Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s World Supersport riders, Andrew Pitt and Kenan Sofuoglu, head to Kyalami in South Africa this weekend (15-17 May) for round six of the 2009 series seeking a return to the podium. Sofuoglu won the opening race at Phillip Island in Australia and was third at Valencia in Spain, while Pitt has enjoyed two second place finishes in the five rounds to date. But, although the CBR600RR mounted pair hold third and fourth places respectively in the series, they are both seeking a return to form this weekend. The team tested on the 2008 CBR at Kyalami last December and hopes are that the data gathered will translate easily into the 2009 version that has been used since the third round at Valencia. Andrew Pitt Fifth place was not where we really wanted to be at Monza after a couple of difficult races, but I felt the bike was pretty good there, especially at the start of the race. Now we need to take the good things from that and work them into a good setting for Kyalami a setting that will make the rear tyre last. It was pretty hot when we tested there in December so I imagine it’s going to be a lot cooler. We also tested with the old bike there but, hopefully, we’ll get a chance to dial the good bits into the new CBR600RR and get it working around Kyalami. It’s pretty bumpy there and rear grip was an issue during the test, so it’s going to be another weekend of hard work, especially if we’re going to start getting the results we need. Kenan Sofuoglu I want to forget about Monza because it was a very disappointing weekend for me. The big crash I had on Saturday was not good for my confidence and the race was very hard for me. When we arrive in South Africa, we will have a long meeting to see where were the problems that we had in Monza. Then we can start working on Friday afternoon to improve everything, especially the handling under braking which was my main problem in Monza. Like I said before, I am lucky to be with a very professional team and I know that we can work together to get a much better result at Kyalami. More, from a press release issued by Parkalgar Honda: Parkalgar Honda on the title chase in South Africa PARKALGAR HONDA competes at the Kyalami circuit in South Africa this weekend with the World Supersport Championship chase firmly on its agenda and to score as many points as possible. The 4.263km circuit is new to the 2009 World Supersport calendar the series having last visited the track in 2002 – and racing starts at 1325CET on Sunday 17th March, with Parkalgar Honda racers Miguel Praia and Eugene Laverty hoping to learn the circuit quickly. The race can be watched live on Eurosport. Eugene: “It is my first time here and I think it should be good. As it is a new circuit for nearly all of the riders we have an extra practice session on Friday which will give us more time to learn the track and find a good setting. Ten Kate Honda is the only team to have tested here, so it is a fairly level playing field for us all. I think Kyalami will suit the Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR; it has a fantastic chassis and will cope well with the long corners where it really excels. I am looking forward to the race and I think we can do well here.” Miguel: “With Kyalami being a new circuit to most of the riders, it will be a good chance for us to show our real potential, everyone will have the same time to learn and adapt to the circuit. After taking 12th at the last round I feel there is momentum behind me now and the top 10 is my next goal.” Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “Eugene is in a clear second place in the Championship and our aim in South Africa is to do all we can to chase down the leader and score as many points as possible. I think Eugene is riding well and after being baulked and finishing fourth last weekend when he clearly had the potential for the podium or winning has simply fired him up and he’ll be at the front this weekend. Miguel is showing good form and getting closer to his target of the top 10. As long as he keeps calm and with a bit of luck he could achieve it at Kyalami.” More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda: Less than a week after his superb double podium finish at Monza, Ten Kate Honda Racing’s Ryuichi Kiyonari is looking for more this weekend in round six of the 2009 World Superbike championship at Kyalami in South Africa. Kiyonari demonstrated in Monza the form that took him to three wins in his rookie WSBK season last year. Despite qualifying in third place on the grid, the affable Japanese rider got a dreadful start in the restarted first race, ending the first lap in 16th position. However, grit and determination took Kiyonari through the field to fifth place. With Ben Spies running out of fuel and Max Biaggi penalised 20 seconds for cutting a chicane, a surprised Kiyonari found himself promoted to third. Race two was more emphatic, however, and the 26-year-old former double British Superbike champion climbed the podium entirely on merit. Running in Ten Kate Honda Racing colours this year, with support from Honda Genuine Accessories, Kiyonari visited Kyalami for the first time with his team during a test last December. He admits that he is not the quickest at learning new circuits and therefore hopes to be well prepared for the World Superbike championship’s return to the 4.26km circuit near Johannesburg after a seven-year absence. Ryuichi Kiyonari I am still very happy from the two visits to the podium at Monza last Sunday and I would like to thank my team again for all the hard work they have done to give me such a good bike to ride. I want more again at Kyalami this week but I know we will all have to work even harder now, especially the rider! I liked the circuit at Kyalami and did many laps when we tested there at the end of last year. I was not as fast as I would like to be but it was good to spend some time getting to know the circuit hopefully this will allow us to concentrate on finding the right setting for this weekend and then I will go fast! More, from a press release issued by Team Sterilgarda: Team Sterilgarda is set for the sixth round of the WSBK, taking place on the Kyalami circuit in South Africa. World Superbikes is back on the African track after several years. In fact, it was back in 2002 that Troy Bayliss won both races at Kyalami. Both technicians and riders are highly motivated and hope to improve the poor performance displayed at Monza. However, finding the right setup is very important as there is very little data that could help the team in the first practice sessions. MARCO BORCIANI – team manager: “I’m sure our performance at Monza doesn’t reflect our potential. We’ll race on a circuit that I know very well from the times I used to race in the WSBK and I’m confident “Shakey” can replicate the results of this season’s early rounds. Moreover, I think we know now what was the cause of Byrne’s performance at Monza. We’ll obviously find out more during the first two practice sessions on Friday”.