Historic Nurburgring gets the WSBK machine back into gear
The 2010 HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship approaches the final stretch this weekend, with the 11th round of the series taking place at the Nürburgring between 3 and 5 September. Only two subsequent rounds will remain after the restart of action in Germany – Imola on September 26 and Magny-Cours on 3 October.
Located in western Germany, the Nürburgring is one of the most popular circuits for the riders, as it offers a series of challenges along its 5.137km length, and a high degree of rider satisfaction if a ‘perfect’ lap is achieved. Competition in the World Superbike Championship is far from slowing down as the season begins to wind up, as current leader Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) has Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) 60 points behind him, but with 150 points up for grabs for any rider who wins the final six individual races.
Both of these riders raced at the Nürburgring last year but neither managed to post a podium finish. They have no shortage of immediate competitors who did in, however, with championship third place rider Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) winning the second race in ‘09, Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) going second in race one and Carlos Checa, now riding for Althea Ducati, third in each German race. Rea is currently third on 243 points, 130 behind the lead. Checa is fourth, on 204 points.
The long summer break during August has been a welcome one for some riders, but with valuable points up for grabs the mass of WSB riders will be keen to get back into full race mode this weekend. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) pushed himself up to fifth in the championship with his first two wins in WSBK racing last time out at Silverstone. He knows his machine can win at Nürburgring, as eventual champion Ben Spies was victorious on the same model of machine in race one last year. Crutchlow’s team-mate James Toseland is a two-time World Superbike Champion, but still looking for his first race success in Yamaha colours. He is sixth in the rankings, only nine points behind Crutchlow.
The fight for the last few top ten places is already at fever pitch, with Noriyuki Haga, Leon Camier (Alitalia Aprilia), Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) and Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare) closely packed together, from seventh to 11th in the rankings. Even from Crutchlow in fifth to Guintoli in 11th, there is a spread of only 37 points, making almost anything possible in the midfield before season’s end.
Since the last round in Silverstone, Max Neukirchner (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) has won a race at the IDM Superbike championship. At his home circuit in Germany he will be particularly keen to make a move back up the championship rankings from his current 18th place. Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) is a lonely 12th at present; over 50 points clear of Jakub Smrz (PATA B&G Aprilia) and Ruben Xaus (BMW Motorrad Motorsport). Ducati privateer Luca Scassa (Supersonic Team) is the last rider inside the top 15 so far, but works Kawasaki Racing Team man Tom Sykes wants to be on the march forward at this round. He will, in his turn, have Lorenzo Lanzi pushing hard to get ahead of him on his DFX Corse Ducati. Sykes has another new team-mate in the KRT squad this time out, Northern Irish rider Ian Lowry, who is standing in for the injured Chris Vermeulen. Pedercini Kawasaki team-mates Roger Lee Hayden and Matteo Baiocco will be back in the mix in Germany. Replacing Broc Parkes in the Echo CRS Honda team will be Italian WSB debutant Fabrizio Lai.
Points (after 10 rounds of 13): 1. Biaggi 373; 2. Haslam 313; 3. Rea 243; 4. Checa 204; 5. Crutchlow 188; 6. Toseland 179; 7. Haga 177; 8. Camier 164; 9. Fabrizio 160; 10. Corser 155. Manufacturers: 1. Aprilia 385; 2. Suzuki 334; 3. Ducati 297; 4. Yamaha 256; 5. Honda 254; 6. BMW 174; 7. Kawasaki 57.
WORLD SUPERSPORT: Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) now has only one realistic championship challenger, Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) after the accident suffered by Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) at Silverstone. Laverty has scored a fabulous six wins so far, but he is still behind three-time race winner Sofuoglu, by 17 points. In fourth place ParkinGO Triumph BE-1’s Chaz Davies is 43 points ahead of his closest challenger, Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda) who scored his first podium last time round at Silverstone. Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Honda) is close behind Rea, with David Salom also right in there for fifth, on his Triumph. Michele Pirro (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) will come back into the fray after suffering injury at the Brno round and missing out on the Silverstone round.
