Kawasaki WSB - Phillip Island

[MadKaw]

ROUND TWO FOR LACONI AND TAMADA
Phillip Island, Australia, 25 February 2008
Phillip Island in Australia is the venue for round two of the World Superbike Championship on Sunday March 2, only one week after the opener at Losail in Qatar. For the PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse Team Losail brought the first points of the campaign but the task ahead at Phillip Island is clear for riders Makoto Tamada and Regis Laconi; find an overall race set-up to match the awesome power output of the 2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R racebike.

Phillip Island is well-known territory for both Laconi and Tamada, as each has raced at the 4.445km circuit on the very southern tip of the Australian mainland on numerous occasions.

At one of the fastest and most demanding circuits imaginable, the ZX-10R is expected to provide the riders with enough power to reach or breach a 320kmph top speed down the Bass Straight, but the usually changeable weather conditions this far south in Australia make most pre race predictions redundant.

Both PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse riders tested with their new machines at Phillip Island in January, setting times in the 1’33 bracket. After racing on a Saturday in Qatar, the Australian races take place on Sunday, 2 March.

Makoto Tamada “We got the bike set-up better on raceday in Qatar than we did in qualifying, and we hope to make more improvements at Phillip Island. With a decent result in race two at Qatar, I feel we could make more improvements. I certainly hope we can, for everyone in the team.”

Régis Laconi “I don’t really want to say too much about Phillip Island in case I spoil my luck, but I hope things will be better for us there. We really want to improve the bike and make it fun to ride, because then we can go faster all through the race. We found improvements in Qatar, and we want to make more steps forward in Australia.”


SUPERSPORT TEAM HEADS DOWN UNDER
Phillip Island, Australia, 25 February 2008
After scoring points at Losail last week GIL Kawasaki riders Katsuaki Fujiwara and Chris Walker take their Ninja ZX-6Rs to Phillip Island this weekend. Qualifying proved something of a trial for both riders in the season opener, partly because of the massive grid of well over 30 riders, and partly as each rider is new to the team for 2008. In the race the riders and machines came good, with Walker ninth and Fujiwara 15th. It was Walker’s first ever race in Supersport, making his top ten finish an impressive feat in such a busy and well-equipped grid.

The Kawasaki duo have tested at the Australian track in the off season, and conducted long runs to test tyres which delivered reasons to be optimistic when raceday eventually comes around, on Sunday March 2.

Katsuaki Fujiwara: “We had a good test at Phillip Island in the winter and we were able to set a fast lap time. I’m looking forward to the race and I will go there and try my best like always.”

Chris Walker: “I learned a lot in the Qatar race, and we just have to build on that. I think the biggest thing in these races is to stay calm and let people make mistakes around you. There seem like twice as many competitors on the grid as I am used to seeing and some of them seem to know exactly what they are doing, while others seem less consistent. I think I’m somewhere in the middle! I need to trust in the bike now because it seems capable of a good pace throughout a whole race, more so than one single lap of qualifying. I actually set a better lap in the race at Qatar than I did in qualifying so that was encouraging for the next round in Australia.”

[Zoidberg]

Hope the Island is more successful for team green than Qatar. Was very disappointed after expecting at least top 10 finishes. PI does produce great racing, even for those on lesser bikes so hopefully the racing is close with a green bike near the pointy end. After the standards round 1 set (overall) I can't wait!

[red_dave]

They couldn't seriously go any worse..

[Zoidberg]

They couldn't seriously go any worse..

I hope that's not a dare.

[red_dave]

They couldn't seriously go any worse..

I hope that's not a dare.

Shit no! They need all the good vibes they can get...

[Ticketyman]

It's hard to be positive about WSBK or MOTOGP at this stage of the year. My question is when are Kawasaki gunna get fair dinkum?

[SoundGuy]

It's hard to be positive about WSBK or MOTOGP at this stage of the year. My question is when are Kawasaki gunna get fair dinkum?

When they get good WSBK riders

[Ticketyman]

Problem is until they can prove the bike is consistently competitive no one of any calibre will sign!

[Strika]

Kawasaki's only joy yesterday was a 123 in the histericals race!! Z1000 power!!! But from 1979!!!!! LOL!!

[MadKaw]

Laconi Fast But Stopped in His Tracks
Phillip Island, Australia, 2 March 2008
Régis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) looked set for a strong finish in race two at Phillip Island until he was penalised with a ride-through penalty for jump-starting. Both he and his team-mate Makoto Tamada had found improvements in the set-up of their Ninja ZX-10R machines during final qualifying and morning warm-up, with Tamada finishing 14th in race two. Neither rider managed to complete race one, each suffering the same form of technical problem with their electronics systems.

In the second race Laconi was as high as fifth, and setting competitive lap times, until he was forced to take his penalty in pit lane. Laconi battled back, trying to score points, but had to settle for 17th place.

Tamada is now 19th in the championship, on six points, after scoring two points.

The first race was delayed after the original 12-noon start saw two riders collide with a stationary bike on the startline, and the red flag was put out to allow Vittorio Iannuzzo to be attended to at the trackside. He was riding for the Team Pedercini Kawasaki squad, on last year’s Ninja ZX-10R machine, and could not avoid hitting the stationary bike and rider in his path. Iannuzzo broke his left hand, but escaped more serious injury.

Next up for the team is an official FGSport test session at Valencia on 13 and 14 March, then the third round of the year, again at Valencia, comes around on April 6.

Makoto Tamada: “We had the same problem as Régis in race one, but in race two we had some difficulty with chatter and entering the turns the bike still didn’t want to change direction. We also had some problems with rear traction. I got a couple of points today so we can take that forward to our next test in Valencia.”

Régis Laconi “I made a false start in my second race, but we have a race machine, not a standard road machine and they kept us on the start line for a long time. When you have the clutch pulled in for a long time, it starts to grab. When you rev it more in that situation it makes the clutch grip more. I am disappointed because I was running easily with some of the top guys and we could have had a good result. The bike still needs to be better, but it was good today and we could really race. In race one there was an electrical problem, with a misfire.”


Walker 14th but Fujiwara Stops
Phillip Island, Australia, 2 March 2008
Chris Walker (GIL Kawasaki) rode his Ninja ZX-6R to 14th place at Phillip Island this weekend, in a delayed 21-lap race. Starting from the fourth row, Walker was involved in several midfield battles during the race, but made up two places on his qualifying position at the end of 21 laps.

His team-mate Fujiwara was relegated from 15th on the grid to 21st place on lap one and he was forced out altogether on lap three, despite having high hopes for raceday after some late set-up changes.

Chris Walker - “Hard work for not a lot of reward but it was good to get a finish and points. We struggled with the rear bouncing around in the corners in places and unfortunately it was at its worst in the corners just where you could do some overtaking. So everything I had gained elsewhere I then lost, especially going over Lukey Heights. The back tyre was bouncing a bit, but it wasn’t chatter. The lap times weren’t so bad towards the end and that was a good sign. With a test in ten days or so we can learn more and the boys in the pitbox did really well for us.”

Katsuaki Fujiwara - “We had an engine problem so it turned out to be a hard raceday, as well as a tough weekend of qualifying. The team has worked very well and this morning, in warm-up, we found some good settings. But when you have to stop, there is nothing more you can do. We learned a lot this weekend, and we want to continue working in a good direction at the test in Valencia.”

[brendanzxr]

pe they go beeter next race its a awesome machine