Peter Goddard sends us an update from the U.K.
| Australia's Peter Goddard is encouraged by
the engine performance of his new Kawasaki in pre-season testing as he prepares for the
2000 British Superbike Championship, which starts next month. Goddard, who raced for works Suzuki and Aprilia teams in the World Superbike Championship the past two years, tested the Kawasaki ZX-7RR four-stroke machine for the first time on English tracks Mallory Park on February 15, and at Donington Park three days later. Conditions were damp and cool. "I did about 45 laps at Mallory Park, and 20-odd laps at Donington (Park) and my first impressions of the Kawasaki are very positive," said Goddard. "It has an impressive engine which feels better than any superbike I have raced. Perhaps the freezing air in the intakes assisted this." "The chassis also feels good, and I am sure we can dial the new White Power suspension in quickly at the upcoming tests in Spain. Overall it is a well-refined bike which should allow us to do some serious racing in this competitive (British) championship." Goddard, winner of the 1997 World Endurance Championship, begins his British campaign in the first of the 12 rounds at Brands Hatch on March 26. He also expects to race in six rounds of this year's World Superbike Championship for his British-based Kawasaki team managed by Simon Buckmaster. The 35-year-old from Wollongong, near Sydney, will continue his pre-season testing program at Brands Hatch on February 26, and at the Spanish circuits of Albacete from March 5-7 and Cartegena on March 9-10. Goddard said he was pleased that former Team Kawasaki Australia mechanics Graeme Young and Glenn McDonald would be part of his crew this year. "We have some great people to work with in Simon Buckmaster's team and they should make my job easier to get on with the racing," said Goddard. "This is a tough series and I want to do well. We are going with Dunlop tyres, which I've used the past two years and I'm familiar with them." Leading riders in the championship include Britons Niall Mackenzie, John Reynolds, Sean Emmett, James Haydon, Chris Walker, Steve Hislop and Neil Hodgson, who have all raced at 500cc grand prix level or in the World Superbike Championship. "There are some experienced riders, and they will be hard to beat on tracks they know," said Goddard. "I raced with Niall Mackenzie in the (Suzuka) Eight-Hour in '91 so that shows how young we both are!" Goddard, who is currently based near Cambridge, said he was also motivated by the opportunity to continue an international program in this year's World Superbike Championship, starting with the fourth round of the series at Donington Park on May 14. "My enthusiasm is high - I'm racing a new bike in a different championship (Britain), and there is the chance to compete at world level," said Goddard. "It's a busy program, but it's a good one." We are settled in now and
getting used to the weather - must have been that extreme training that has helped?
(see pic on www.mcnews.com.au front page) |