Yamaha Factory Racing Team’s Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Alex Lowes are both all geared up for the Suzuka 8 Hours next month.
Photo credits: Yamaha Racing
The second day of the combined test at Suzuka Circuit proved fruitful for the Yamaha Factory Racing Team as both Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Alex Lowes managed to produce sterling performances. The two carried out the testing programme with precision and focus. In the morning, Nakasuga set the record of 2’06.416 lap time whereas Lowes finished his run in 2’06s. During the afternoon, Nakasuga encountered a light fall in the Hitachi Automotive Systems Chicane. Despite that, he was uninjured and there was barely any damage to the bike. Lowes then outdid himself by almost a second with a 2’06.475 lap time for third overall. The Yamaha Factory Racing Team is all set for a fifth consecutive 8 Hours victory.
The next test will be held from July 9 to 11, where Nakasuga will take charge of setup duties. The main race will commence on July 25.
Katsuyuki Nakasuga (Yamaha Factory Racing Team)- As It Happened
Photo credits: Yamaha Racing
“We tried out some new parts and the bike felt better every time we went out. Alex tried out the bike too to confirm the settings and had a good impression as well. I had a small crash, but it didn’t cause any issues whatsoever and the R1’s setup is progressing nicely. Our rivals are also setting some fast times, but we’re not at all falling behind. I think this was an extremely productive two-day test; my relationship with the team and my teammates is top notch,” says Nakasuga as quoted from Yamaha Racing.
Photo credits: Yamaha Racing
“At the next test it’ll be just me riding, and we’ll be working on making minor adjustments to finalise the R1 so me and my teammates can ride at our very best. It sounds like Michael is making a steady recovery, but we still don’t know what the situation will be. So I’ll simply do my best and be prepared to respond to whatever situation might arise.”
Alex Lowes (Yamaha Factory Racing Team)- As It Happened
Photo credits: Yamaha Racing
“Today Nakasuga-san and I tried some different settings and we both found a really good feeling. For me, even though it’s still an R1, it’s quite different to the one I ride in World Superbike so it’s really important to get a lot of laps in. We made a lot of progress at this test with our tyre choice and with the pit stop practice. So now I’m headed straight back to the U.K. for a promotional event and then to Donington for the next Superbike race. Then we’ve got the race at Laguna Seca in the U.S. and then we’ll be back here for the 8 Hours. It’s a pretty hard schedule, but I’m planning to take it easy for a few days in the U.S.
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