by MadKaw » Mon Mar 28, 2011 8:43 am
Best Result Yet For New Ninja ZX-10R And Lascorz
WSBK, Donington Park, United Kingdom, 27 March 2011
Joan Lascorz and Tom Sykes each ran at a competitive pace at Donington Park this weekend, with Lascorz posting a fifth place in the second race to secure the best single result of the season so far. Lascorz, starting from 12th place in each race, was unable to make a strong push in race one because of the mix of tyre choice and track temperature, plus arm pump in his right forearm. He still finished in a more than respectable tenth. His run to fifth in race two wowed the onlookers at the English circuit, after he had been able to make a better tyre choice in the slightly warmer track conditions.
The locals were highly vocal in their support of Tom Sykes, who has sent them into raptures on Saturday by qualifying third. He was sitting in a confident top four position in race one when he fell at the remodelled Esses section. In race two Tom was not able to use his favoured machine after his earlier crash and he was unable to match his best pace from race one. He finished 12th and is now tenth in the championship, one place ahead of his team-mate Lascorz.
Roby Rolfo and Mark Aithchison from Team Pedercini each scored points today, with Aitchison scoring his first of the year in race one.
The next round at Assen should see the return of the third official Kawasaki rider, Chris Vermeulen, who practiced at Donington but did not race.
Joan Lascorz: “Things were better in the second race than the first. I made a change for the second race and from the beginning the bike was very easy and the tyre did not want to spin so much. The team did a good job so I am very happy to take a fifth place. It was also easier for me to ride in the second race, despite my old shoulder injury, because my physical trainer worked on it, loosened it up and I had no arm pump in race two. There has obviously been a big improvement since Australia. Two races in the points and a top five, not a bad end to the weekend.”
Tom Sykes: “Not what I was expecting going into the day after a front row start. I was quietly confident of coming away with top three or top four results. Race one was going to plan but I had a bit of an issue and it was mainly my mistake that I had a crash at the Esses while lying fourth on lap 18. I was still looking forward to race two, but I had to use the spare bike, which wasn’t in the script. Things did not go to plan again but I got tipped into on lap one, and didn’t really have anywhere to go, lost some ground and I finished 12th. I look forward to Assen now and I think we have done good positive work this weekend in any case.”
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Parkes Still Second In The Points Standings
WSS, Donington Park, United Kingdom, 27 March 2011
Broc Parkes and David Salom had to work hard for their top six race finishes at Donington, but remain second and fourth overall after the second round of the championship came to a close. Broc, second in the first race of 2011 in his native Australia, simply struggled to replicate his best race pace at Donington, during a meeting eventually held in cold and overcast conditions after fantastic spring weather on the first day of practice on Friday. He had qualified on the front row and unlike some other riders was untroubled with significant technical issues in the race, although he lost traction from his rear tyre in the later stages. His top five finish left him in a good second place overall.
Salom had a difficult day in the UK, finding some of the problems that held him back in second qualifying cropping up in the race, but still battling on to a top six finish in a race that had nine non-finishers. He is ranked fourth overall, only one point from third.
Massimo Roccoli and Vittorio Iannuzzo from the Lorenzini by Leoni Team were on good form, with Roccoli seventh and Iannuzzo ninth.
Broc Parkes: “Second in the championship overall and it was good to get some points again. We just didn’t have the pace form the start and I tried to conserve the tyre a little bit, because we were a bit concerned about tyre wear pre-race. I had a go and when I tried to press I just didn’t seem to have the pace. I could see the group in front of me and I tried to stick with them but at the end I could not battle for a podium position. I just didn’t have the grip by that time. Harms had a little bit more pace at the end and he re-passed me. We are second overall, so that’s a good thing for all of us after the first two rounds.”
David Salom: “I had a little problem when I crashed on Saturday morning and I think that caused us some issues today. But I raced as hard as I could when it started but after five laps I had chatter and had to change my riding style to compensate for it, just to keep up my pace. I got a top six and I am fourth in the championship so we have had a more successful weekend than many other riders.”
Dave
2010 Z1000
ex bikes
05 ZX-10R Race Bike - No.77
95 ZXR750R M Race Bike - No. 75
98 ZX9R Race Bike - No. 000
zx6r, zx7r, GPX750, GPX500, lots of KX's.
I ride way too fast to worry about cholesterol