Kawasaki Moto GP - Motegi

[MadKaw]

Circuit: Motegi
Date: 20/08/2007


YANAGAWA TO JOIN DE PUNIET AND WEST AT MOTEGI
The Kawasaki Racing Team will field a third rider at the Japanese round of the MotoGP world championship next month. Current leader of the All Japan Superbike Championship, Akira Yanagawa, will join team stalwarts, Randy de Puniet and Anthony West, on a Ninja ZX-RR at the Motegi circuit as, for the second time this year, the team will put three riders on the grid.

Like Roger Lee Hayden, who rode to an impressive tenth place as a wild card for Kawasaki at Laguna Seca back in July, Yanagawa is looking forward to pitting himself against the best riders in the world at his home circuit.

Yanagawa is already well known to race fans the world over. From winning the Japanese 250cc championship in 1990, he progressed to his domestic superbike series in 1993 then on to World Superbikes in 1997, getting an excellent fourth in the championship in his rookie year. Between then and 2002, he made it on to the podium 23 times, including celebrating three wins.

He was also the rider who developed the original Kawasaki ZX-RR MotoGP bike during 2002 and rode it at its debut in the Pacific Grand Prix, at Motegi, towards the end of that year’s season. However, the 36-year-old crashed out, breaking his pelvis in the process, so Andrew Pitt was drafted in to replace him for the remaining three rounds.

Yanagawa now rides a Kawasaki ZX-10R for Team Green in the Japanese superbike series. After five rounds, he’s claimed one victory, at Tsukuba circuit, and a second, at Autopolis, putting him two points ahead of nearest rival, Atsushi Watanabe, with just three rounds remaining.

After the disappointment of 2002, Yanagawa has unfinished business with the Ninja ZX-RR and is looking forward to riding its latest incarnation, the 800cc machine, again at Motegi. The Kawasaki Racing Team look forward to his joining them again on the track.

Please click here to download a portrait of Akira Yanagawa.


Kawasaki Wild Card Rider #87
"The first time I raced the Ninja ZX-RR was also at Motegi, when Kawasaki made their long awaited return to Grand Prix racing after an absence of more than two decades. On that occasion I crashed out of the race, so I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to finally finish what I started five years ago. I'm under no illusions about how tough it will be, racing against the very best riders in the world, but I hope that I will be able to finish in the points and also provide important feedback for Kawasaki's development engineers. For me, race day will be about enjoying the chance to race the latest version of Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR and finishing as high up the order as I can."



Kawasaki Competition Manager
"Obviously, as a Japanese factory team, the Grand Prix at Motegi is an important race for us. For this reason we have decided to field three riders, with Akira Yanagawa joining Randy de Puniet and Anthony West aboard a third Ninja ZX-RR for this event. Akira last rode the Ninja ZX-RR in a Grand Prix back in 2003, as a wild card at Catalunya, but he's kept his racing skills sharp competing in the All Japan Superbike Championship, which he's currently leading aboard a Kawasaki ZX-10R. I think it will be interesting for Akira to see just how far the Ninja ZX-RR has progressed since he last raced it, and we're certainly looking forward to seeing him finish his home MotoGP race aboard the bike this time around."

[Shaman]

At the expense of trivialising this news, Akira is the best name ever.

... except for Thor, which will be my firstborn's name.

I hope my firstborn is a boy.





It will be interesting to see how Yangawa performs... we can't get much worse, can we? 2 clinches in JP suberbikes so far this season - he holds some potential!

[ZXR750]

Go Akira-San.
I should dust off all my old Akira memorabilia.
At least he will know the track and should have a similar result as Hayden did at Laguna Seca.
I have always been a big fan of Akira but surely there must be some young up and comer instead??

[Strika]

Go Akira-San.
I should dust off all my old Akira memorabilia.
At least he will know the track and should have a similar result as Hayden did at Laguna Seca.
I have always been a big fan of Akira but surely there must be some young up and comer instead??

Shit mate, the big K wouldn't want to actually chance finding a real new talent!!!!!

[ZXR750]

I think Hopper is a step in the right direction. So too is letting Cappirossi go to Suzuki instead of offering him more money.
Now if they can keep West and get a third bike they may start to look like a team hat wants to win.

[Rusty]

Yanagawa ...

Be interesting to see how he goes, if nothing else.

