SECOND ROW FOR SUPER SHINYA AT CATALUNYA
17 June 2006 - Kawasaki Racing

Kawasaki''s Shinya Nakano put in a strong performance aboard his Ninja ZX-RR during this afternoon''s qualifying session in Spain, to secure fifth position on the grid for tomorrow''s Grand Prix of Catalunya.

The 28-year-old Kawasaki rider struggled yesterday with a lack of stability under braking, leaving him down in 13th place on the timesheet, but bounced back strongly today after changes made to his Ninja ZX-RR overnight.

Nakano was first to stake his claim for pole position this afternoon, grabbing the top spot just minutes into the qualifying session. The Kawasaki rider remained in the top five for the next 30 minutes, before once again stealing provisional pole with another flying lap on race tyres.

At the end of the qualifying session Nakano posted the fifth fastest time to secure a place on the second row for tomorrow''s race, and the Kawasaki rider is confident that his performance today on race tyres means that a good result is a distinct possibility in tomorrow''s 25-lap Grand Prix of Catalunya.

Nakano''s Kawasaki teammate, Randy de Puniet, also ran top five on race tyres for much of this afternoon''s hour-long qualifying session, but was forced to settle for tenth position, and the fourth row, on tomorrow''s grid after suffering with brake problems on his final flying lap.

Although disappointed not to be starting closer to the front of the grid, the 25-year-old Frenchman remains confident that a good result in the race is possible, especially if the conditions experienced during qualifying today continue into tomorrow.

Shinya Nakano: 5th - 1''42.216
''Conditions were hard this afternoon. The temperature is a lot higher than yesterday, which meant there was less grip, but the bike was working well. We made some changes to the suspension settings today, to find a better balance with the bike, and we also made some changes to the gear ratios to better suit this circuit and to take advantage of the additional revs we have available from the engine. Only small changes, but they have had a positive effect, with the result that we were running top five on race tyres for much of the qualifying session, with very consistent lap times. This, more than our final qualifying position, is a good indication of our potential for tomorrow''s race. Anyway, fifth position on the grid is not so bad and, after the two sessions today, I''m more confident going into the race tomorrow.''

Randy de Puniet: 10th - 1''42.620
''I''m a little disappointed with my final qualifying position; I had some brake problems as I came round to start my final flying lap and this meant that I wasn''t able to make use of my last qualifying tyre. It''s a shame, as I am confident I could have improved my grid position by at least one row. On a more positive note, we made some small changes to the bike that have definitely made it easier to ride; today I could open the throttle earlier without the rear spinning up straight away. This afternoon, on race tyres I did two good runs on the bike to go top five on the timesheet, so we know that, if the conditions for tomorrow''s race are similar, we will be competitive. So, overall, I''m happy with the progress we''ve made today and I''m looking forward to the race tomorrow.''

Naoya Kaneko: Technical Manager
''Between the morning and afternoon sessions we made some changes to both bikes to improve stability on corner entry without compromising agility in the turns, with positive results. We then focussed on identifying a suitable race tyre for tomorrow and then refining the set-up of the bikes to suit better the specific characteristics of the tyre we feel offers the most potential. If both riders make a good start tomorrow, then I think it''s possible for us to leave here, and head to the next round at Assen, with two good results behind us.''

QUALIFYING PRACTICE - FINAL TIMES
1. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Camel Yamaha Team 1''41.855; 2. John Hopkins (USA) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.129; 3. Kenny Roberts (USA) Team Roberts +0.200; 4. Chris Vermeulen (AUS) Team Suzuki MotoGP +0.356; 5. Shinya Nakano (JPN) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.361; 6. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati Marlboro Team +0.392; 7. Nicky Hayden (USA) Repsol Honda Team +0.450; 8. Casey Stoner (AUS) LCR Honda +0.489; 9. Marco Melandri (ITA) Fortuna Honda +0.637; 10. Randy de Puniet (FRA) Kawasaki Racing Team +0.765

www.kawasaki-eckl.com

More News
  For June 2006
  From Kawasaki Racing
  For Moto GP
  Biker247.com Home Page