From a press release issue by Fuchs Kawasaki:
WORLD SUPERBIKE & SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIPS
ROUND 8 – MISANO, SAN MARINO
18 JUNE 2002 – EVENT PREVIEW
IZUTSU RETURNS TO THE FRAY AT MISANO
After an enforced eight week lay off through injury, Hitoyasu Izutsu will make his return to the World Superbike Championship aboard the Fuchs Kawasaki ZX-7RR at Misano this weekend. The former Japanese Superbike Champion, who sustained a badly fractured wrist in a qualifying crash at the Sugo round of the championship back in April, tested in Japan last week before declaring himself fit to compete at Misano.
‘I’m looking forward to getting back on the bike and racing again at Misano,’ said Izutsu. ‘It’s been a long, hard two months, but everything felt fine during last week’s test and I’m in pretty good shape for the weekend ahead. Of course, racing is completely different to testing but I’ll be pushing just as hard at Misano as I was in the opening three rounds of the series.’
With Izutsu sidelined through injury Chris Walker has been the main four-cylinder threat to the V-twins over the last four rounds. Walker is currently the highest placed four-cylinder rider in the championship; a position he is determined to maintain at Misano.
‘Misano is a pretty popular test track with all the teams, so I guess everyone is going to be on the pace from the word go this weekend,’ said Walker. ‘The bike seemed to go pretty well when we tested here, but the most important thing was that the test gave me a chance to learn my way around the circuit. I’ve had to learn too many tracks during free practice sessions this year, so it will be good to race at one of the few circuits I’m familiar with this weekend. The fact that Izutsu is back from injury is also a bonus, although if he thinks I’m going to relinquish my position as the top four-cylinder rider without a fight, then he’s in for a shock…’
Having put his World Supersport Championship campaign back on track with a hard fought second place at Lausitz, Andrew Pitt is determined to retake the lead in the championship standings this weekend. The sweltering conditions normally experienced at Misano may cause problems for others, but a rigorous training schedule in Italy, carried out during the hottest part of the day, has left the Australian feeling confident about the weekend ahead.
‘It’s going to be hot and it’s going to be hard this weekend; which suits me just fine,’ declared Pitt. ‘It was hot in Australia and South Africa and I won both those races, so the conditions we normally experience at Misano shouldn’t pose any real problems for me; although I expect a couple of the other riders may struggle with the heat. If I’m to regain the lead in the championship standings then I need nothing less than a race win this weekend, and that’s exactly what I’ll be aiming for.’
Pitt’s Fuchs Kawasaki team-mate, James Ellison, is also looking forward to this weekend’s Misano round, but for very different reasons.
‘It’s been a bit of a nightmare recently, but I’m confident that I can turn things around this weekend’ said Ellison. ‘We’ve seen improvements both in the bike and my times during practice and qualifying at each of the last three rounds, only to suffer some real bad luck in the actual races. The team have worked real hard getting the bike set up how I want it and I need to repay all their hard work with a good result at Misano. I like the track and I’ve always gone well here in the past, so I’ll be bitterly disappointed if I leave here on Sunday without a top ten finish under my belt.’
Izutsu Will Be Back On Kawasaki At Misano
Izutsu Will Be Back On Kawasaki At Misano
© 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.
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