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Pic- Jamie Stauffer in action at Phillip Island on the weekend:
KAWASAKI - Press Release:
Australian Superbike Championship Round 1 – Phillip Island.
The Kawasaki Racing Team enjoyed their first hit out of the 2005 season with a new domestic Superbike lap record and some very competitive riding being the highlights. The flowing nature of Phillip Island always allows riders to show their potential and this first round of the ASC provided some sparkling racing.
“Overall we had a pretty good weekend”, said Kawasaki’s senior team co-ordinator Scott Breedin. “Jamie Stauffer set a new Australian Superbike lap record of 1 minute 35.247 seconds in the first of the two Superbike races and proved the Ninja ZX-10R to be an extremely competitive package. Josh Waters improved throughout the weekend and showed us all his tenacity. He’s still getting used to the new ZX-6RR and the Michelin tyres and although he can take a little while to wind up, his natural ability allows him to be more than competitive as his confidence builds.”
Jamie Stauffer was also happy with his weekend. “Qualifying soon showed us that we were up to speed and although I qualified 4th, it was pretty tight at the top and a front row start was important. I really enjoyed the first race – even though I rode alone for much of it, I was dicing at the beginning with Shawn Giles and Adam Fergusson and took a while to get past both of them. In the meantime Josh Brookes had got a break on us and I set about catching him. Unfortunately I didn’t quite get there, but it was a great race anyway.
“The second race was also shaping up well, with Shawn and me dicing for the lead. “Krusty (Adam Fergusson) made a dive under Shawn while I was trying to go around the outside as we went into Honda corner for the second time. Shawn sat his bike up and ran wide; unfortunately I had nowhere to go and ran off. I re-entered the race in 14th or 15th and set about catching up. The bike was handling really well and the new Michelins let me really push things. Unfortunately it was only a five lap race and although I got up to 9th, it would have be nice to have had a longer race and overtake a few more people. Then they cancelled the third race due to weather and bad light so I didn’t get the chance to fight for an overall podium spot… a pity, but 4th overall is a reasonable start even if it doesn’t show what we can really do.”
Josh Waters was full of confidence and felt he and the team achieved a lot throughout the weekend. “Qualifying was tough as I had very little dry track time prior to the qualifying session. I dropped two and a half seconds from the first qualifier to the second, which was a good improvement, giving me 7th on the grid.
“I got a great start in race one, and was 5th after the first lap, gradually building up and eventually finishing 4th. The bike’s really quick and holds its own with anything out there, so I’m happy with the power and top speed. As the weekend progressed we worked hard on the settings and achieved a lot – and the Michelin tyres proved themselves by hanging on well all weekend. In the second short race I used a tyre that had done more than 20 laps in qualifying and it worked really well as I had to make my way through the field to finish 7th after a shocking start when I got boxed in and dropped to 11th or so on the first lap.
“I didn’t do so well in the third race, finishing 8th. The track was damp in places and I took a while to get used to the conditions. I fell back through the field to about 14th or 15th but then gradually got a feel for it and again started to work back towards the front. As I get more and more used to the bike I’m sure I will improve more and I’m really looking forward to Eastern Creek. I worked hard to be consistent and give the team good feedback and I think we achieved a lot. I’m pretty happy.”
With the next round just four weeks away, Scott Breedin was also in a positive mood. “We got a lot done down here even if the results are not a true reflection of just how competitive we are. Jamie proved himself and the ZX-10R to be a front runner and with some better luck, at Eastern Creek we’ll be in a position to show just how much we have achieved. The bike is very good, the rider is riding extremely well and the new Michelin slicks are fantastic. I’m expecting podium positions and with any luck at all a win or two.
“Josh also had a good weekend down here and as he adjusts to the bike he’ll continue his momentum and get some good results. He’s a fast learner and has the ability to be consistently fast, and I’ve no doubt at all that he’ll shine this year.
Kawasaki Racing Team’s manager, Murray Sayle, was pleased with his team’s weekend’s work. “With both riders 4th overall, we’ve had a reasonable start and I feel sure we’ll build on it… I’m really happy with the team, everybody’s working well together and it’ll show in future results.”
The Kawasaki Racing Team will be competing in Round Two or the Australian Superbike Championship at Eastern Creek on 29, 30 April and 1st May 2005. See you there.
Superbike Championship Points - Round 1
Position - Rider/Team - Pole Position - Race 1 - Race 2 - Overall Pointscore
