard Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR, and where he scored no less than six top ten finishes in the 250cc world championship in previous seasons.

Such experience at the track is a major plus point: its undulations and numerous, tricky corners mean there's little room for overtakes and it'll be West's track knowledge combined with the low-down and midrange power of his Ninja ZX-RR that will come to the fore for this race.

The Sachsenring, near the town of Chemnitz in Eastern Germany, is a particularly twisty circuit, where the tarmac snakes through 10 left turns and just four rights, making the correct set up and tyre choice absolutely imperative.

The first race at Sachsenring was held in 1927 on an 8.7km public roads circuit that ran through the village of Hohenstein-Ernstthal. The shorter road race circuit was constructed in the early 1990’s and has since been used for a variety of racing activities.


West
Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #13
"I quite like the Sachsenring circuit although, with its twists and turns and the fact that it has no real straight, it's a bit like racing around a go-kart track at times. It's really important to qualify well and then get a good start in the race, because it's really difficult to pass on this circuit. There are no real hard braking areas, so it's hard to pass on the brakes, and the straight is so short it's almost impossible to slipstream and then go past on power alone. And, with only four right-hand corners, you need to be a bit careful trying to pass there, as the right-hand side of the tyre tends to cool down quite quickly. But, it's a circuit that should suit our Ninja ZX-RR very well, and that should stand us in good stead this weekend. After Assen I'm determined to finish inside the top ten, and I hope it will be possible to improve on my tenth place finish at Donington this weekend."



Kawasaki Competition Manager
"When we learnt the full extent of John's injuries we looked at putting a replacement rider on the bike for Sachsenring, but time was against us. It was felt that it wouldn't have been fair to put someone on the bike who'd never ridden it before, and there just wasn’t time to organise a test ahead of the race, so Anthony will be flying the flag for Kawasaki on his own this weekend. He left Assen disappointed after crashing in the race and missing out on an almost certain top ten finish, but I'm confident that he will make amends this weekend with a strong performance at Sachsenring, where he's had good results in the past."

[sneakypete]

ok everyone....start praying to the rain gods...

[sneakypete]

btw....looks like heavy rain forecast for Saturday and rain on sunday... here's hopin..

[MadKaw]

Circuit: Sachsenring
Date: 11/07/2008



WEST HAMPERED BY CRASH AT SACHSENRING
Kawasaki's Anthony West bounced back from a high-speed crash this morning, to finish the opening day of practice for Sunday's German Grand Prix at Sachsenring 15th fastest on combined times.

The 26-year-old Australian had been lapping consistently throughout the hour-long morning session, as he worked with his crew to improve the braking stability of his Ninja ZX-RR. But as the session drew to a close, West lost the front of his Kawasaki on the entry to the 230 km/h left-hander at turn six, crashing heavily.

The Kawasaki pilot suffered injuries to his back and left forearm as he tumbled through the gravel trap, with the result that he returned to the track for this afternoon's free practice session more than a little battered and bruised.

West was also restricted to just one bike for afternoon practice, as his number one machine was almost completely destroyed in the crash and there was too little time between sessions for the Australian's crew to rebuild a spare bike from the ground up.

While West and his crew made significant improvements to the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR throughout the hour-long second practice session, the Kawasaki rider struggled with changing direction through the high-speed sections of the track, due mainly to the back injury restricting his movement on the bike.

West will receive treatment on his injured back tonight, and he remains confident that a top ten grid position is a realistic target for tomorrow's qualifying session.




West
#13 - 15th - 1'23.452
"We had some problems with braking stability this morning, but the biggest problem was the crash right at the end of the session. When I hit the gravel trap something must have dug in, because I started tumbling and that's what damaged my back. It was a bit painful during the afternoon session, especially through the high-speed sections where you need to use your bodyweight to get the bike to change direction. We made some definite improvements to the bike this afternoon, especially with the braking stability. Through some sections of the track it's working really well, but we still need to look at improving drive out of the turns; specifically at the last corner which leads onto the start finish straight. I will get some treatment on my back tonight, and I'm pretty sure it won't be an issue tomorrow. This track is really difficult to pass at, so qualifying in the top ten is essential tomorrow afternoon."



Kawasaki Technical Manager
"This morning we had some problems with braking stability, especially in a straight line, but we made significant improvements in this area during the afternoon. Anthony is still saying that he lacks some feeling through certain parts of the track, so we need to look at altering the balance of the bike for tomorrow. We also need to improve drive stability, especially out of the last corner, as the bike is moving around too much under acceleration and that makes it difficult for Anthony to get on the gas early. Because we're not sure what the weather will do tomorrow we tested all of our tyre options today. If the conditions on Sunday are the same as today then we know we have a good tyre for the race."