[Shaman]

Go go aussies! 1, 2 and 3 on the podium

Ant's got a bit of an advantage there... will be interesting to see how much of a handicap over the other riders this will actually be...

[MadKaw]

Circuit: Motegi
Date: 20/09/2007


MOTOGP RETURNS TO THE TWIN RING
The A-Style Grand Prix of Japan takes place this coming weekend as the MotoGP circus travels to Motegi for the 15th round of the world championship.

Opened in 1999, the 4.8km Twin Ring circuit, some 160km north of Tokyo, sits in a rural landscape and, as its name suggests, boasts not one but two tracks: a "super speedway" oval and the longer, snaking "road course", which the premier class teams will be tackling on Sunday.

Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet will be aiming to improve upon last year's premier class outing here, when he crashed out on lap nine. In previous years, when riding in the 250cc World Championship, the Frenchman proved more than capable of conquering the circuit: scoring a couple of top ten finishes at the track. After the disappointment of last week's Portuguese Grand Prix, where a mechanical fault ended his race, de Puniet hopes for a better result at the Twin Ring on Sunday.

Anthony West is also familiar with the circuit, having raced 1000cc V-twins throughout Japan in his younger years, as well as competing in 250s, and one 500cc race, at world championship level. He also took part in an endurance race here once, his team coming second, so he's put enough laps in to know his way around. The 26-year-old Australian, who recently signed to stay with the Kawasaki squad next season, will be hoping to overcome his recent struggles with set up and show both strength and stamina this weekend.

Wild card entry, Akira Yanagawa, will be joining the Kawasaki team for a one-race ride on the Ninja. Currently leading the All Japan Superbike Championship on a ZX-10R, the 36-year-old will be aiming to exorcise his Motegi demons: he crashed out and broke his pelvis on lap six of the Pacific Grand Prix in 2002, riding the 990cc ZX-RR on its debut MotoGP outing.

Kawasaki's MotoGP history at Motegi is somewhat chequered: of the two factory riders and a wild card entry taking part last year, none finished. However, Shinya Nakano secured a 3rd position here in 2004, claiming the team's first podium spot since returning to the class five years ago.

Certainly, with four straights and a lot of tight corners, the super-fast 800cc ZX-RR could do very well here and, with three green bikes due to line up on Sunday's grid, who knows what will happen?


Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #14
"I like this track. It's strange because there's a lot of 'stop and go', and normally I don't like that much, but here it always feels better. Also, I think it's a good track for the Kawasaki and Bridgestone. With the 800cc bike, I'm confident about dealing with the hairpins and the handling in the corners. As for acceleration, last year's bike was good but this year's is even better, which is why I feel we can do well here. I didn't get any podiums at Motegi when I was riding in 250s but I managed some good places and, while I crashed out last year, it was the first time I was fighting near the front of the pack so I think it could go well on Sunday."



Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #13
"It's good to be at Motegi again, I love Japan and I'm looking forward to riding here. I've done a lot of laps here so I know my way around, and I just hope we don't have as many problems as we had in Portugal. I’m confident the bike will work pretty well here. There are a lot of hard braking areas, which normally I can use to make up a lot of time, and the engine's acceleration is amazing so it should be quick enough on the straights. I think if we can get the bike to exit the corner quicker, we can try and get a good result here in front of the knowledgeable and enthusiastic Japanese crowd. But we'll just have to see what happens."



Kawasaki MotoGP Wild Card #87
"I tested the ZX-RR over a couple of days at the end of August but I'm still not perfect on it. Normally, I ride a superbike and there's a big difference between the characters of the two machines. The Ninja is special, you can't buy a bike like it and it's totally different from anything else. That makes me a bit nervous! But I know Motegi very, very well; I've done well over 1000 laps here, I'm sure. I have bad memories of racing the former ZX-RR here, when I crashed: so this time, my aim is to get to the chequered flag.

[MadKaw]

Circuit: Motegi
Date: 21/09/2007


KAWASAKI'S DE PUNIET ON THE PACE AT MOTEGI
The A-Style Grand Prix of Japan started well for the Kawasaki Racing Team today as Randy de Puniet, Anthony West and Akira Yanagawa mounted their Ninja ZX-RR machines and took to the circuit at Motegi.

De Puniet showed he was on form by ending the first two free practices in second place, on combined times, after putting in blistering performances in both the morning and afternoon sessions. With a best time of 1'48.254 at the end of the day, he knocked nearly half a second off his previous best, assisted by a lightning top speed of 284.8kmh.

The 26-year-old Frenchman is determined to do well this weekend after a hugely disappointing Portuguese Grand Prix last week saw him retire with a mechanical problem. Happy with the progress made in setting up the bike so far, and riding at a scorching pace throughout the day, de Puniet is very much on course for the podium spot which, so far this season, has eluded him.

Team mate, West, started the day in less positive fashion, still unable to find enough grip to give him the confidence to fulfil his and the bike's potential. However, by the end of the afternoon session, the 26-year-old Australian was smiling as his best time of 1'48.529 put him in eighth position, just 0.030 seconds behind last year's winner at Motegi, Loris Capirossi, and ahead of current world champion, Nicky Hayden. Assorted suspension tweaks and some successful choices of Bridgestone tyres seemed to have done the job in helping West feel more at home on the Ninja than he has at previous rounds.

Meanwhile, wild card rider for the Japanese race, Akira Yanagawa, put in 28 laps over the two sessions on his ZX-RR and managed 19th place on the provisional grid. Stunned by the 800cc bike's light weight and staggering power, the 36-year-old Japanese superbike rider struggled slightly to find a set up to suit his riding style but, with his dedicated crew and the back up of the factory team, he is confident he can fine tune the Ninja to his needs by the start of Sunday's 24-lap race.

It was a boiling hot day at Motegi, with temperatures reaching 34°C and the track temperature 46°C this afternoon. With the weather set to continue in this vein for the coming weekend, and the top 15 riders within a second of provisional pole man, Dani Pedrosa, it looks as if Sunday's race could be a sizzling spectacle indeed.


Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #14
"That wasn't a bad day! This morning we worked on the settings on the bike and this afternoon we tried a harder compound tyre, which was better for longevity because I did 20 laps on it and my time at the end of the session was still very good. We can improve a few bits and pieces, including adjusting the rear suspension slightly and perhaps working with a different rear tyre, but already, it's pretty good and I'm happy."



Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #13
"This morning I didn't feel so confident but all of a sudden, this afternoon, everything felt good on the bike. I struggled in the first session with rear grip, just spinning and sliding everywhere, then this afternoon it was so different: just from better grip I could get more of a lean angle in the corners and choose better lines. Essentially, I simply felt more comfortable on the bike. It was actually a heap easier to ride and go faster. In one corner, I even got my elbow on the ground once or twice and I've never had that before! It was all a big improvement and the times show that."



Kawasaki MotoGP Wild Card #87
"I feel okay. I have a little problem with chatter on entering the corners but I suspect some of that may be down to me because my riding style is not suited yet to this bike. We need to find a solution to that, if we have time. Anyway, I have to compromise and I need to put in some more laps to get used to the feeling of the Ninja. This bike is like nothing I've ever ridden: like the chassis of a 125 with the engine of a rocket ship! I think you probably need a special technique for riding it but I'm sure we can make some further adjustments to help me get more from it."



1. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 1'47.865; 2. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.389; 3. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda Gresini +0.486; 4. John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +0.496; 5. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.579; 6. Kousuke Akiyoshi (JPN) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +0.592; 7. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.634; 8. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.664; 9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.687; 10. Makoto Tamada (JPN) Tech 3 Yamaha +0.716; 19. Akira Yanagawa (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.364

[MadKaw]

Circuit: Motegi
Date: 22/09/2007


KAWASAKI LOOKING STRONG FOR MOTEGI RACE
Kawasaki's Randy de Puniet and Anthony West overcame soaring temperatures and exhausting humidity at the Motegi circuit this afternoon, to qualify their Ninja ZX-RR machines on the second row of the grid for tomorrow's 24-lap Japanese Grand Prix.

Kawasaki wild card rider, Akira Yanagawa, will be chasing his team mates from the seventh row of the grid, after qualifying in 19th position today.

De Puniet opened proceedings this afternoon by switching to a qualifying tyre just before the halfway point in the session, capturing pole position with his first attack lap. The 26-year-old Frenchman held onto the top spot until the final six minutes, before finally being deposed by eventual pole sitter, Dani Pedrosa.

Pushed further down the order after a string of fast laps by his factory rivals, the Kawasaki pilot looked all set to reclaim a front row position with his last flying lap, but was baulked by another rider through the last sector and, finally, had to settle for fourth position and the lead spot on an all-Bridgestone second row.

