Fujiwara Fights Hard In His Farewell Ride

2010-10-03 16:18
Katsuaki Fujiwara took his Kawasaki Provec Motocard.com Ninja ZX-6R to a top six finish in his last regular ride for the team, scoring good points and ending the year in tenth place in the points.

Today Fujiwara was in third position for much of the race, only losing ground in the last three laps as his grip levels dropped off. His top ten ranking at the end of the year was an aim at the outset, but Fujiwara also carried through his intention to enjoy his last race for the team in the best way possible, by battling hard throughout.

His team-mate Broc Parkes was unlucky in the race as his machine started to lose power and he had to pull in, having looked good for a top three finish early in the race. Parkes ended his season in the top 15, having only raced in three rounds, and scoring heavily in two.

Despite missing the past three rounds, and continuing his steady recovery from injuries sustained at Silverstone, Joan Lascorz ended his season in third place overall.

At his home race Fabien Foret, from the Kawasaki Lorenzini by Leoni team, was a non-finisher, being forced out by a technical issue on lap seven.

Katsuaki Fujiwara: “I was really trying hard in my last race, all the way. I was pushing the front and rear at the end, sliding in the last five laps. I was just trying to stay in control and ride at the maximum towards the end. Despite this I enjoyed it, and it was good to be fighting for the top five places again, and our lap times were not so bad.”

Broc Parkes: “I do not know exactly what was wrong but I started to feel some problems in the first laps. It was something minor anyway, but it was just slowing down. I was really feeling good on the bike before that, so I started turning off traction control and other electronics, but it just got worse and worse then I can to come in. Minimum could have been a podium today, so it was frustrating, but we had good pace and we had definitely found a good race set-up.”

Source: Kawasaki Racing Team

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