AMERICAN ADVENTURE AHEAD FOR KAWASAKI After ripping up Hollywood Boulevard on a Ninja ZX-10R during a Dorna Pre-Event promotional appearance on Tuesday, Shinya Nakano, together with Kawasaki teammate Randy de Puniet, heads for Laguna Seca and this weekend’s round eleven of the MotoGP World Championship. For Nakano this will be the second time he’s raced at the Laguna Seca circuit, having taken a hard fought ninth place in US Grand Prix last season, but for de Puniet this will be his first time on the track, and his first encounter with the infamous Laguna Seca Corkscrew. The 25-year-old Frenchman took the opportunity to run the Laguna Seca track on Wednesday afternoon, declaring it not dissimilar in layout to the Lédenon circuit in Southern France, where he has been fast in the past. Although certain the track will look very different from the saddle of his Ninja ZX-RR when opening practice gets underway on Friday, already de Puniet is confident that the mainly fast and flowing Laguna Seca circuit will suit his aggressive riding style. While his Kawasaki teammate is busy learning his way around the Laguna Seca circuit during practice and qualifying, Shinya Nakano will focus on improving his lines through the sections of track where he lost time during last year’s race. The 28-year-old Japanese rider knows that there are places on the track where the American riders – through familiarity with the circuit – are faster, and Nakano is determined to find these elusive ‘fast lines’ ahead of Sunday’s 32-lap MotoGP race. While the Laguna Seca circuit has been resurfaced over the winter, and the approach to the Corkscrew has been modified, the track still demands that a bike be set-up to steer quickly, but to remain stable under heavy braking for the two slowest corners on the track; the 60 km/h last turn and the infamous Corkscrew. Shinya Nakano: #56 “Last year I managed to find the fast line through some of the turns here, but there was still something missing and that’s what I need to focus on this time around. Maybe the best idea will be to follow one of the American riders around for a while during practice, as they have a good understanding of the secret to a fast lap time at this circuit. Having said that, based on our first race here 12 months ago, I think we have a good chance here, as Laguna is not really a power circuit, although it is important to carry speed through most of the corners. Overall I think the circuit will suit the characteristics of our Ninja ZX-RR, and I’m definitely looking for a good result this weekend to take me into the summer break.” Randy de Puniet: #17 “Obviously I haven’t ridden the track yet, as the 250cc class don’t race here at Laguna, but from running the circuit this afternoon, I think the layout will suit my riding style. In style the Laguna Seca track is not so different to the Lédenon circuit in the South of France, where I had some successful races when I was contesting the French National Championship some years ago, and I hope I can do the same this weekend. It’s difficult to predict how the track will feel on our Ninja ZX-RR from just running the circuit, but we’ll find out soon enough when practice starts on Friday. I am particularly looking forward to riding the Corkscrew here; it looks like a very strange corner even when you’re running through it, so it will be interesting to see what it’s like on the bike. We have four hours of track time for me to learn my way around the circuit, and I hope we can leave here on Sunday for the summer break with a good result behind us.”