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HANNspree Ten Kate Honda >> Sofuoglu aims for another victory

June 25 2010

Ten Kate Racing - Nieuwsbrief

Kenan Sofuoglu is seeking to extend his six-point advantage at the top of the World Supersport rankings with another win at this weekend’s (25-27 June) eighth round at Misano in Italy.

The Turkish ace won last time out at Miller Motorsports Park in the USA, his second victory of the season, and it is his 100% record of podium finishes that has put him at the top of the championship standings.

For Michele Pirro, who hails from San Giovanni Rotondo 400km to the south, the Misano race represents his home round, and the 23-year-old is keen to put on a good show for his friends and family by adding to his first World Supersport podium which he secured at Portimao, Portugal in March.

The Hannspree Ten Kate Honda duo tested their CBR600RRs at Assen in the Netherlands last week, focusing predominantly on electronics in their efforts to improve power delivery and traction control.

Kenan Sofuoglu
We tested a few things at Assen last week, especially electronics, and although the conditions were really not very good, I was able to go as quick as my qualifying time from April, which was very fast. The acceleration is strong but the traction control is not quite right, so we will test some more at Imola after the race at Misano. It is very important to try for another win this weekend to keep the momentum in the championship. Even if another podium is a good target, I will try with my team to win the race. The CBR is very strong at the moment – suspension, balance, acceleration, braking – only the traction control needs a bit more testing. But we’ll leave that until after Misano and concentrate everything on a good result there.

Michele Pirro
The test at Assen last week was not so bad and it was good to try out some new things with the suspension and some new electronics. The bike didn’t feel that different because it was already fast at Assen and it was very windy during the test. I think I will certainly feel the difference in Misano, where the conditions will be very different and there will be many other riders on the track. Misano is like my home circuit and I was very happy to get pole position last year. There will be many friends and family supporting me at the weekend and I will try to make it a special one for all of us. Of course, I always try 100% but I am especially looking forward to this race. It has been too long since I was on the podium in Portugal and, although I have been close recently, I hope that the changes to the bike at Misano will help me to fight with the guys at the front.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager
We were definitely pushing all the right buttons during the test at Assen last week and the overall CBR package has certainly improved. I am quite sure, however, that there will be another intense battle between Kenan and his rivals, Eugene Laverty and Joan Lascorz. But my favourite outsider for the weekend is Michele, who rode so well at Misano last year. Hopefully we can help him back to the podium this weekend.

HANNspree Ten Kate Honda is sponsored by Hotbodies Racing and uses our windscreens and bodywork on all of their bikes. Hotbodies Racing specializes in manufacturing high-performance parts for high-performance sportbikes and is the market leader in Windscreens, Undertails, Huggers, Flush-Mount Signals, MGP and Megaphone Exhausts, and full-race Bodywork.  Hotbodies Racing supports the sport with sponsorships around the world, and encourages dealer and distributor inquiries.  For more information visit: www.hotbodiesracing.com