From a press release issued by Parkalgar Honda: Being a team unit is everything I read in the press and hear commentators on TV talking about how Craig’s Parkalgar Honda could be faster. That just infuriates me. To be a contender in any Championship is more than just having a fast bike or a great rider, it is a full team effort. Give me a choice between an extra 2kph or a skilled, motivated team, and I’ll take the team every-time and it is the right choice. To make a successful team you need all the ingredients to be in place, you cannot win if you just have a fast bike or just have the best rider – you need both along with the technicians with the knowledge and experience to make it all happen. Even then if your management structure is not in place bad organisation and tactics can still stop you achieving your potential. I am very proud of the Parkalgar Honda team and the efforts the staff have made to get us to the strong position Craig and Miguel are now in. Borne out of hard work and determination, Parkalgar Honda is utterly focussed on the job in hand and I wouldn’t change a single thing about the team. Whilst some teams were away testing in December we did not even have a workshop until one week before Christmas. From that point my chief technician Mark Woodage and the boys (Mark Beeton, Chris Hunt, Ben Fry and Angus Brooke) worked unbelievably hard to prepare two complete bikes so we could do our one and only shake down pre-season test at Almeria. We were joined there by two more fantastic technicians from Portugal – David Lazzaro and Victor Moreia. The team then came back and in just one week built two more bikes for Craig and Miguel and got some dyno time in before the bikes had to be shipped to Qatar on 11th February. There was a lot of long hours and sacrifice from everyone in the team at that time and it is down to that effort that we started the season with a fighting chance. To arrive in Qatar and for Craig to be in contention for the win was full credit to the Parkalgar Honda team and I can’t thank them enough for their commitment. Miguel also scored points for only the second time in World Supersport at the opening round simply fantastic! We then went onto Philip Island where it all went wrong and Craig and Miguel both left with no points in 16th and 21st respectively. It is hard to understand how we could go from podium to no points in just seven days and the team had to ask itself some hard questions. We all sat down and discussed how to avoid a Phillip Island result again. Of course we know we have to work hard on the machinery but we also looked at every other area for improvement including the riders. Craig has started to train very hard to improve his fitness something he knows is key to success. While the team is working hard to get all it can from the bikes he has been training and cycling to get himself in the best possible condition. That’s what team work is all about, everyone pulling together leaving no stone unturned. We arrived at the Valencia test in good spirits and Craig clicked at a track that had not been good for him in the past. Between the test and the race we worked again with our engine development man Chris Mehew and Mark Woodage then built two new engines for Craig and Miguel. This gave us a step forward and Craig got his reward with another podium finish third. Miguel also scored again at Valencia so that’s good news for both sides of the garage. That said we are all now focussed on Assen and with Craig only six points off second place and 22 behind the title leader Lascorz who has already had his home round, our championship is on track. Craig has three home rounds to go two in Britain and one in Portugal and the home of our team owner, Parkalgar. On top of that, we will use the British Supersport round at Donington as practice for the World Championship race there in August. We are doing all we can to give Craig and Miguel the best chance of success. Before Assen we are working on further engine development and I am confident we will arrive there with an improved package and it’s all down to teamwork, from the riders to the technicians, we are all trying and that is what will underpin our Championship challenge. Cheers Simon