While de Puniet's confidence is high going into tomorrow's race, the Frenchman knows that a fantastic qualifying performance today doesn't automatically guarantee an equally good result tomorrow, when conditions are likely to be very different at the Motegi circuit.

After struggling to get the best from his qualifying tyres in previous races, West proved today that he's now mastered the technique needed to turn in a fast time when it counts, by posting his best qualifying performance to date.

The 26-year-old Australian was placed second on the timesheet, just behind his team leader, after his first qualifying run, but was eventually pushed off the front row to finish the hour long session sixth fastest overall.

Like West, Kawasaki wild card rider, Akira Yanagawa, also has limited experience of Bridgestone's qualifying tyres, but still turned in a creditable performance in his first MotoGP qualifying session since Catalunya in 2003, to secure 19th position on the grid.

The 36-year-old Kawasaki stalwart is under no illusions about how difficult tomorrow's race will be, but remains determined to finish what he started at Motegi five years ago and finally see the chequered flag in his home race aboard Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machine, albeit one that is very different to the bike he debuted here in 2002.

All three Kawasaki riders are keen to secure a good result in tomorrow's Japanese Grand Prix, which will be watched trackside by the chairman of the board of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. Mr. Masamoto Tazaki, and the managing director of Kawasaki Motors Racing, Mr. Yoshio Kawamura.


#14 - 4th - 1'46.643
"I'm a little bit disappointed because I wanted to be on the first row but it wasn't possible. I gave the maximum, and I was still going well on the last lap, but Checa was in front of me and I lost a few tenths so couldn't make it. Still, I hope to do okay in the race. I'm very happy to be the first Bridgestone rider on the grid, everybody's done a great job so far this weekend and I feel comfortable with the bike, the race tyres and I hope to go well tomorrow."



#13 - 6th - 1'46.912
"Hopefully it won't be this hot tomorrow because a whole race like this could be very difficult. At the last few rounds, I've struggled to find the right set up, but here I’m happy with what we've done so I think it could be a good race. I thought the other guys would go quicker in the last few minutes because I got my qualifying in early but most of them didn't so I'm still second row. It's a perfect place to start and I'm feeling really happy."



#87 - 19th - 1'48.569
"I'm still unable to fulfil the potential of this bike the way we've seen Randy and Anthony doing today because I haven't yet managed to alter my riding style to suit it. For example, I like the front suspension to be set harder but this bike doesn't like that set up so, as I said yesterday, we need to compromise! For the race, we've chosen a softer front and a medium rear and I used two qualifying tyres, which made me almost a second faster, but I need to open the throttle some more. I'm used to this weather but I'm not used to this bike! But I will do my best, of course."



1. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 1'45.864; 2. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing +0.391; 3. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.711; 4. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.779; 5. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda Gresini +0.940; 6. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing Team +1.048; 7. Colin Edwards (USA) Yamaha Factory Racing +1.133; 8. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +1.183; 9. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +1.257; 10. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda Gresini +1.272; 19. Akira Yanagawa (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +2.705

[Nanna10r]

I think thats the first time I've read any Kawasaki motogp rider singing the praises of the bike. how refreshing it is.

Just going to sit over here in front of my boxtell & wait for the results to start rolling in.

Thanks for posting up the reports as per Dave.

[MadKaw]

TRIUMPHANT KAWASAKI CELEBRATE IN JAPAN
An elated Kawasaki Racing Team are today celebrating Randy de Puniet's superb second place at the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi, after one of the most thrilling races in recent MotoGP history.

The 26-year-old Frenchman, starting from fourth on the grid, got off to a patchy start when he dropped back to 10th place as the pack launched itself off the line. He then had to contend with a couple of trips into the gravel, and a pit stop to change bikes, but it all failed to stop him from scoring his first ever premier class podium position.

What started as a wet race soon turned out to be a dry one and pit lane was a hive of frenzied activity as, one by one, riders came in to change bikes and slick tyres became the order of the day. De Puniet swapped machines at the end of lap seven and went from eighth position to 13th when he rejoined the track. From there, he made steady progress until finding himself behind eventual winner, Loris Capirossi, on lap 16, where he stayed until the end. It is a longed-for and hard-earned reward for him, his crew, the team and Bridgestone who are also celebrating: all today's top three riders, plus new world champion, Casey Stoner, are in partnership with the Japanese tyre manufacturer.