Points (after 10 rounds of 13): 1. Sofuoglu 203; 2. Laverty 186; 3. Lascorz 168; 4. Davies 126; 5. Rea 83; 6. Harms 82; 7. Salom 80; 8. Lagrive 65; 9. Fujiwara 60; 10. Pirro 58. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 245; 2. Kawasaki 172; 3. Triumph 136; 4. Yamaha 16
SUPERSTOCK 1000: Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia STK) carried off the overall FIM Cup last time out at Silverstone, but at the home country of his machine’s manufacturer he will be out to keep his perfect win record intact. Second place in the championship is still a very live fight, with Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Racing Junior Honda), Michele Magnoni (Bevilacqua Corse Honda), Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini Honda), Davide Giugliano (Team06 Suzuki) and Loris Baz (MRS Yamaha) all set to try and claim runner-up spot by season’s end.
Points (after 7 rounds of 10): 1. Badovini 175; 2. Berger 86; 3. Magnoni 84; 4.Antonelli 73; 5. Giugliano 62; 6. Baz 54; 7. Barrier 47; 8. Petrucci 43; 9. Bussolotti 37; 10. Mahr 35. Manufacturers: 1. BMW 175; 2. Honda 129; 3. Suzuki 78; 4. Ducati 59; 5. Yamaha 56; 6. Kawasaki 46; 7.KTM 30; 8. Aprilia 18.
SUPERSTOCK 600: Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) leads his fellow Frenchman Florian Marino (Ten Kate Junior Racing Honda) by 26 points, with only these two riders in the final fight for the championship now. Federico D’Annunzio (Martini Corse Yamaha) no scored last time out but is still third, on the same 70 points total as his team-mate Dino Lombardi.
Points (after 7 rounds of 10): 1. Guarnoni 152; 2. Marino 126; 3. D’Annunzio 70; 4. Lombardi 70; 5. Fanelli 64; 6.Karlsen 51; 7. Calero Perez 51; 8. Lanusse 44; 9. Le Coquen 42; 10. Elliot 31.
TRIUMPH PARKINGO SERIES: The single make Triumph ParkinGO European Series continues apace in Germany, featuring identical Triumph Street Triple R machines, raced by a mix of experienced and amateur riders. The challenge of the Nürburgring is one that all the riders are eagerly anticipating, especially championship leader Fabrizio Perotti, who could win the title this time out if results go his way. Two rounds remain, at the Nürburgring and then the season finale at Magny-Cours on October 3rd.
THE CIRCUIT: The modern-day Nürburgring is a very different one from the nearby 20th century classic, the ‘Nordschleife’. Nevertheless, the 5.137km circuit that welcomes WSBK racing this weekend still has plenty of elevation changes, fast and slow corners and overtaking opportunities. WSBK racing first started at the Nürburgring in 1998 and 1999, and returned in 2008 and 2009. High drama and close competition have been the keynotes of recent races at this venue, although being located in the Eifel Mountains the track can be subject to rapid and sometimes extreme changes in weather conditions.
— Yamaha Preview
The warm weather may well be nearly over but the heat is definitely on for the Yamaha Sterilgarda Team as they head to the Nurburgring in Germany after the summer break. Fresh from a month off the team will be looking to capitalise on the sensational double victory scored by British rider Cal Crutchlow on home ground at Silverstone in early August. The two race wins catapulted Crutchlow up the championship standings to fifth place, just in front of his team mate James Toseland in sixth. With three rounds and six races left to run there’s a potential 150 points for each rider out there to take the British duo up to a potential top 3 place in the standings.
Crutchlow’s last visit to the infamous Nurburgring in the Eiffel mountains in the 2009 World Supersport championship saw him dominate the weekend, taking pole with an incredible 1.3 second lead over his closest rival before going on to take his fifth race win of the season on the Sunday. Team mate Toseland hasn’t turned a wheel on the track since his Supersport days in 1999 but comes to Germany focused on delivering results and fighting for the third position spot in the championship.
“I can’t wait to get back on the bike again”, said Cal Crutchlow. “Finally winning two races at Silverstone was the result of lots of hard work by the team and I, I want to get straight to Germany and hope to do it again. I always find the summer break too long and really miss racing so I’m happy it’s time to go again. I had a brilliant result at the Nurburgring last year, it would be perfect to repeat the success I had on the R6 Supersport bike on the R1 Superbike. I managed to dislocate my knee riding my bicycle over the holiday but it is pretty much back to normal now and will be fine for the races!”
