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Kawasaki Riders To The Fore Again In WorldSPB
The third round of the new FIM Sportbike World Championship took place at the Autodrom Most circuit, and in relatively cool conditions that contrasted sharply with the sometimes overheated pace of the on-track action. Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 636 riders made appearances on each of the two race podiums, and the weekend was topped off with a win for Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI).
There were numerous ups and downs for the Kawasaki contingent at Most, but after the third round and sixth race of the season in this exciting new category, two Ninja ZX-6R 636 riders sit on top of the championship table.
It ended well for many Kawasaki riders on day one at Most. In Superpole Qualifying on Friday, the fastest lap time was set by David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI), in what was a closely contested fight all through the field. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki), who had been fastest in FP1 earlier that day, ended up third after Superpole, and was just 0.147 seconds from Salvador.
Torres put the third Ninja ZX-6R 636 into the Top 5 in Superpole Qualifying, to start Race 1 from the second row of the grid.
A dramatic start to the opening race, scheduled for 12 laps of the 2.6-mile-long Most layout, saw four riders crash at Turn 10, including Jose Osuna (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team Kawasaki). He was unable to continue and went to the medical center for precautionary checks. Osuna was cleared to ride for the second race day on Sunday, May 17.
The usual mix of skill and desperation in the early laps of Race 1 settled into a multi-rider leading group, with four Kawasaki riders, Salvador, Torres, Veneman, and Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki), battling away with riders on three other manufacturers.
As the race headed towards its endpoint, it was looking like a possible Kawasaki podium clean sweep was on the cards. It was not quite to be, as eventual race winner Matteo Vannucci (Aprilia), who had suddenly lost ground, then gained it back just at the right time, holding off Suzuki rider Jeffrey Buis by just 0.059 seconds.
Potential race winner Salvador dropped back on the final lap and, in his eagerness to get back into the podium places, he had a dramatic front and rear slide. Despite this major scare, he kept up his pace and took the podium finish he had fought so hard for.
Torres just missed the podium himself by 0.014 seconds, with MTM riders Veneman and Artigas in fifth and sixth places. Even in sixth place, Artigas was less than a second away from the race winner’s time.
Alvaro Fuertes (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team Kawasaki) scored points for his 12th-place finish, with Julian Correa (Pons Motosport Italika Racing) in 17th place.
In all, three riders did not finish Race 1, but fully 29 intrepid competitors did.
Under the rules that allocate grid positions for Race 2 based on the fastest times set during Race 1, Torres started from third place on Sunday, with Veneman fifth, Salvador sixth, and Artigas eighth.
Race 2 was a much more disturbed battle for many riders than the opener on Saturday. Fully 11 riders would either not be able to start, crash out, or retire before the final lap had been completed. Five riders would fall on the first lap at Turn 1, including Veneman, who suffered a finger abrasion. He was declared fit to ride at the next round even before leaving the circuit.
The second race leading battle hardened into an all-action fight between six riders, with half of them, Torres, Salvador, and Artigas, on Kawasakis.
There was a repeat of the first-ever race win in this new FIM World Championship (at Portimao in March) when Torres won Race 2, by 0.126 seconds, from Bruno Ieraci’s Triumph. Torres thus became the first rider to win two WorldSPB races (with Veneman also having won a race for Kawasaki at Portimao).
Salvador was third again in Race 2, and those points ensured that he would leave Most at the top of the World Championship table.
It was to end up a tough day all around for the highly regarded MTM Kawasaki team, as Artigas was taken out of the race on the last lap, entering Turn 1, when another rider crashed just in front of him. Artigas was checked out in the medical center and declared fit to race at the next round.
Fuertes was to finish eighth in the second race, one place up on his teammate Osuna. Juan Risueno (Pons Motosport Italika Racing) scored points for his 11th place, with Correa 12th.
In the championship standings, Salvador has 101 points, Torres 91, Buis 84, and Vannucci 79. Artigas, despite his bad luck right at the end of the weekend, is sixth with 64 points, and Veneman is eighth, with 51. Fuertes completes the current Top 10, with 25 points.
In the Manufacturers' Points standings, Kawasaki leads Suzuki by 22 points, 124 to 102. Aprilia is third with 81.
The Teams' Championship is headed by Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI, on 192 points, while MTM Kawasaki is ranked third, with 115.
The next round for the WorldSPB championship, Round 4, will take place at Motorland Aragon, from May 29-31
“Not the weekend I was expecting after the test we had here. We were competitive, but we didn’t get what we deserved. In Race 1, I was able to fight in the front and get a good Top 5 very close to the podium, while in Race 2, a stupid move from a rider who is always over the limit put an end to my race in the first corner. It’s a shame, but we still get the positive feeling I have with the bike, and hopefully, we will soon get what we deserve.”
- Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki)
“The weekend was, in general, good because I feel good with the bike, and we made a positive jump in practice and qualifying. In the first race, we struggled for speed at this track, but today we made a jump and we were always in the leading positions. At the end of the race, a rider trying to get a podium tried to overtake me but crashed. We know our level is in the top, and the next race is in Spain, where we aim to get the maximum points in the championship and for the team.”
- Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki)
“In the end, it was a fairly controlled first race, because I didn't want to force the overtaking move on the Aprilia too much. His bike had a lot of speed on the straight, and every time I managed to get past him, he'd catch me very easily. So I tried to stay there, waiting for the right moment at the end of the race, but unfortunately, I made two mistakes. The first was at Turn 5, probably the biggest of the final laps. Then I tried to regain position on Buis, but as I was about to overtake him, I hit a ‘pothole’ and the front locked up. The positive thing is that I managed to save it without crashing. Then, when my teammate passed me, I told myself I had to at least try to bring home the podium. So, in the final sector, I managed to regain the position. It's disappointing because today, there really was a chance to fight for the win until the end. We need to understand exactly what happened, because I probably got a little nervous. But, all things considered, it's okay. In the end, we still managed to get on the podium and bring home important points, so considering how complicated the race got towards the end, I can be satisfied. It was a tough race on Sunday. At the start, I saw a lot of riders crash on the first lap, so I tried to stay calm and manage the situation. Also, I haven't been feeling well physically since last night and again today because I'm battling a virus. Despite this, we managed to finish on the podium, which is still a good result. I thank the team and all the sponsors for their support. I also want to congratulate Antonio, and see you in Aragon.”
- David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI)
“I'm quite happy with the work we did today. We had a small crash in the warm-up, but fortunately without any serious consequences. In the race, I was practically always in the leading group fighting for the podium, and that's definitely a positive thing. In the end, we finished fourth, so it's a bit disappointing because the podium was so close, but overall, the result is still good. We ended the weekend in Most on a high note, taking the win. We're extremely satisfied with the work we did throughout the weekend and the result we achieved.”
- Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI)