From a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

NAKANO AND HOFMANN ALL SET FOR CATALUNYA WEEKEND

Fuchs Kawasaki rider Shinya Nakano intends to ride in this weekend’s Catalunya Grand Prix, less than a week after his massive 300 kph crash at Mugello.

As a follow-up to Nakano’s Mugello crash, Kawasaki’s MotoGP tyre partner, Bridgestone, has made a fast response to the tyre problems experienced in the Italian race. Working 24 hours a day, the Bridgestone factory in Japan has produced a revised specification tyre for Barcelona, with initial supplies already at the track and further tyres arriving by air-freight over the weekend.

Apart from a slightly bruised back Nakano is fit and eager to join teammate Alex Hofmann aboard their Ninja ZX-RR machines for the fifth round of the 2004 MotoGP World Championship.

The 26-year-old Japanese rider has quickly put aside the dramas of the high-speed crash that brought an early end to his Italian Grand Prix outing last Sunday. After being cleared by x-rays of any serious injuries, and following just a couple of days rest in Barcelona, Nakano was back into training mid-week.

For Nakano the Catalunya GP is like a second “home race” as he lives near the Olympic Port area of Barcelona during the European season.

Meanwhile Hofmann is also approaching this weekend in a positive mood, after picking up valuable points with a gritty ride in the rain interrupted Italian GP last Sunday.

Hofmann also loves racing in warm and sunny Spain. He made his premier class debut at this track in 2002, riding a factory Yamaha 500 as a replacement for the injured Garry McCoy.

After a day sightseeing in Florence after the Italian GP, Hofmann drove his motorhome to Spain stopping for a day at the beach on the Costa Brava just north of the circuit.

The 4.7km track is one of the fastest on the GP calendar. The main straight is just over one kilometre in length, with a fast flowing sequence of corners through the stadium section rewarding smooth riding. A 500 metre section of the straight, from the starting grid to the main scoreboard, has been resurfaced with new asphalt for this year.

The almost religious fervour of Spanish fans has led to predictions of a 100,000 plus attendance for the race on Sunday.

Shinya Nakano: No.56
“The Barcelona track is one of my favourites and I really enjoy racing here, especially as I can stay in my apartment at Diagonal Mar. I’m feeling fine and even though the Mugello crash was really fast I understand what happened there. Although it’s not easy to put everything aside mentally I’m ready to concentrate on riding here; this is my job. I remember the crash, it was instant with no time to control it, and my main thought was to not hit the concrete wall at Mugello, and the relief that my body was okay.”

Alex Hofmann: No.66
“This is my style of track and I really enjoy it. The fast section from turn two and through turn three is a lot of fun; it’s long and fast and you can really slide the bike as the corner opens up. The two fast corners before the main straight also suit my style. Since Formula One started using the track a lot it has become a little bumpy, but it’s not that a big a problem, it’s manageable. I got some points in Mugello and, hopefully, that will prove to be a turning point for me this season.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“Along with my technical staff and riders I met with Bridgestone today and we are all very impressed with the effort they have made in the four days since Mugello. I was surprised they could achieve so much in such a short time, but they have explained things in detail, and they feel they understand the problem and have found a safe solution. I’m confident that Bridgestone have done a good job. Most importantly, our riders Shinya and Alex can now concentrate on their riding this weekend.”