“The last time I was at the Nurburgring I was 18 years old, so it’s been a couple of years!” James Toseland commented. “Since then I’ve been to Oschersleben in Germany but not back to the ring so I’m really looking forward to it. There are only three rounds left now, we were close to the podium at Silverstone but due to my unfortunate fall in qualifying I was held up. I have had a good holiday and I’m now raring to go to get on with it. I can’t wait to get to the track and get stuck in on Friday morning.”
Nurburgring Technically speaking according to Marcus Eschenbacher, Cal Crutchlow’s Crew Chief
“We will arrive in Germany having not touched the bikes since Silverstone so will start on Friday with the same settings from the UK. We developed a setting that worked very well there and as Cal already knows the German circuit well we will get straight down to fine tuning it for the corners and elevation changes of the Nurburgring. We should be ready with the setting by Saturday so will then focus on making sure we have the right tyre choice for the two races on Sunday.˝
Nurburgring technically speaking according to Frankie Carchedi, James Toseland’s Crew Chief
“Silverstone was a great weekend for all the team with Yamaha’s first win of the season. We will be looking to build on that result for the rest of the season. Nurburgring is a circuit that demands many aspects of a bike set-up, slow and fast corners, rises and falls. We will start with a bike as we finished Silverstone so that James can learn the track. Once up to speed we have prepared a different set-up on his second bike for him to try. It is to help him out of the slower corners by keeping the front down more, maybe allowing us to use a little more torque.”
Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“We’ve been waiting for this weekend after a long break and are optimistic after the great weekend we had in Silverstone. I think we can achieve some good results again in Germany. We have had a break as a team so the bike will be the same as it was when we left the UK. The characteristic of the circuit suits our bike and after Cal’s performance last year we are confident for the races. James has not raced here for some years but I believe he will pick up the circuit again quickly.”
— Ducati Preview
The Nürburgring (Germany), Tuesday 31st August: after a month’s break, the World Superbikes are ready to restart their engines and return to the racetrack; the next stop for the Ducati Xerox Team is Germany, and the historic Nürburgring.
Noriyuki celebrated podium success last season in Race 1 at the Ring but it was the previous year, 2008, that brought the most satisfaction, with a double win for the Japanese rider at the German track, in spite of his riding with a broken collarbone! Michel on the other hand is yet to step up to the Ring’s rostrum, his best result thus far a sixth place finish in 2008.
Having returned to the SBK calendar in 2008, after an eight year break, the circuit has been characterised by some very unpredictable weather conditions that have delayed and cut short races in the last two seasons. The historic Ring, located in the heart of Germany’s Black Forest, has played host to motorsport events for more than eighty years; this will be the fifth time that the World Superbike circus visits the track.
As the 2010 edition of the championship charges rapidly towards the home straight, with only two rounds left to run after the coming weekend’s German round, Nitro-Nori lies in 7th position while Uragano Mich is 9th in the overall standings. Ducati holds third position in the constructors championship.
Noriyuki Haga (7th in championship, 177 points)
“I had a great time here in 2008, taking a double win despite some terrible conditions that messed up the smooth running of race day, but then last season didn’t go to plan as I started in pole but crashed out of race 2 in a race I was sure I could have won. The problem at the Nürburgring is that no-one can predict the conditions – we’ve seen the sun come out just minutes after a hail shower so mixed conditions like those make it hard to prepare for race day.”
Michel Fabrizio (9th in championship, 160 points)
“I was disappointed to miss out on the podium at Silverstone so I’ll be trying my best to get there at the Nurburgring. I really like the track but haven’t managed to reach the podium before. The weather is so mixed of course and that can really mess up a weekend if conditions change dramatically each day. Anyway, we’ll be looking to take as many points as possible, and I’ll have my eyes on a top three finish.”
— HRC Preview
Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Jonathan Rea enjoyed a winning feeling at the iconic Nürburgring circuit last year, taking Superbike race two for his Honda team. This year more of the same would be more than welcome, to add to Jonathan’s current win tally of three.
