Kawasaki pleased with Improvement

Kawasaki Racing Team have returned from the Winton Round Two and Three of the Australian Superbike Championship to the Teams base in Sydney and are reflecting on what was a weekend of achieving significantly better results onboard the ZX-10R.

After showing loads of potential all season, Kawasaki Racing Team have enjoyed their first glimpse of success…

Kawasaki Racing Team have returned from Round Two and Three of the Australian Superbike Championship to the Teams base in Sydney and are reflecting on what was a weekend of achieving significantly better results onboard the ZX-10R. After showing loads of potential all season, Kawasaki Racing Team enjoyed their first glimpse of success, as both Shannon Johnson and Wayne Maxwell shied just short of achieving podium finishes, in Race Two of the Australian Superbike Championships on Saturday.

Posting considerably better results in the Superbike Class, both Kawasaki Racing Team factory pilots recorded faster lap times and stronger finishes.The Team were optimistic when both riders took to the track for Qualifying on Friday, but a red flag produced at the end of their first flying lap on qualifying tyres, flawed their efforts.

Both KRT riders were forced to shorten their flying laps on their only qualifier tyres to two individual laps. When the qualifying session recommenced, both riders took to the track and recorded their best times on race tyres.Race One saw both riders start from the second row on the grid, with Maxwell qualifying in sixth and Johnson in seventh.

The KRT pilots showed good consistent form, delivering strong top ten finishes.Johnson and Maxwell didn’t get the best of starts in Race Two, but demonstrated spirited riding by carving their way through the field to come from ninth and tenth position, to finish in fourth and fifth place.

Their results demonstrate that KRT are making good progress with the Superbikes development,as the Team recorded their best results onboard the ZX-10R this season. In Race One on Sunday, Scott Charlton and Shannon Johnson made contact on the opening lap of racing when Scott experienced first turn difficulties. Johnson managed to keep his ZX-10R on two wheels but the race was red flagged forcing riders back to the start line.

From the restart of racing,both riders put in solid racing performances to record sixth and seventh place in Australia’s premiere road race class. Race Two was again an eventful race for Johnson, after a braking duel with a fellow rider saw him take an off track excursion at Turn One. Johnson regained control of his ZX-10R and rejoined the race after Turn Two where he managed to only drop two places.

Regathering his momentum, Johnson set off in pursuit of his competitors to win back a place by the races end. Midway through the race,both KRT riders were the fastest riders on the track, as they were recording the fastest lap times at that stage of the race.After completing 136 racing laps of double duties in both the Superbike and Supersport classes, Maxwell pushed past his fatigue to secure a top ten finish, coming home in eight place.