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World Superbike
WSBK: Denning On Crescent’s World Superbike Assault
Former Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Team Manager Paul Denning comments on Crescent Suzuki's full-time move to World Superbike racing.
Crescent Racing Suzuki's John Hopkins (Photo: Suzuki Racing)
With the start of the 2012 World Superbike season less than eight weeks away, Team Suzuki Racing caught up with Paul Denning, Team Principal at the Crescent-Yoshimura backed Suzuki World Superbike Team.
The former Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Team Manager has put together a strong two-man team of British Superbike Championship runner-up John Hopkins and Suzuki newcomer Leon Camier in the squad run by long-standing Suzuki BSB Team Manager Jack Valentine.
What are your initial thoughts about the World Superbike Championship and what are your feelings about the level of competition?
Paul Denning: "The series looks very interesting for 2012 and even with Yamaha's withdrawal, the level of manufacturer representation is very positive -- Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki, Ducati, BMW and Aprilia all have strong teams, whether "factory" or privately operated and all have very fast riders. The combination of the Pirelli tires and Superbike specification machine is an "easier" package to access the limits of performance compared to the MotoGP bikes and therefore more riders can battle for the top positions. I say that with complete respect to all the riders in SBK, who fight like animals to win, but the Superbike specification bikes generally permit closer racing and different riders going for the podium week-to-week, which is great for the fans. In Superbike, the rider can still make the difference. That said -- the highest quality riders, bikes and teams are the ones who always end up battling for the title and we hope to be amongst them!"
How much difference is there between your GSX-R1000 in BSB and WSBK?
Paul Denning: "The 2012 GSX-R will look pretty much the same but very few components will be shared -- the whole bike has been seriously updated. Yoshimura is working very hard on the motor and we are sharing a lot of development ideas together; the suspension and brakes are all new, the Motec electronics package is updated and every single detail on the GSX-R is being carefully considered. The Suzuki is a great all-round package -- we have to make sure we allow the riders to use 100% of the bike's abilities by refining the GSX-R to be as good as it can be."
The former Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Team Manager has put together a strong two-man team of British Superbike Championship runner-up John Hopkins and Suzuki newcomer Leon Camier in the squad run by long-standing Suzuki BSB Team Manager Jack Valentine.
What are your initial thoughts about the World Superbike Championship and what are your feelings about the level of competition?
Paul Denning: "The series looks very interesting for 2012 and even with Yamaha's withdrawal, the level of manufacturer representation is very positive -- Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki, Ducati, BMW and Aprilia all have strong teams, whether "factory" or privately operated and all have very fast riders. The combination of the Pirelli tires and Superbike specification machine is an "easier" package to access the limits of performance compared to the MotoGP bikes and therefore more riders can battle for the top positions. I say that with complete respect to all the riders in SBK, who fight like animals to win, but the Superbike specification bikes generally permit closer racing and different riders going for the podium week-to-week, which is great for the fans. In Superbike, the rider can still make the difference. That said -- the highest quality riders, bikes and teams are the ones who always end up battling for the title and we hope to be amongst them!"
How much difference is there between your GSX-R1000 in BSB and WSBK?
Paul Denning: "The 2012 GSX-R will look pretty much the same but very few components will be shared -- the whole bike has been seriously updated. Yoshimura is working very hard on the motor and we are sharing a lot of development ideas together; the suspension and brakes are all new, the Motec electronics package is updated and every single detail on the GSX-R is being carefully considered. The Suzuki is a great all-round package -- we have to make sure we allow the riders to use 100% of the bike's abilities by refining the GSX-R to be as good as it can be."
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