For more than a decade Joe Lombardo has been a valued wrench on several top level Superbike and Daytona-winning machines, most recently with the Attack Kawasaki squad. In a distinct departure, Lombardo is trading in the vagabond life of countless flights, knowing the Outback menu by heart and taking home all the Days Inn “soap” you’ll ever want, for one where the only reason he’ll need to get up early on a Sunday is to check the results from the Phillip Island WSBK event. Lombardo has decided to take a job at Kawasaki corporate. In an e-mail sent last night, Lombardo wrote: “I’d like to thank all the riders and crews I have worked with during my 13 year stint. “Special thanks to: Al Ludington, Merlyn Plumlee, Tom Jobe, Gary Mathers, Dan Fahie, Mike Preston, Mike Watt, John Hilton. These guys were most instrumental in getting me pointed in the right direction. “Miguel Duhamel, 1995 to 1999, Eric Bostrom, 1998 to 2001, Tommy Hayden, 2002 to 2006. These guys made me look good. “And of course, all the guys that worked with me. They know who they are and they know how much I appreciate their hard work. And in the end, thanks to Richard Stanboli and Ben Attard. We gave em hell!” Lombardo became a factory wrench for Honda after doing an admirable job of tuning John Hilton’s RC30. Hilton played a major roll in getting Lombardo in at Honda.