1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'21.582; 2. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini +0.411; 3. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha +0.881; 4. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha +1.035; 5. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +1.177; 6. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha +1.312; 7. Shinya Nakano (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini +1.340; 8. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +1.393; 9. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JIR Team Scot +1.417; 10. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP +1.534; 15. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.870

[MadKaw]

Circuit: Sachsenring
Date: 12/07/2008



WEST LOOKS FOR IMPROVEMENTS AT SACHSENRING
Kawasaki's Anthony West endured another difficult day at Sachsenring today, qualifying in 17th place after a high-speed crash during this morning's free practice session saw him struggling to regain confidence in the front end grip of his Ninja ZX-RR during this afternoon's timed session.

West crashed heavily halfway through this morning's hour-long session, losing the front of his Ninja ZX-RR at Turn Eight, the 200km/h downhill right-hander that also claimed pole position man Casey Stoner during yesterday's afternoon practice. The Kawasaki pilot was lucky to walk away uninjured, but his Ninja ZX-RR required extensive repairs as a result of the crash.

West returned to the track aboard his spare bike, but an electrical problem brought the bike to a halt after just one lap, with the result that West only completed eight laps of the 3.761km Sachsenring circuit during the final free practice session.

This lack of track time was apparent during the afternoon qualifying session, with West struggling in the limited time available to find a set-up that provided him with the required level of feedback from the front end of his Ninja ZX-RR.

A switch to qualifying tyres in the final 30 minutes brought little improvement in West's lap time, as the super-sticky rear induced chatter in the bike that wasn't apparent on race rubber. West did manage to improve on his previous best lap time on his final qualifier, but it wasn't enough to elevate him further up the grid for tomorrow's 30-lap race.

Despite the setbacks, the 26-year-old Australian heads into tomorrow's German Grand Prix determined to bring his Ninja ZX-RR home in the points.



West
#13 - 17th - 1'23.158
"What a completely disappointing day. The conditions this morning were pretty difficult, as the track started wet but then began to dry out after about 30 minutes. I wasn't pushing so hard because of the track conditions, but I lost the front just as I turned into the right-hander at the top of the hill halfway through the session. It was another big crash, and it came without any warning, which doesn't do your confidence any good. We lost a lot of track time this morning, and that cost us this afternoon. We simply ran out of time to work on set-up and I just had to try and do the best I could on the qualifying tyres. But even on the soft rubber there were problems, with chatter making it very difficult to get on the gas early and make best use of the extra grip that a qualifier gives you. I'll be sitting down with my crew tonight to try and figure out how we can make improvements for tomorrow. Whatever we do it's still going to be a tough race but, as usual, I'll be getting my head down and trying to make up as many places as I can from the start."



Kawasaki Technical Manager
"Anthony's crash and then the electrical problem with his spare bike this morning meant we lost out on valuable track time, and we paid the price for that this afternoon. Initially we had some issues with grip, because the track temperature was much lower than it was yesterday, but then when we switched to the qualifying tyres we started having issues with rear-end chatter. This meant that Anthony was unable to open the throttle as early as he wanted to and, as a result, it wasn't possible for him to improve significantly on his lap time on race rubber. We will analyse the data tonight to see if we can eliminate some of the problems Anthony has experienced today, but we need to be flexible because the weather so far this weekend has been very unpredictable, and this looks set to continue tomorrow."



1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 1'21.067; 2. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team +0.353; 3. Colin Edwards (USA) Tech 3 Yamaha +0.452; 4. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JIR Team Scot +0.589; 5. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Fiat Yamaha +0.728; 6. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP +0.754; 7. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha +0.778; 8. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.809; 9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini +0.853; 10. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini +0.910; 17. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.091

[mfzx6r]

6:45 live on foxtel

[Makybe05]

Whats the weather like? i've been praying for rain all week

[dave#3]

Whats the weather like? i've been praying for rain all week

A couple of spots of rain in the 125's, but it's basically dry at the moment.

[dave#3]

Whats the weather like? i've been praying for rain all week

A couple of spots of rain in the 125's, but it's basically dry at the moment.

250's are now out on full wets, but the rain has stopped at the moment. Watch this space!

[dave#3]

Whats the weather like? i've been praying for rain all week

A couple of spots of rain in the 125's, but it's basically dry at the moment.

