WATANABE TAKES JAPAN SUPERBIKE LEAD
18 April 2006 - Suzuki Racing

Team Yoshimura Suzuki’s Atsushi Watanabe has taken over the lead in the All Japan Superbike Championship after finishing second at Sunday’s Suzuka second round.

After wet qualifying and morning warm-up, the GSX-R1000 mounted rider took the lead early on followed by team mate Kousuke Akiyoshi, who then moved to the front at the end of the opening lap. But Akiyoshi fell one lap later because of oil on the circuit which caused the race to be red flagged.

On the restart, Watanabe led from reigning champion Shin-ichi Ito (Honda) and Akiyoshi, riding his ‘B’ machine. On the sixth lap, Ito passed Watanabe, who responded immediately by taking back the lead. An exciting battle ensued until Watanabe got caught up with back-markers and lost ground and couldn’t close the gap.

Said Watanabe: “The race was dry whereas we’d practiced and qualified in the wet. I couldn’t keep may pace because I couldn’t find a good set-up for the dry conditions. My Yoshimura GSX-R is very fast bike and my new Bridgestone tyres feel good! In the first race of this season I was third and today second so I hope the next race I will win!”

Results: 1: Shin-ichi Ito(Honda) 2: Atsushi Watanabe (Yoshimura Suzuki) 3: Tatsuya Yamagichi (Honda) 4: Kousuke Akiyoshi (Yoshimura Suzuki) 5: Katsuyuki Nakasuga (Yamaha) 6: Osamu Deguchi (Honda) 7: Chojun Kameya (Honda) 8: Akira Yanagawa (Kawasaki) 9: Yoshiteru Konishi (Honda) 10: Kazuki Tokudome (Honda).

Report and photos: Hiro Nakamura.

www.suzuki-racing.com

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