After Kawasaki Test At Sears, Riders Talk About Safety Improvements

After Kawasaki Test At Sears, Riders Talk About Safety Improvements

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From a press release issued by Infineon Raceway:

Kawasaki Riders Give Safety Improvements at Infineon Raceway Thumbs Up

SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) — A trio of Kawasaki riders was finally able to tackle the road course at Infineon Raceway on Thursday for a test session, and all came away with high marks regarding increased safety measures taken by raceway officials in the off-season.

Tommy Hayden, Roger Hayden and Tracy’s Tony Meiring arrived at Infineon Raceway on Wednesday for what was scheduled as a two-day test session in advance of the Kawasaki AMA Superbike Showdown, presented by Cycle Gear, featuring the Supercuts Superbike Challenge, April 30-May 2. But rain forced Wednesday’s cancellation, and riders were unable to get on the track until 1:30 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday.

Once allowed on track, riders were pleased with the improvements. More than 120 feet of runoff has been added at Turn 1, while 80 feet has been added at Turn 6 (Carousel). The track has also been completely repaved, and more than 3,000 feet of French Edge Drains were installed to keep water from draining under the track surface — the raceway is just 15 feet above sea level. Curbing was also added at Turns 2, 6, 8 and 10.

“Turn 1 is definitely the biggest improvement,” said Tommy Hayden. “I was a little worried that with the new pavement the speeds would be up a lot, but they weren’t, at least not today. This surface is way better than before.”

“It’s much safer going into Turn 1,”said Meiring, who rides for Attack Kawasaki. “You used to be worried going into Turn 1 but that’s not the case now. You can make a mistake but the turn is forgiving.”

Tommy Hayden and Meiring also said the new, smooth surface will also produce more passing lines.

“You’re going to be able to pass in a lot of places,” Meiring said. “This race in May is going to be a lot more fun for both the riders and the fans. There’s going to be a lot of passing and a lot of close racing.”

“For sure there’s going to be more passing in the Carousel,” Tommy Hayden said. “It’s great to not feel the bumps in the track anymore.”

The riders only had three hours of testing and primarily worked on race setup for the upcoming event, April 30-May 2. Kawasaki will return to Infineon Raceway on March 15-16 for another test session, along with Yamaha.

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