Ongoing development of zx-10r pays off for KRT

[Waldorf]

Kawasaki Racing Team have returned from Round Two and Three of the Australian Superbike Championship to the Teams based in Sydney and are reflecting on what was a weekend of achieving significantly better results onboard the ZX-10R.

After showing loads of potential all season, Kawasaki Racing Team enjoyed their first glimpse of success, as both Shannon Johnson and Wayne Maxwell shied just short of achieving podium finishes, in Race Two of the Australian Superbike Championships on Saturday.

Posting considerably better results in the Superbike Class, both Kawasaki Racing Team factory pilots recorded faster lap times and stronger finishes.

The Team were optimistic when both riders took to the track for Qualifying on Friday, but a red flag produced at the end of their first flying lap on qualifying tyres, flawed their efforts. Both KRT riders were forced to shorten their flying laps on their only qualifier tyres to two individual laps. When the qualifying session recommenced, both riders took to the track and recorded their best times on race tyres.

Race One saw both riders start from the second row on the grid, with Maxwell qualifying in sixth and Johnson in seventh. The KRT pilots showed good consistent form, delivering strong top ten finishes.

Johnson and Maxwell didn’t get the best of starts in Race Two, but demonstrated spirited riding by carving their way through the field to come from ninth and tenth position, to finish in fourth and fifth place. Their results demonstrate that KRT are making good progress with the Superbikes development, as the Team recorded their best results onboard the ZX-10R this season.

In Race One on Sunday, Scott Charlton and Shannon Johnson made contact on the opening lap of racing when Scott experienced first turn difficulties. Johnson managed to keep his ZX-10R on two wheels but the race was red flagged forcing riders back to the start line. From the restart of racing, both riders put in solid racing performances to record sixth and seventh place in Australia’s premiere road race class.

Race Two was again an eventful race for Johnson, after a braking duel with a fellow rider saw him take an off track excursion at Turn One. Johnson regained control of his ZX-10R and rejoined the race after Turn Two where he managed to only drop two places. Regathering his momentum, Johnson set off in pursuit of his competitors to win back a place by the races end. Midway through the race, both KRT riders were the fastest riders on the track, as they were recording the fastest lap times at that stage of the race.

After completing 136 racing laps of double duties in both the Superbike and Supersport classes, Maxwell pushed past his fatigue to secure a top ten finish, coming home in eight place.

In the Supersport Class onboard the ZX-6R, Maxwell had a good qualifying session and recorded a second row start position. Johnson however, had difficulties finding the right qualifying set up and was forced to settle for a fourth row start on the grid.

In Race One and Two on Saturday, Maxwell continued to display strong riding performances, resulting in two hard earned seventh places. KRT continued to work on Johnson’s ZX-6R’s setup throughout racing, testing combinations for the new racing components.

In Round Three on Sunday, Maxwell didn’t get off to his usual good start in Race One, when he clipped an inside curb whilst negotiating traffic on a busy first lap. Due to another racing incident, the race was red flagged and Maxwell utilised this time to return to the pits and change to his second race bike. Whilst under red flag conditions, Johnson’s decision to return to the pits to make adjustments to his ZX-6R hindered his weekend’s results, as race officials ruled Johnson out of the race.

KRT continued to utilise the valuable track time in Race Two to test the ZX-6R’s new components and race set up. Although both riders were disappointed with their final results, the Team remain optimistic that they have gathered good data heading into the fourth round.

Kawasaki Racing Team will now focus there efforts on preparing for their upcoming test day at Mallala, scheduled for 4-5 April in South Australia. With Round Four of the Australian Superbike Championship only three weeks away, KRT believe both riders are committed to achieving their first podium results for the 2007 season.

Australian Superbike Championship Points Tally

Name                            Points
1. Jamie Stauffer            147
2. Dan Stauffer               122
3. Glenn Allerton             93
4. Craig Coxhell              91
5. Shannon Johnson     87
6. Shawn Giles                81
7. Wayne Maxwell          79
8. Bryan Staring              72
9. Adam Fergusson         72
10. Scott Charlton           69