250's are now out on full wets, but the rain has stopped at the moment. Watch this space!

There was a bit of rain during the 250's and the track is wet. Come on Westy!!!

[Six Addict]

Come on Westy!!!

and casey and chris!!!

[MadKaw]

Circuit: Sachsenring
Date: 13/07/2008


TOP TEN FOR WEST AT WET SACHSENRING
Anthony West overcame a painful back injury and treacherous conditions to match his best result of the season at Sachsenring today. The Kawasaki pilot crossed the line in tenth place aboard his Ninja ZX-RR after crashing and remounting earlier in the 30-lap race.

West had a huge crash in practice on Friday, leaving him with what was originally thought to be a badly bruised back. However, a further medical examination and x-rays on Saturday evening revealed fractured vertebrae identical to the injury suffered by his teammate, John Hopkins, at Catalunya.

The 26-year-old Australian struggled with the injury during this morning's 20-minute warm-up session but simply gritted his teeth for the race, as he fought his way from the back of the grid to seventh place in the opening laps.

West looked set to record his best result of the year so far, until an uncharacteristic mistake in the wet conditions saw him lose the front of his Ninja ZX-RR at the final turn, while battling for fifth position with Chris Vermeulen and Alex De Angelis.

The Kawasaki pilot remounted and rejoined the race, quickly moving back up to tenth place despite his left foot constantly slipping off a damaged foot peg and a gear lever half it's usual length.

In the closing stages of the race West was one of the fastest riders on track, but although he managed to claw back more than four seconds on Shinya Nakano in ninth place, he simply ran out of laps and was forced to settle for tenth position at the chequered flag.

West will undergo further treatment on his back injury ahead of next weekend's USGP at Laguna Seca, where the Australian will be joined by Jamie Hacking, who will substitute for the injured John Hopkins aboard Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR.



West
#13 - 10th Position
"I'm disappointed because it was possible for me to finish much higher than tenth today. I got a good start and made up lots of places in the opening laps, eventually closing onto the back of Chris Vermeulen and Alex De Angelis, who were battling for fifth place. I was pushing hard to stay with them when I lost the front under braking for the final turn. It was a stupid mistake to make, but luckily the bike wasn't too badly damaged and I was able to rejoin the race quite quickly. From then it was just a case of getting my head down and trying to retake as many places as possible. It was quite hard, because my injured back was really sore and I couldn't push on the left foot peg, as most of it was snapped off in the crash. This is only my second top ten finish of the season but that's no consolation when I know, but for a stupid mistake, I could have finished much higher today."



Kawasaki Competition Manager
"It's been a difficult weekend for Anthony. The two big crashes during practice left him with a painful back injury, as well as knocking his confidence. They also put his crew under a lot of pressure, as they worked to rebuild two very badly damaged bikes between sessions. As a result his qualifying performance was affected and starting from the back row of the grid just made a tough job even tougher today. I'm happy that Anthony managed to finish the race in the top ten but, like him, I'm also a little disappointed because it was possible for him to do much better today. We've seen how good he is when conditions are wet, so he should have been in his element this afternoon. Instead he made an unforced error and that cost him an almost guaranteed top five finish today."



1. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team 47'30.057; 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Fiat Yamaha +3.708; 3. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +14.002; 4. Alex De Angelis (RSM) San Carlo Honda Gresini +14.124; 5. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) JIR Team Scot +42.022; 6. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Alice Teamw +46.648; 7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +1'04.483; 8. Randy De Puniet (FRA) LCR Honda MotoGP +1'04.588; 9. Shinya Nakano (JPN) San Carlo Honda Gresini +1'16.773; 10. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing Team +1'29.275

[Makybe05]

As far as Westy goes it was a case of what could of been, got as low as seventh and was battling for 5th with Vermeulen and de Angelis. Ended up coming 10th which i thought was a pretty courageous effort considering the diagnosis of his injuries, a cracked vertebrae, identical to that of John Hopkins.

[Bogan]

I dunno whether it was just me but it was almost as if I could feel it when Pedrosa went down. It's not often they're taking a live feed when someone steps off, and for him to be going that fast and lose it where he did I almost jumped on the couch. I've seen plenty of replays of crashes, but it felt different taking it live and seeing it from behind him when he lost it.

Scary fast and wet and then he's on the deck.

Ouch.

[Makybe05]

Yeah that was pretty amazing see it live, on the onboard camera, almost felt as though you were the pillion right there with him.