Kawasaki MotoGP Team Manager: Two Top Tens Possible In South African GP

Kawasaki MotoGP Team Manager: Two Top Tens Possible In South African GP

© 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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From a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2004
AFRICA’S GRAND PRIX – PHAKISA FREEWAY
15TH APRIL 2004 – EVENT PREVIEW

FUCHS KAWASAKI ALL SET FOR SEASON OPENER

What is surely the most eagerly anticipated MotoGP season in recent years finally gets underway this weekend, at the Phakisa Freeway circuit in South Africa’s Free State Province.

The word ‘Phakisa’ means ‘hurry up’ in Sotho, and that’s exactly what Fuchs Kawasaki riders, Shinya Nakano and Alex Hofmann, will be looking to do on Sunday, after five months of intensive winter testing aboard the latest version of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR.

For Nakano, this weekend will mark his first race appearance as a Kawasaki rider. The 26-year-old Japanese rider likes the high speed but technical Phakisa Freeway circuit, having won a 250cc Grand Prix here and qualified in fifth position for last year’s MotoGP race, and he is looking forward to making his race debut aboard the Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machine.

Nakano’s Fuchs Kawasaki teammate, Alex Hofmann, also makes his debut as a full time Kawasaki Racing Team rider this weekend. The 23-year-old German rider was promoted from test and development rider to a permanent place in the team following a string of impressive wild card rides aboard the Ninja ZX-RR during the 2003 season. Hofmann starts his rookie MotoGP season determined to prove that this promotion was warranted.

Shinya Nakano: No. 56
“Normally the winter months seem to last a long time and I can’t wait to start racing again. But, this season, with a new bike and a new team, I would have preferred to test some more before the first race, especially as the two IRTA tests were disrupted by rain. Having said that, we made a lot of progress with the bike during the overseas tests, where the weather was better, so I think we are in a fairly good position for the first race this weekend. Hopefully, during qualifying, I will be able to show our potential and secure a start position on the first three rows of the grid.”

“For the race I will be concentrating on making it all the way to the chequered flag, scoring as many points as possible and collecting the data that the team need to continue improving the bike. The track here can be very slippery on the first day because of the dust, but overall I like the Phakisa Freeway circuit. It is both fast and technical; a real rider’s track. Having won here on the 250, and qualified fifth on the MotoGP bike last season, I am really looking forward to the weekend ahead.”

Alex Hofmann: No.66
“The progress we’ve made with the new bike during the winter months has been good for my confidence, and it means that I go into my first full season in the MotoGP class with the feeling that we’re well prepared for what lies ahead. I think we’re going to have a lot of fun in this, my rookie year, but I also think my learning curve will be extremely steep. I have had one-off and wild card rides in MotoGP in the past, which has allowed me to show my potential on the big bikes, but it is only this season, as a full time MotoGP rider, that I will have the opportunity to develop as a rider and finally realise this potential. Now, I just can’t wait to get started.”

“I have raced at Phakisa Freeway on a 250cc machine in the past, but Friday’s opening practice session will be the first time I have seen the track from the seat of a MotoGP bike. The circuit is very different to the other tracks we race at over the course of the year, but I don’t think it is too difficult to learn. Like most tracks, finding your way around is not a major problem, but learning the secrets to a fast lap time can take some doing. Overall, I think this circuit will suit our bike quite well.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“Finally, after a successful winter test programme for us, the season gets underway this weekend here in South Africa. As you can imagine, everyone in the team, and everyone involved in the MotoGP project at Kawasaki in Japan, is keen to see how the combination of new bike, new riders and new tyres will perform in a race situation for the first time on Sunday. After our final test at Jerez two weeks ago I am looking forward to this weekend’s race, and also the Jerez race, which is next on the calendar. I think that the work we have done with the chassis, the tyres and the overall handling of the new bike over the winter will stand us in good stead at circuits where outright power is not a major factor. Maybe I am being too optimistic, but I think there is a good chance of both our riders finishing in the top ten here at Welkom. Of course, there are a lot of things that can go wrong between now and the end of the race on Sunday, but that’s what makes racing so interesting.”

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