Kawasaki WSB / WSS - Imola

[MadKaw]

Superbike Boys Are Ready As A Classic Venue Returns
WSBK, Imola, Italy, 21 September 2009
The modernised Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit is a known quantity for Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team duo Broc Parkes and Makoto Tamada, thanks to an official test session in July this year.
Superbike Boys Are Ready As A Classic Venue Returns
The ever-improving race specification of the Ninja ZX-10R will be a boon to both Parkes and Tamada, with each of them keen to eradicate memories of the last round in Germany, where promising qualifying results ended in a first lap multi-rider accident.

With both riders now 100% fit and running a much improved race package compared to the July test, this race is an important part of the season run-in. Only two rounds remain after Imola, one in France next week, and the season finale in Portugal on October 25.

Imola returns to the WSB calendar for the first time since 2006, with a few modifications to its 4.936km length for safety, and lots of modernisation obvious in the pits and paddock complex.

Broc Parkes: “I'm looking forward to the Imola race as I have had podiums in WSS there before and also a couple of top tens in WSB. I really enjoy the circuit and it has a great atmosphere. Nurburgring was a tough weekend after I was taken out in the first race and I was lucky not to break any bones, but I had skin taken off my bottom which made it uncomfortable to ride. I'm feeling good now and ready to race. For Imola, we have some more things to try on the bike so I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes. Each race we seem to be making progress and I would really like to be back in the top ten at Imola.”

Makoto Tamada: “The test went well earlier in the season at Imola and I am pretty confident about the circuit. We were still relatively behind the leaders in terms of lap times at the test, but the bike feeling has improved significantly since then and I was confident on the race set-up at Nürburgring. Unfortunately the crash in race one took me out of both races. I have no significant injury and my broken finger from Brno is healed so I am 100% fit for Imola. If the bike works well as it did in Brno and Nürburgring, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R should finish in an easy top ten. I guess it depends on me if we can finish in the top five, or even on the podium.”

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Lascorz And Fujiwara Eager For More Front-Running Results
WSS, Imola, Italy, 21 September 2009
Round 12 of the 14-round WSS season gets underway at Imola this weekend and despite not testing at this legendary venue, each official Kawasaki rider is full of confidence for Sunday's race.
Lascorz And Fujiwara Eager For More Front-Running Results
Lascorz’s first Kawasaki season, on the all-new Ninja ZX-6R, just gets better and better with every passing week. In the previous round in Germany he scored his fifth podium place of the year, and in doing so he promoted himself to third in the overall championship chase.

Fujiwara’s push this year has been hurt by four no scores, but despite these turns of bad luck, he is 11th in the standings, with three chances left to improve before the season is completed in late October.

The Provec Motocard.com Team has been busy since the last race in Germany, refreshing the suspension units and electronics packages to ensure the Imola race goes smoothly from the start.

Joan Lascorz: “We have had two weekends off since the last round in Germany and I have kept myself fit and sharp by riding my mountain bike and training hard, plus some Supermotard riding. It was good to get another podium in Germany, but our aim every time is go for a win. Imola will be an interesting circuit for us, and we will have to do a lot of quick work in practice to find a good set-up for raceday.”

Katsuaki Fujiwara: “Our package has been getting better and better all year, and we are much more competitive now, even if I fell at the previous race. I was just trying a little too hard maybe. We will be giving it 100% at the next race of course, because we never give up.”

[MadKaw]

Fujiwara Moves Closer To Championship Top Ten
WSS, Imola, Italy, 27 September 2009
The combination of Katsuaki Fujiwara and the Ninja ZX-6R moved up from 12th on the grid to seventh in the race at Imola, leaving Katsuaki only one point from a top ten championship ranking.
Fujiwara Moves Closer To Championship Top Ten
His team-mate Joan Lascorz was not so lucky, and scored no points at Imola despite a strong front-running ride. Having just taken the lead in the race Lascorz’s machine developed an oil leak and Joan was not allowed to restart the aggregate two-part race.

Joan is now fourth in the championship rankings, 15 points behind today's race winner Kenan Sofuoglu, with two rounds left to run.

Katsuaki Fujiwara: “I was 12th on the grid and now seventh in the race so that is good for my position in the world championship. In the last couple of races I had no points. We did not have testing here so this race weekend was hard. We have slightly different set-ups on our bikes, between, Joan, and me so I had to gear mine differently. We made a lot of changes on the bike this weekend but we improved in the race.”

Joan Lascorz: “When I passed Sofuoglu I felt I could have made a break from him but then we had a problem. The set-up was improved compared to yesterday, but we needed a little more time today to make it even better. It was a shame to lose a leading position but these things happen in racing.”
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Parkes Into The Race One Top Ten
WSBK, Imola, Italy, 27 September 2009
Broc Parkes overcame a qualifying position of 18th in race one at Imola to take a fine tenth place and went on to score a point in race two as well. This was his third top ten of the 2009 season.
Parkes Into The Race One Top Ten
The Australian rider was involved in a multi-rider fight which stretched from eighth to 13th at some points, providing him with a busy and ultimately rewarding first race experience.

Tamada was a faller in race one, after a collision with another rider in at a chicane, leaving Makoto with another concussion. He was taken to hospital for checks, and was ruled out of a second race start today. He was kept in hospital for observation, but was later released to return to the track.

In race two Broc was unable to get away in a good position and had to fight hard to get into the points scoring places, taking 15th place and a lone point. He is still 18th in the championship standings, now with 41 points.

Broc Parkes: “Changing direction was not the best and we started from the fifth row. In the first race I got off OK and I caught the bunch in front and made some passes. We kept the pace so the bike was working quite well, right to the end. In the second race I got boxed in on the second corner and I changed the bike set-up between races, but I didn’t have quite as much side grip. I think we have come away with a little better result than we may have done.”

Makoto Tamada: “I have once again had terribly bad luck during the weekend which started in qualifying. I was unlucky to miss my fastest lap during qualifying, which would have got me into Superpole. And I was taken out mid way through race one by an Italian wildcard rider on the last chicane which meant I didn’t finish any races again. The only lucky thing from this weekend is that I wasn’t seriously injured as this was a very big crash and I don’t remember a thing. I’m not 100% sure if I will be able to ride in Magny Cours as I have had several injuries to the head this season so I’m feeling very disheartened and I really hope that I get some luck to finish of the season on a higher note.”