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Kawasaki Looking for Improvements at Misano
Yesterday
Anthony West was the sole Kawasaki rider on the timesheet after today's two free practice sessions at Misano Adriatico, after complications with the rib injury he sustained in a practice crash at Brno forced John Hopkins to sit out the opening track sessions. Following his career-best MotoGP result last time out at Brno, West was looking forward to boarding his Ninja ZX-RR this weekend at the San Marino circuit. However, the 27-year-old Australian has been plagued with a lack of confidence in the front-end of his race machine around the 4.20km track, and was disappointed not to have made more of an impression on the rest of the field.
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Toseland Back on Track
Yesterday
After three moral sapping races James Toseland got his season back on track in the first day of practice for the Cinzano Grand Prix of San Marino and Riviera of Rimini in Misano this afternoon. The 27 year old Yorkshireman has been beset by tyre problems in those last three races but after the two one hour sessions today round the 2.626 mile circuit he was tenth fastest. Riding the Tech 3 Yamaha for the first time at the Misano MotoGP circuit Toseland was just over one second behind World Champion Casey Stoner who led the way.
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Confident Kawasaki Head to Misano
3 Days ago
Kawasaki's Anthony West and John Hopkins head for the Republic of San Marino and the Misano circuit for round 13 of the MotoGP World Championship in confident mood, after improvements to the Ninja ZX-RR led to a strong showing by both riders last time out at Brno. Anthony West secured a career best finish with fifth place in the Czech Republic Grand Prix, and after making further steps forward with the set-up of his Ninja ZX-RR during the post race test at the Brno circuit, the 27-year-old Kawasaki pilot heads for Misano determined to continue his run of form into this weekend's Grand Prix Di San Marino E Della Riviera Di Rimini.
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Toseland Digs Deep for Final Six
3 Days ago
James Toseland is drawing on his vast reserves of strength and enthusiasm to face the final six grands prix of the season starting in the Cinzano San Marino Grand Prix at Misano on Sunday. Tyre problems on his Tech 3 Yamaha have slaughtered his chances of success in the last three grands prix and pushed him down to11th in the Championship on his debut MotoGP season. The 27 year old Yorkshireman is determined to fight back at the Misano circuit which he has only ridden the other way round in his World Superbike Championship days.
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Career Best West Flies to Fifth at Brno
17 August 2008
Kawasaki’s Anthony West achieved a MotoGP career best finish today, with a determined ride to fifth place aboard his Ninja ZX-RR at the Czech Republic Grand Prix. With a complete contrast in weather conditions following yesterday’s rain-soaked qualifying, West made a strong start to the 22-lap dry race from sixth position on the grid. Fourth into the first corner, the Australian rider immediately came under attack from the pursuing pack and, despite doing everything in his power to keep them at bay, the Kawasaki pilot dropped back to settle into a steady rhythm in sixth place.
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Front Row for Comeback King Hopkins in Brno
17 August 2008
Kawasaki’s John Hopkins and Anthony West will start tomorrow’s Czech Republic Grand Prix from the front two rows of the grid after defying the treacherous wet conditions in today’s qualifying to finish in third and sixth positions respectively. Hopkins has made an impressive return to the track after a three-race absence to score his first front row start of the season aboard his Ninja ZX-RR. The Anglo-American adopted a specific strategy at the Brno circuit, which allowed him to set the third fastest time in the early part of today’s timed session.
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Toseland Starts Despite Problems In The Rain
17 August 2008
When the likes of MotoGP winner Jorge Lorenzo and World Superbike Champion James Toseland fail to qualify for the Cardion AB Grand Prix of the Czech Republic it shows just how appalling the weather must have been in the one hour qualifying session for the 12th round of the MotoGP World Championship. The heavy rain just got heavier and heavier as the session progressed round the 3.357 mile Brno circuit. Toseland fell from the Tech 3 Yamaha at the bottom of the hill in the spray and mist. He was uninjured and despite not producing a qualifying time will be allowed to start the 22 lap race. The 27 year old Yorkshireman finished first and second in the World Superbike Championship races at Brno last year.
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Stoner Takes Pole & Leads Bridgestone Top Six
16 August 2008
Ducati’s Casey Stoner has claimed a sensational sixth consecutive pole position in this afternoon’s wet qualifying session at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic, taking the top spot by a margin of almost 1.2 seconds. It is the seventh Bridgestone-shod pole this season, the most ever in a single season by riders using Bridgestone tyres, beating the previous best of six which was achieved in 2006 and 2007.
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Top Ten Return For Hopkins Following Improvements
16 August 2008
John Hopkins showed today that an enforced seven week lay-off through injury hasn't blunted his skills, as he made his racing return aboard an evolution version of Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP racer during today's opening practice sessions at Brno. Despite a fall in each of the one-hour sessions, Hopkins felt confident that the revised specification engine and chassis components added to his Ninja ZX-RR for this weekend have made a vast improvement. The 25-year-old Kawasaki pilot finished the day eighth overall at the 5.403km Brno circuit, after posting his fastest time on his last lap.
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Bridgestone Riders Get to Grips with Resurfaced Brno
16 August 2008
Bridgestone-shod GP riders had their first taste of the newly resurfaced Brno race track in today’s opening free practice sessions in preparation for Sunday’s 22-lap Czech Republic Grand Prix. Ducati’s Casey Stoner leads the proceedings at the end of the first day, having set a best lap time almost one second quicker than the existing record lap, set by Loris Capirossi aboard a Bridgestone-shod 990cc Ducati back in 2006.
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Toseland Looks To Brno Repeat
12 August 2008
James Toseland heads the refreshed British riders returning from the summer break to face the last seven grands prix of the season, starting with the Cardion ab Grand Prix of the Czech Republic at Brno on Sunday. The twenty seven year old Yorkshireman returns after a tremendous first part of his MotoGP debut season and has every reason to be confident in the 22 lap on Sunday. Last year he really tuned his season round with first and second places in the two World Superbike Championship races at the superb 3.357 mile Brno circuit. He currently lies ninth in the World Championship riding the Tech 3 Yamaha but good results in the final seven races could lift him as high as the top six.
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Kawasaki Back on Track at Brno
12 August 2008
After almost seven weeks away from the racetrack, John Hopkins will make his racing return aboard Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR at this weekend's Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno. The 25-year-old Anglo-American was forced to sit out the last three races, including his home Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, as a result of fractures to his left leg sustained in a high-speed qualifying crash ahead of the Dutch TT at Assen almost seven weeks ago.
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Bridgestone MotoGP Briefing - Czech Republic
12 August 2008
With batteries recharged after three weekends of no racing action, MotoGP makes a welcome return in Brno where the fierce battle for this year’s thrilling championship will recommence. Brno is the second most visited city in premier class history with a total of 31 events held since 1965. 11 races were held on the old road course which was used until 1977. After a ten-year break, a new-look 5.4km Brno circuit was introduced to the championship, where, with the sole exception of the 1992 season, it has remained ever since.
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Bridgestone Riders Make Solid Start at Laguna Seca
19 July 2008
Ducati’s Casey Stoner continued his recent impressive form in today’s opening free practice sessions at the Laguna Seca raceway, lapping under his pole position time from last year by almost half-a-second using Bridgestone race tyres this afternoon. Stoner, winner of the last three races, was quickest in both of today’s sessions by a notable margin, and led a quintet of Bridgestone-shod riders in the morning practice hour. In the afternoon, with track temperatures considerably higher, he set his quickest lap of the day on his final tour of the 3.610km Laguna Seca track.
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West & Hacking Ready For Laguna Showdown
18 July 2008
The US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca will mark the MotoGP debut of AMA Superbike contender Jamie Hacking, who will deputise for the injured John Hopkins aboard Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-RR this weekend. Hacking, who received the call-up to MotoGP during his 37th birthday celebrations two weeks ago, has already impressed aboard the Ninja ZX-RR during a two-day, pre-race test at the Autopolis circuit in Japan, where he broke the lap record. The three-time AMA champion arrives in Laguna determined to match, or even exceed, the performance of his Kawasaki teammate, Roger Lee Hayden, who finished tenth as a wild card rider in this race twelve months ago.
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2008 AMA SBK Parts Unlimited & Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix
17 July 2008
The AMA Superbike Championship presented by Parts Unlimited will contest the first of two rounds to be held this season at the famed Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit in Monterey, Calif. The July stop has also become an annual meeting with the superstars of the MotoGP World Championship, widely considered the pinnacle of global motorcycle road racing. The MotoGP field boasts some of the AMA Superbike Championship's most decorated graduates, led by 2006 World Champion Nicky Hayden, a former AMA Superbike and Supersport champ. Hayden won the U.S. Grand Prix in 2005 and 2006. 1992 AMA 250GP champion Colin Edwards is another top MotoGP competitor with an AMA Superbike pedigree. The Texan has been performing impressively this season, regularly finishing in the top five and occasionally landing on the podium. Unfortunately, former AMA Formula Xtreme and Superstock king John Hopkins will be unable to compete in front of his home fans at Laguna Seca, ruled out by injury.
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Bridgestone MotoGP Briefing - USA
16 July 2008
Fresh from a dominant performance at the Sachsenring in which eight Bridgestone-shod riders secured top ten positions, including the top four, and following a run of three consecutive race wins for Casey Stoner and Ducati, Bridgestone heads to the United States in buoyant mood and ready to face the challenges presented by the famous Laguna Seca Raceway. Laguna Seca made a welcome return to the MotoGP calendar in 2005 and holds its fourth consecutive United States Grand Prix this weekend.
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Toseland Seeks The Sun & Change of Fortune
14 July 2008
British MotoGP star James Toseland returns to one of his favourite circuits looking for a change of fortune and some Californian sunshine at the weekend. The 27 year old Yorkshireman last raced at Laguna Seca in 2004 when he was involved in a tremendous battle for the lead with another MotoGP star Australian Chris Vermeulen in the World Superbike Championship. It’s been a tough last three races for Toseland who finished 11th in the German rain after a wrong tyre choice but he still lies ninth in his debut MotoGP season riding the Tech 3 Yamaha. A good result on Sunday in the 32 lap race to consolidate or even improve that position is his aim before enjoying the long awaited summer break.
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Hopkins Sidelined For Sachsenring & Laguna
08 July 2008
Kawasaki's John Hopkins will sit out the German and US Grand Prix races, after further medical checks revealed the injuries he sustained in a high-speed qualifying crash at Assen would r equire corrective surgery before he can return to action.Hopkins crashed at 230km/h towards the end of qualifying for the Dutch TT, after losing the front of his Ninja ZX-RR at Ramshoek corner, the ultra-fast left-hander just before the final chicane. The Kawasaki pilot slid across the track and through the gravel trap before colliding feet first with the tyre wall on the outside of the turn. X-rays of his injured left leg at the circuit medical centre revealed that Hopkins had sustained a fracture to the bottom of his tibia and that he had reopened a previous fracture, the result of a crash earlier in his racing career. The x-rays also showed a fracture to the lateral malleolus, which is one of the bones at the top of the ankle.
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Kawasaki MotoGP Clothing available now
07 July 2008
The 2008 racing season is one of the most exciting in recent years and Kawasaki dealers now have a great range of MotoGP inspired clothing and merchandise to offer. This year’s collection includes popular items such as unisex paddock jackets, lightweight hooded jackets, sweatshirts and T-shirts.
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