Anthony West, also rode what can only be described as an incredible race. From sixth on the grid, the Australian found himself leading by the end of the second lap but, after a jump-start, he had to complete a ride through penalty and rejoined the pack in 14th. However, the 26-year-old was in no mood to give in and continued to fight his way back until he then had to pit again, this time to change bikes. In the process, he went from seventh to 11th but still he rode hard, eventually, and against all odds, finishing the race in a magnificent seventh, equalling his previous best MotoGP performance at Laguna Seca, where he'd encountered none of today's obstacles.

Wild card rider, Akira Yanagawa, also has something to smile about. Five years after debuting the first 990cc Kawasaki MotoGP bike at Motegi, but failing to finish after a mechanical problem caused him to crash out, the 36-year-old has now completed a premier class race, taking 17th position in a field of 21. He pulled a huge wheelie over the line, much to the delight of the team who were, by this stage, clambering all over pit wall in euphoria over all three riders' achievements.

It was a particularly special race for Kawasaki: the team's first 800cc podium, the first podium this season, West leading a MotoGP for the first time and Yanagawa finally completing a premier class race. And all at the manufacturer's home round.


#14 - Position - 2nd
"I'm very happy because that was a really hard race. I chose to use a hard rain tyre but after a few laps it felt too hard and twice I ended up in the gravel, losing me a lot of time. I changed to the bike with the slicks and, when I exited the pits, I thought my race was over but I continued to push. When I saw on my pit board I was in second I was really surprised but to be on the podium in Japan for Kawasaki and Bridgestone is perfect. And I'm really grateful to my crew because they've worked so hard to help me get here."



#13 - Position - 7th
"I could have done so much better. It was great to lead the race but I'm angry I jump-started. The ride through lost me a lot of time and then I didn't know about changing the bikes because I've never done it before. When I did come in, I stalled and that lost me even more time. I didn't know what was going on and it was pretty nerve-wracking. But the bike felt great today and I felt strong, too, which is why I was able to get to the front. Considering I had to stop twice and stalled the bike, I guess seventh's not too bad!"



#87 - Position - 17th
"It's not the best position but my aim was to finish and I have. Five years of waiting is over! I had a problem with the rear brake at the start so I had to come in and change my bike, which had slicks on it and, at this stage, the track was still quite wet so it was like riding on an ice rink for a few laps. But then I started to make progress and my lap times were good. I'm really glad I finished at last!"



Kawasaki Competition Manager
"A great race and a good weekend. It's our first podium since the team have gone in house, so it's quite a big moment for us, especially as it's come at our home race and in front of our Japanese colleagues, who have put so much time and effort into making our Ninja ZX-RR so competitive. We were leading with Anthony and yes, we had his drive through penalty, but then he came back and rode a brilliant race. Congratulations also to Akira, who finally managed to finish his home race after five years of waiting. And we're on the podium with Randy so, unless you win, I don't think it gets much better."



1. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team 47'05.484; 2. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +10.853; 3. Toni Elias (SPA) Honda Gresini +11.526; 4. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Tech 3 Yamaha +12.192; 5. Marco Melandri (ITA) Honda Gresini +28.569; 6. Casey Stoner (AUS) Ducati Marlboro Team +31.179; 7. Anthony West (AUS) Kawasaki Racing Team +50.001; 8. Alex Barros (BRA) Pramac d'Antin Ducati +52.343; 9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +53.629; 10. John Hopkins (USA) Rizla Suzuki MotoGP +59.715; 17. Akira Yanagawa (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +1 Lap

[zxnator]

^^^^^^ yep that was one of the best gp races ive seen for a while, i was mega excited shouting at the tv, i recon the whole street would have heard me, its awsome to see an aussie world camp and a zx on the podium, i felt sorry for west as he would have done real well if it wasnt for the problems.

[rooster]

Westy to win at the Island now he knows the rules.

[Shaman]

Yeah, no kidding - seeing westy at the front at the start was farken amazing - that race was gold Can't wait to see what happens at the Island - the Aussies are all going to be going nuts for podium positions, I reckon... even though Casey can pretty much take it easy and breathe deeply for the next round due to his new-found crowning of World Champion

How happy was RdP?! I'd be loving it after such a hard (few) years