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2006 Australian Superbike
Championship (YMF Loan) - Round Six - Winton Motor Raceway - October
20/21/22 |
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2006 Australian Superbike
Championship (YMF Loan) - Round Six - Winton Motor Raceway - October
20/21/22 |
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Team Report - Kawasaki
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| Kawasaki Racing Team’s
Josh Waters had to fly solo at Winton Raceway in Victoria on
the weekend after team-mate and superbike rider Shannon
Johnson was sidelined with injuries. As well as his regular ride on the Kawasaki ZX-6RR in the Supersport class, Waters also elected to ride the KRT ZX-10R Superbike in the penultimate round of the Australian Superbike Championship, continuing to give the green machines exposure in both classes. Josh piloted his ZX-6RR to fifth place overall after two inspired rides in both Supersport races. In the first race Josh had a somewhat lonely ride to sixth position and it was a similar scenario in race two with Josh taking fifth place at the chequered flag. “I qualified on the second row and in both races I got held up a bit at the start, which meant I lost the tow to the front pack and was unable to bridge the gap. My ZX-6R was good around Winton,” Waters continued. The Victorian circuit is a sinuous track and Waters loved the handling of Kawasaki’s Supersport machine. “If I hadn’t been held up at the start I feel I could have run with the leaders for longer”. Waters moved up a spot on the championship table and has a realistic shot at finishing in the top five with a strong result at the final round at Eastern Creek in three weeks time. In the Superbike class, the Kawasaki Racing Team was without its usual rider, Shannon Johnson, after a pushbike accident while training left the Victorian injured and unable to race his ZX-10R. “I had a bicycle crash about two and a half weeks ago and I banged myself up pretty good,” he said. “I did a lot of structural and soft tissue damage to myself and I won’t get a clearance to ride from the doctor for another few weeks. I didn’t race because riding a 195 horsepower Superbike is dangerous enough at the best of times without riding one injured. The last thing I needed was to bang myself up even further and the last thing the other riders need is a hero who’s riding injured and shouldn’t be out there” he added. Johnson is hoping for a comeback at Eastern Creek, a return visit to the track where the season all started back in April and where he scored two podium finishes. Waters was happy to step-up and ride the fast KRT Superbike in addition to his Supersport machine. “It was the first chance I’ve had to ride Shannon’s bikes,” Waters said. “They’re bit higher-spec than mine, so it was pretty exciting.” Waters was referring to the Superbike the Team prepared for him to ride when conditions had allowed earlier in the season. “Winton is a tough track though and we hadn’t tested there, so it was pretty hard going on the Superbike, but I’m happy with my results.” Waters finished seventh overall with two top-ten results. The final round of the Championships is at Eastern Creek Raceway, Western Sydney, November 17-19. |
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2006 Australian Superbike Championship (YMF Loan) - Round Six - Winton Motor Raceway, Victoria - October 20/21/22 |
