At Valkenswaard’s Eurocircuit, the venue of the first FIM Motocross Grand Prix of the season, Kawasaki presented its factory and satellite teams today at the VIP area. After last year’s loss of Kawasaki column Jan de Groot, the whole Team Green is now looking forward to starting a new season.
Kawasaki’s European Race Planning Manager Steve Guttridge, Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Senior Staff Officer Takashi Yasui and Kawasaki Motors Europe’s Managing Director Masafumi Nakagawa started the conference by reminding of the Team Green concept, which means the unity of the Kawasaki Teams.
The Kawasaki Racing Team will have Tanel Leok and Manuel Priem battling it out in the MX1 class onboard factory machinery, the same as GPKR’s Kevin Strijbos, two time runner up in the world series, and Sebastien Pourcel. The third MX1 rider in the latter team, debutant Alexandre Rouis, and Women World Championship rider Livia Lancelot will be onboard Kawasaki satellite bikes. The former team of 2006 World Champion Christophe Pourcel also announced that the Frenchman’s conditions after his crash in Moneyglass last year are improving; Pourcel has been starting physical training since the beginning of 2008.
In the MX2 class Kawasaki will provide the Molson Team and its three riders with factory machinery for the whole 2008 GP Campaign. Stephen Sword and newcomer 2007 UEM European MX2 Champion Gautier Paulin are looking forward to the forthcoming season while the third rider in the team Gareth Swanepoel will have to wait some months before getting back to his bike; the South African, fifth in the world last year, underwent a wrist operation last Wednesday.
Tom Church will race the MX1 class for Molson onboard a satellite Kawasaki. France based Team CLS will also race the MX2 class with satellite Kawasaki machines, given to Gregory Aranda, a former GPKR rider, and Steven Frossard. Loic Larrieu will complete the squad but will just do some wild card appearances in 2008, as he is due to race the whole UEM MX2 European Championship starting this weekend in Spain –Talavera de la Reina.
The Green Team ready for GP one at Valkenswaard this Sunday “I thank Kawasaki for its great involvement in the FIM Motocross World Championship, I think they have a passion for the sport,” said Youthstream President Giuseppe Luongo who was also on the stage today, attending several meetings and presentations. “Since last year we organize the Jan de Groot Award for the best and youngest rider in the Championship. This is a very important prize to remember Jan’s presence forever. He supported many young and talented riders.” “Like always we expect to win some races and get as many good results as we can with our riders,” Guttridge said about the 2008 plans. “We want to put the Green bikes on the podium and if at the end of the year we have two Championships to celebrate then we will be really happy.”
Michelin Men Get to Know Indy
Advertise with us
Your photos
Your videos
British Superbikes