As the series re-convenes after a substantial break from real race action, Rea is third in the standings, 39 points ahead of fourth place rider Carlos Checa (Ducati). Rea is the only rider with a mathematical chance of overhauling championship leader Max Biaggi (Aprilia) and Leon Haslam (Suzuki) in second, but with three rounds and six races still to go Rea’s immediate goal is to take race wins and extending his lead over Checa.
For Rea’s team-mate Max Neukirchner this race has special significance, being his home round as well as a chance to show that a recent win in the IDM Superbike Championship race at Assen can be translated to a season best in WSBK. Max has tasted champagne at the Nürburgring before, taking two podiums in 2008, but he missed last year’s round due to injury.
Both Rea and Neukirchner have tested at Assen in readiness for this weekend’s race, shortly before heading to the Nürburgring.
The modern day Nürburgring, sitting alongside the legendary Nordschleife circuit, is a tough but fair test of man and machine, with some heavy braking points, frequent dips and shallow climbs, plus some fast changes of direction.
In the Supersport World Championship division, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) are now involved in a straight fight for the crown. Last time out Laverty won at Silverstone, his sixth victory of the year, but Sofuoglu is still the overall championship leader some 17 points ahead and with three wins to his credit.
The ECHO CRS Honda Superbike team and previous rider Broc Parkes parted ways shortly before the season re-commenced, and the team has chosen Italian rider Fabrizio Lai to replace him in Germany. Lai (31) raced for the team in World Supersport for a period last season.
Fifth overall in the WSS rankings is rookie Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda) after taking a career-first podium at Silverstone in his native UK. He is still involved in a close fight for a top five finish, with the two following riders within three points, and a host of other tough competitors lining up behind.
Michele Pirro from the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team will return to competitive action at this race, having missed the Silverstone weekend after a heavy fall at Brno. The Italian rider is out to add to his podium haul of a single third place, taken at the Portimao round.
Parkalgar Honda rider Miguel Praia has recently taken his two career best finishes in succession, and in doing so has pushed himself up to 11th in the rankings, only a point from Pirro and a top ten placing.
Massimo Roccoli from the Intermoto Czech Honda team is currently a very unlucky 13th, having suffered two no scores so far and some unexpected dramas in some of the races that he has completed.
After the German round has been completed, the final two rounds of the year will be run back-to-back; Imola on 26 September and Magny-Cours on October 3.
Jonathan Rea, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR: “It’s been good to have some time off, but I can’t wait to get back on the bike. Our test at Assen couldn’t come at a better time because it gave us a chance to shake off some cobwebs before Nürburgring and to try a whole load of new stuff for the bike. The development has continued during the break and the team is continuing to make a big effort right through to the end of the season. It’s good to get my head back up to 280-290kph is preparation for Nürburgring, which I’m really looking forward to. I like riding there and managed to get a win last year.”
Max Neukirchner, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR: “I like the Nürburgring and took two podiums there in 2008, so I feel I can have a good weekend in front of my home fans. Since the last race I took part in the IDM round at Assen and won the first race, then took a podium in a very confused second race, which was stopped two times. The IDM win means I have much more motivation and the team knows that as well. The WSBK machine is a little bit different, but I intend to come back to the world championship in strong condition. Our chassis setting is not so bad, and I was much happier at Silverstone, but my feeling is we need to find something on the engine settings. It is a little too aggressive on the throttle at the top.”
Fabrizio Lai, ECHO CRS Honda CBR1000RR: “I am very happy to have this real opportunity to race for the team and it will be a new experience. I am sure I will do my best. It is my first WSB race but I want to make it a good one for myself and ECHO CRS Honda.”
WSS Rider Comments
Kenan Sofuoglu, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda
CBR600RR: “It has been a long break, but I am feeling rested and fit; now we are ready for the last three important races of this season. My team has been working hard during the holiday and we will work together for another win this weekend. Although it has been a consistent season, we have to keep pushing for wins because the pressure will be there right until the final race. Nürburgring is not my favourite circuit and it was not good for me last year. I qualified OK but I crashed out of second place when the rain fell and I had to retire a few laps later. Obviously I want a better result that that this weekend, and the target is to win again.”
