- Offizieller Beitrag
HONDA RACING INFORMATION
ZitatAlles anzeigen2014 FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 09, LAGUNA SECA, USA
SUNDAY, 13 JULY 2014
PREVIEW
QUICK TURNAROUND FOR MOTIVATED HONDA DUO
With the ninth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship taking place only one week after the previous race, but on a different continent, it will be a busy few days for Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team).
Racing at Laguna Seca in the USA will be an all-new challenge for the otherwise highly experienced Rea, as he was unable to ride there last year due to a leg fracture. The rider from Northern Ireland approaches the circuit full of ambition after securing his fourth race win of the season, at the previous round in Portugal just a few days ago.
Rea, who led the championship for a time earlier in the year, is in fourth place overall, but only six points from the second place rider with a scheduled five rounds to go, including the forthcoming Laguna contests.
For Haslam Laguna is a known quantity and his knowledge came while riding the 2013 version of his current Honda last season. Leon will be heading to the USA looking to secure his best individual race finishes of a sometimes frustrating year so far. He is tenth in the current points rankings, but only six points from the eighth placed rider.
Engine and chassis updates to his machine at the previous round saw Haslam running at a competitive pace at some points over race weekend in Portugal and he will be keen to score his first podiums of the year this weekend.
Both races will be run on the traditional Sunday this year, after one was held on Saturday and one on Sunday at Laguna Seca in 2013.
After the American race weekend there will be a long summer break in the SBK calendar, with competitive action not recommencing until early September, with raceday on Sunday 7th at Jerez de la Frontera in Spain.
HONDA RIDER COMMENTS:
Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) "I am excited about going to America because the track looks pretty sweet. Unfortunately I missed the race last year due to injury but it is a kind of a British-style track that I grew up on. Of course, we're going there on the back of a win at Portimao which was really good for the morale of the team and it's important that we try to carry that momentum into the summer break which comes after this weekend."
Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) "I enjoyed riding at Laguna last year and, although the race results weren't so great, we did have one session when everything worked and came together OK in which we were quite competitive. I was happy with the progress that we made with different engine specification and chassis settings over the weekend in Portimao and I think that, when it's dialled in, the CBR will really suit the special characteristics of Laguna Seca. So I'm looking forward to the weekend and to continuing the progress we've made."