From a press release issued by Eckl Kawasaki:

GARRY MCCOY: READY TO ATTACK

Kawasaki Racing Team has an optimistic outlook on the MotoGP season 2003. At the official pre-race press conference for the season-opening Japanese Grand Prix in a Tokyo hotel, Garry McCoy was enthusiastic about the technical progress on his Fuchs Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR.

“When I first tested the bike, I immediately noticed how powerful the engine was, but there were some problems on the chassis side to address. Thanks to the efforts of the team and the engineers in Japan, we made significant improvements over the last months. I have no doubt that it won’t take us long to be very competitive,” said the Australian ‘King of Slide.’

Kawasaki test rider Akira Yanagawa, who will take part at the Suzuka Grand Prix with a wild card entry, was also delighted with the recent modifications on the bike, including a smooth and elegant looking re-design of the fairing and the seat.

From Tokyo, McCoy and Yanagawa will travel to Jerez/Spain, where they will meet McCoy’s Australian team-mate Andrew Pitt and German test rider Alex Hofmann for the official IRTA test session on February 21/22/23.