Eugene Laverty, Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR: “Winning at Silverstone took a lot of pressure off me and I am pretty relaxed now. The boys have been working on the bike and they have found a little bit more power, which is always welcome. I had a few laps out on my bike in the UK recently, at Cadwell, just to get some track time in again.
The summer break has been so long.”
Michele Pirro, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR: “My body feels much better now after the crash at Brno and my wrist feels OK. But it’s good that we have this test at Assen because it will give me a chance to ride the bike for the first time since Brno. There will be no pressure, just me and the bike. I’ve been working hard on physiotherapy in the last few weeks, so we’ll see how the pain is on the bike. Nürburgring is a circuit that I like very much. I like the many fast corners there, but the first one is a little bit difficult in the first laps of the race because it is so slow.”
Gino Rea, Intermoto Czech Honda CBR600RR: “I am looking forward to getting back on the bike all together. A month off is a bit too long for me. I like the Nürburgring as a track, so I am looking forward to this weekend. I am not sure we will have any new development of the bike but we need to work on the existing electronics and suspension and get those things right, then we can see what happens in the race.”
Miguel Praia, Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR: “I like it in Germany. It is a difficult track, a challenge in places, but it was fine for us last year. After Silverstone I had a period of rest to shake off some niggling injuries but I went back to hard training two weeks ago and I am ready to race. In the last two races I have had the best results I have ever had, so all the work the team has been doing is paying off.”
Massimo Roccoli, Intermoto Czech Honda CBR600RR: “I want to find a good set-up and then turn that into a good result this weekend, and not have any problems that have affected is quite often this year. We have been unlucky but we are all working to change that, starting in Germany.”
— BMW Preview
With the summer break now over, the race weekend at the Nürburgring in Germany sees the teams in the FIM Superbike World Championship entering the finishing straight of the 2010 season. For Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport the 11th race weekend of the season at the historic circuit in the Eifel mountains will be special for two reasons. It is the home event for the German team in this year’s championship, and on Sunday all involved will celebrate a new milestone: Race 2 at the Nürburgring will be the team’s 50th since its arrival on the World Championship scene in 2009.
BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Berthold Hauser and his team will be looking to build on their latest success on home soil. The Nürburgring has been a fine hunting ground over the years for Troy Corser (AUS), who already has his name inscribed on the winners’ list here. Ruben Xaus (ESP), meanwhile, will be aiming to put the knowledge gained over the past few races into practice and has his sights set on his first podium finish with the BMW S 1000 RR. Troy is lying in 10th place in the riders’ standings with 155 points, while Ruben’s 69 points put him in 14th. In the manufacturers’ table BMW has collected 174 points, good enough for sixth place.
The break between races saw Ruben give the BMW S 1000 RR a run-out with a difference as part of the City Racing Day in Rotterdam, Holland on 22nd August. The Catalan rider treated the large crowds attending the headline day of the weekend event to a captivating display of burn-outs and demo starts.
Troy Corser: “I really like the Nürburgring. In the past I’ve regularly had good results here, including several podium finishes and a race win. I think the circuit will suit the engine and chassis of our bike. Our aim for Friday practice is to settle on a good set-up. If we can do that, then anything is possible this weekend.
The Nürburgring is a great race track and the perfect venue for motorcycle racing. There are plenty of overtaking opportunities and lots of rises and falls. This generally produces really exciting and spectacular racing – both for us as riders and for the spectators. The Nordschleife is steeped in motor sport history, but with our bikes it would be far too dangerous to compete on the old circuit at race speed. In summer 2009 I had the chance to drive a BMW Formula One car at the Nürburgring, which was a lot of fun. I was surprised by how quickly you can feel comfortable driving that kind of car. But I think I prefer being at the limit on my bike.”
Ruben Xaus: “At the Nürburgring I’ll be aiming to build on my good performance at Brno. It would be nice if I could get the podium finish which I missed out on so narrowly in the Czech Republic as a result of my crash. A podium would certainly have been a possibility at Silverstone if we’d been able to work out our grip problems earlier on. However, we learned a lot of things there for the future. We found a set-up for the bike which allows me to record good lap times even when there isn’t much grip. Up to now, I’d only really been able to do that when the track offered the tyres good grip. That will help me to keep progressing and to be quick in all types of conditions. We’ve already shown that we can compete at the front of the field. And now I want to be doing that at all the circuits.”
