Kawasaki Announces 2007 Roadracing Team

[BornSinner]

Date: 11/1/2006

KAWASAKI ANNOUNCES 2007 ROADRACING TEAM

Featuring an awesome mix of talent and technology, the Kawasaki Roadracing Team enters 2007 with its sights aimed firmly at the top of the podium. Roger Hayden returns stronger and faster than ever, doing battle in AMA Superbike and Supersport alongside his new teammate Jamie Hacking.

Campaigning the mighty Ninja® ZX™-10R Superbike and the all-new Ninja ZX-6R Supersport machine throughout the 2007 AMA roadracing season, the Kawasaki Racing Team is poised to regain the AMA Supersport title and storm to the front in Superbike competition.

KawasakiÂ’s roadracing efforts are strengthened with the addition of reigning AMA Supersport and Superstock Champion Jamie Hacking, following his fantastic 2006 racing season. The transplanted Englishman, who now lives in Denver, N.C., is a fierce competitor with three AMA Pro Racing championships to his credit, winning the 2003 AMA Supersport Championship in addition to his 2006 titles.

In 2007, Hacking will defend his Supersport title on the Ninja ZX-6R and make his much-anticipated return to AMA Superbike competition aboard the factory ZX-10R.

HackingÂ’s toughest 2006 Supersport competition came from the Kawasaki of Roger Hayden and the new teammates look forward to continuing their Supersport rivalry into next season.

Roger Hayden, 23, from Owensboro, Ky., may be the youngest of the famous Hayden brothers, but heÂ’s always been a tough competitor. He began 2006 with dominating performances in the AMA Supersport class, winning the season opener at Daytona, then following it up with a win at Barber Motorsports Park. An injury forced him to miss the next round, dropping him out of the title chase. Once fully-recovered, Hayden continued his winning ways with podium finishes at Miller Motorsports Park, Laguna Seca and Mid Ohio I. Roger won the Supersport season finale at Mid Ohio II and looks forward to carrying that momentum into his 2007 Supersport title run.

Hayden showed great speed during his first few rides on the factory ZX-10R Superbike, before injury forced him to miss several Superbike events. Even with those challenges, his speed and talent were enough to secure 2006 AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year honors. Hayden expects to take the next step in 2007, as he returns to the

ZX-10R for a full season.

Kawasaki Roadracing Team Manager Mike Preston is looking forward to an exciting year in 2007. “With the two hottest riders and an all-new 600, weÂ’re looking for great things in AMA Supersport,†said Preston. “Roger also showed good speed this year during his Superbike debut and looked set to walk-off with the Supersport Championship, before injuries sidelined his championship run. As for Jamie Hacking, itÂ’s a well-known fact that he has both the drive and the experience to mount a strong defense of his 2006 Supersport title and we expect him to be very quick on the Superbike as well.Ââ€Â

Kawasaki is aiming for new heights in 2007 with an all new 600, a well-developed 1000 and two of the best riders in AMA competition.

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and distributes Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, personal watercraft and utility vehicles through a network of more than 1,500 independent retailers, with an additional 7,700 retailers specializing in power products and general purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 2,400 people in the United States, with 400 of them located at the Irvine, California headquarters.

KawasakiÂ’s tagline, “Let the good times roll.™Ââ€Â, is recognized worldwide and the brand has become synonymous with powerful, stylish motorcycles for over four decades. Information about KawasakiÂ’s complete line of recreational products and Kawasaki affiliates can be found on the Internet at www.kawasaki.com.

[ProudPops]

Here's Suzuki's Statement;

The following is from Suzuki...

Just a few short months after winning the 2006 AMA Superbike Championship, Yoshimura Suzuki is already preparing for the upcoming 2007 road race season. The teamÂ’s talented lineup for next year includes the return of both the reigning 2006 AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies as well as six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin. Joining Spies and Mladin for the 2007 season is newly signed Tommy Hayden.

The new Yoshimura Suzuki trio rode together for the first time at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 1. This was their first outing on the brand-new 2007 Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike. The goal was to prepare for the more formal test in Malaysia later this month, according to Team Manager Don Sakakura.

“We didnÂ’t have much in the way of testing components on Wednesday,†said Sakakura. “Those will arrive for the Malaysia test on Nov. 15 -17. This was more of a ‘Superbike shakedown.Â’ Obviously, Tommy Hayden is the newest member of our team and we wanted to get him on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 for a few laps. This was the first time for Tommy and our staff to work together and we wanted to get him as comfortable as possible on the bike as quickly as possible.Ââ€Â

Suzuki signed Hayden, 28, to race the GSX-R1000 in the premier Superbike class and the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R600 in the Supersport class for the next two years. Kentucky native Hayden is a two-time AMA Supersport Champion, having won the prestigious title in both 2005 and 2004.

“The Willow test was a lot different for me because IÂ’ve been riding another bike for a long time,†said Hayden about his first ride on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 Superbike. “It was real exciting, just trying to take it all in. I was real happy and everybody on the team was great. TheyÂ’re really knowledgeable and I feel like we accomplished what we set out to accomplish. This was my first opportunity to work with my crew chief, Katsu Yanagawa, and I just tried to learn from him as much as I could. WeÂ’re taking things slow, trying to get our communication down so he understands what IÂ’m looking for and I understand what kind of procedures he likes to do in testing. It was a good day.Ââ€Â

Newly crowned AMA Superbike Champion Spies, 22, also put in some laps at the Willow Springs shakedown and is optimistic about the 2007 season. Spies will defend his AMA Superbike Championship and will also race in the AMA Superstock class next year.

“It was good to get back out on the Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 after a few weeks off,†said 22-year-old Spies. “We didnÂ’t do a whole lot of laps, more like we were just getting familiar with the new 2007 bike. But it looks like weÂ’ll have another great motorcycle to race this year.Ââ€Â

Australian Mladin echoed SpiesÂ’ sentiments. “The shakedown of the new Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000 was awesome,†said 34-year-old Mladin, who will again race the Superbike class only. “We did a few laps at Willow Springs that were surprisingly good. It looks like Suzuki has delivered another great motorbike that makes even more horsepower than last yearÂ’s bike.Ââ€Â