SEASON FINALE LOOMS AT VALENCIA
After the highs and lows of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Randy
de Puniet and Anthony West of the Kawasaki Racing Team will
be heading to Spain this week, for the final round of the
MotoGP World Championship at Valencia.
Sunday's race will mark the end of an era for de Puniet,
who leaves Kawasaki for pastures new in 2008. This year has
seen the 26-year-old develop in to one of the fastest men
on the circuit and his recent results, including a second
place at Motegi, illustrate how far both he and the 800cc
Ninja ZX-RR have progressed throughout the season.
De Puniet has a successful history at the 4km, Ricardo Tormo
track, having won the 250cc World Championship round there
in 2003 and getting a third the following year, adding to
a number of other top ten finishes at the venue. Last year,
on the 990cc ZX-RR, he was not so lucky, crashing out on the
fifth lap, so he'll certainly want to improve on that result.
Judging by his recent performances, the Frenchman will be
able to do just that.
West, looking stronger on the bike at every round, hopes,
this weekend, to at least equal his best MotoGP qualifying
position of fifth at Sepang. An error on the start line in
Malaysia, when he positioned his bike incorrectly on the grid
and received a ride-through penalty, cost him dearly. So the
26-year-old's priority, therefore, is to avoid any more "rookie
mistakes", keep his mind on the job in hand and test
the Ninja to the max around Valencia's technical layout.
And, like all the MotoGP riders, he hopes for a grand finale
to an incredible year, which has seen the 26-year-old Australian
quit the 250cc World Championship, then ride three races (winning
two) in World Supersport, before being offered the opportunity
of a lifetime to join Kawasaki's factory team in MotoGP.
Completed in 1999 and hosting its first premier class race
the same year, Valencia's Ricardo Tormo circuit has three
optional tracks and the Grand Prix one boasts nine left handers
and five rights: most of them pretty tight. With its high
grandstands and amphitheatrical layout, it's a dream for fans
and many thousands flock to the last round of the season to
get a good look at the bikes and riders on their final outing
of the year.
It should prove a great race, despite the championship itself
having been decided at Motegi last month. With the traditional,
and vocal, support of the fans and every rider out to finish
the season on a high, it'll be one to watch.
Randy De Puniet
Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #14
"Valencia is a small track but, even though I usually
prefer the faster circuits, I'm quite fond of it. When I rode
in 250s, I won there and also got a third, so the place has
been good to me! It's difficult to maintain a strong, fast
level there so it's imperative to maintain maximum concentration.
If you can ride without any mistakes, you can do well. I'm
feeling good after the last three races, which gave me two
top six finishes and a podium, so I'm hoping I can get a good
result in Spain, especially as it's the last race of the season
and my last race for Kawasaki. I've been with them for two
years and have many good memories and I'll like to get another
podium before I leave. The bike's working so well now, but
we'll have to see what happens at the weekend."
Anthony West
Kawasaki MotoGP Pilot #13
"The circuit itself is pretty tight, and it's hard to
really open bigger bikes up there, but it's a great challenge.
Some sections involve a lot of hard acceleration and braking,
with lots of tight hairpins that close back up on themselves.
But it's a nice track to ride, you can see the whole of it
from the pits: it's a bit like a go-kart track! Anyway, I
hope to do well there, qualify as well as I did at Sepang
but not make any stupid mistakes this time. I want to get
a good result to round off the season, if I can."
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