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Chris Burns plans a winning return
Published by Robin Goodwin
24 September 2008, 14:47
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This weekend’s British Superbike races at the fast and flowing Silverstone circuit bode well for the STP Motorsport MV Agusta and ex-MotoGP star Chris Burns.
Both the team and rider are confident that the circuit will suit the MV Agusta, and Chris is confident that he can repeat the success of his last visit to the Northamptonshire circuit, when he took pole position and the race win riding in the European Superstock Championship.
Even at this stage of the season the STP Motorsport team is continuing to develop the MV Agusta F4 and complete its transformation into a true Superbike in advance of next season’s challenges. At Silverstone the bike will have the benefit of a kit gearbox and new engine mapping. These should see the bike higher up the overall grid in Saturday’s qualifying, with the target of being the quickest of the Cup bikes and taking some scalps off the Superbike teams.
Chris Burns – Rider:
“I am really looking forward to returning to Silverstone as it is a track that I enjoy racing on and one that I have had success at in the past. The fast and flowing nature of the circuit will suit my style of riding and, while we are not on the full circuit, it should be one of the better circuits for me and the MV Agusta. When I was riding in the European Superstock Championship, back in 2002, I qualified on pole and won the race! So my memories of Silverstone are good ones. While the circuit used in the BSB Championship is not the full circuit, we will still be using some of the full circuit and I believe we can really challenge some of the bigger teams at this track. My hopes are certainly high for a good result here.
“Our test last week at Silverstone was very encouraging, getting some good track time and finding a good direction with regards to set up when we return this weekend. Using the new engine maps we have smoothed out power delivery, which should help tyre life. The kit gearbox is a real bonus, being able to adjust ratios for different circuits will be a great help.”
Paul Snell – Crew Chief:
In addition to the changes to the mapping and gearbox we are also working on the suspension, with a couple of things we want to test. One of these will be different valving in the rear shock. This will help to put the drive on the tarmac by reducing the amount of squat on the bike. The next stage will be to develop the launch control system to ensure that Chris can guarantee to get off the start line in the most efficient way possible.”
Jon Strike – Team Principal: “As a team we are confident that we can continue our run of podium finishes. The test last week allowed us to get the right gearing and setup for this weekend so we should be able to use Friday’s free practice sessions to concentrate on getting a good lap time ahead of Saturday's qualifying.”
Image Credit: Turn One Photography
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