Berthold Hauser, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “The Nürburgring represents both our home race and a small milestone in our history. There’s no doubt that our whole team is looking forward to the race weekend in the Eifel mountains. Things didn’t go quite how we were hoping at Silverstone, as we struggled with grip problems pretty much on all three days. However, we were able to find good solutions for these problems in time for the second race. Without his crash, Troy would have been in good shape for a podium in Race 2, and Ruben fought his way impressively up the field with some consistently strong lap times. This puts us in confident mood for the Nürburgring, as we can use the lessons learned at Silverstone into practice here. We know what we’re capable of achieving this season and are determined to get the results to match. It would be wonderful if we could finish on the podium once again here on home ground.”
Background:
The Nürburgring lies in the municipality of Adenau in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The circuit in the Eifel mountains opened for racing in 1927, making it one of Europe’s most historic racing venues. The Nürburgring was given a major overhaul in the 1980s, and this was followed by further modernisation work in 1999 and 2002. The 20-kilometre-plus Nordschleife circuit is a popular venue for car endurance racing, but the Superbike World Championship races are contested over the Grand Prix course. The track measured 4.556 km when the World Superbikes made their debut here in 1998 and was extended to 5.137 km in time for the 2008 race weekend.
The Nürburgring wastes no time in reminding the riders of the exacting test ahead of them, its first corner – the “Yokohama-S” – already providing a serious challenge. The riders brake extremely late and try to put themselves in a good position going into the “Mercedes Arena”, where some of the corners tighten steadily as they unwind. The bikes need to display good steering responses in this part of the track to enable the riders to get on the power early out of the corners. The “Bit-Kurve” is the most important corner on the circuit and has to be negotiated well in order to carry sufficient speed into the high-speed section afterwards. The “NGK” chicane provides another hard braking zone, before the track climbs up towards the start/finish straight. The Nürburgring is famous for its unpredictable weather, which can change from one moment to the next. Its setting in the Eifel mountains means dry, sunny conditions can give way to heavy downpours and hail in a short space of time. Troy Corser won a World Superbike race here in 1999, and this season sees the championship stop off at the “Green Hell” for the fifth time.
— Suzuki Preview
After the long summer break, Team Suzuki Alstare is looking forward to the 11th round of this year’s Superbike World Championship at the Nurburgring in Germany this coming weekend.
The track is situated relatively close to the team’s headquarters, so it will be almost a ‘home event’ and the fifth time that the Superbike World Championship has visited the 5.137 kilometre circuit, set in the Eifel mountains and, as usual, weather conditions are likely to play a great part in the proceedings.
Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam lies 60 points behind series leader Max Biaggi but is determined to push the Italian as hard as he can and reduce the deficit in Sunday’s races.
Leon Haslam: “Last year I managed a sixth and a fifth on a privateer bike, so I am looking forward to this year’s round and challenging for the podium in both races. For sure I would like to win both races and put pressure on Max, but there are a lot of good riders and good bikes out there and it’s not going to be an easy weekend. But, I wouldn’t be out there if I didn’t like the battle and I get a real buzz mixing it with the rest of the top riders.
“We’ve had a good, long break and although I have been training hard and doing a lot of riding – mainly off-road – there is nothing like being on the track and racing flat out. All I can do is the best I can, beat Max in both races and hope he gets a couple of poor results.”
Sylvain Guintoli: “I didn’t race at the Nurburgring last year, so this will be my first time there on a Superbike. I have definitely been happier these past few races and feel I now know a lot more about World Superbikes than at the start of the season. I know I say it a lot, but this series is so competitive and the smallest of margins can make such big differences.
“I have been keeping fit during the long break and cannot wait to be at the racetrack again and get back on my Suzuki Alstare GSX-R1000. As usual, my aim is to qualify well, be in a good place on the grid; and then fight for the podium.”
— Kawasaki Preview
TBC
