Steve Martin Makes Further Testing Progress at Valencia
Steve Martin and the DFX Honda World Superbike squad made
further testing progress during the last three days at the
team’s second winter test at Valencia.
With the start of the 2007 World Superbike season just six
weeks away, Steve spent the three days concentrating on progressing
the set up of his Honda CBR1000 in order to find his optimum
base setting to take forward into the racing season.
Steve said, “We made good initial progress at our first
test back in November so we didn’t have to start from
scratch this time, which helped us get straight into testing.
“We turned the bike inside out again working on all
areas including evaluation of some new parts such as the front
forks, but also tested different rear suspension links, fork
heights, clutch settings and gearing just to name a few, and
on the final day I was feeling pretty happy with where we
got to and I’m a lot more confident on the bike.”
“Some new parts, including the new 2007 spec rear shock
and the new engine didn’t arrive in time for this test,
but I’ve been assured by Ohlins and the team that these
will be with us in time for the start of the season.”
Despite being a privateer team and therefore unable to benefit
from testing with Pirelli’s latest specification tyres,
Steve was still able to achieve a lap time of 1:36.0, one
second quicker than at the November test, on old specification
tyres and in cold conditions.
“The conditions were really cold and not ideal for
testing, especially for tyres, so to come away with the lap
time that I did after only my second test on the Honda was
encouraging,” continued Steve.
“The team is also gelling together really well and
it was funny to hear my crew chief, Baz, who I’ve worked
with for the last two years, starting to throw in the odd
word of Italian into his English sentences!”
Steve now returns to Australia where he will be concentrating
on fine tuning his fitness in preparation for one further
pre season test at Valencia in February, before the opening
race of the season at Qatar on 24 February.
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