FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chip
Spalding, Team Manager
KWS
Motorsports
4657
Franchise Street
North
Charleston, SC 29418
Phone:
1-877-RACE-KWS
Millennium/KWS Suzuki has solid weekend at Barber Motorsports Park
Leeds, AL Ð April 2007 -- Millennium/KWS Suzuki sponsored by Ron Ayers Motorsports
had a very promising weekend at Barber Motorsports Park on their new 2007 Suzuki
GSX-R1000Õs. This weekend was the first opportunity the team has had to run
their new bikes and without the benefit of testing time that the bigger teams
enjoy, Millennium/KWS Suzuki was forced to sort the new bike at the race track.
Despite the lack of set up time both riders turned their fastest times ever
at Barber Motorsports Park on Superstock- spec bikes thanks in part to the
tireless work from Tim Godshall at Penske suspension and the amazing performance
of the Dunlop tires.
The Superstock class is the focus of Millennium/KWS Suzuki and John Haner was
able to qualify in the eighth position with a time of 1:27.495. Teammate David
Weber was able to qualify right behind Haner in the twelfth position with a
time of 1:29.254. In Superbike qualifying Haner was able to better his time,
but not his position because he was on Superstock equipment in a Superbike
class, with a time of 1:27.455 for seventeenth position. Weber also improved
his time in Superbike qualifying with a time of 1:29.104 to start in the twenty-sixth
position.
Superbike race one highlighted the teams lack of development time. Weber had
an electrical problem on the warm up lap and had to start the race from pit
road two-thirds of a lap down. Even with such a disadvantage from the start,
Weber showed perseverance and rode a consistent, smart race to finish in the
twenty-fourth position. Haner got a great start and was running in the thirteenth
position when he suffered a mechanical problem and retired from the race on
lap five.
The team was extremely hopeful for a good result in the Superstock race. With
Haner starting on the second row and Weber on the third row chances for top
ten finishes was good. Haner didnÕt get the start he was hoping for but quickly
put his head down and started working his way to the front. On lap five he
passed MPT SuzukiÕs Blake Young for fifth and started to run down Yoshimura
SuzukiÕs Ben Spies in fourth. Unfortunately on lap eight he went a little too
deep on the brakes into turn five and crashed. Despite the hard fall HanerÕs
Komodo racing gear kept him safe and he was able to escape uninjured. Weber
rode a great race to finish in the twelfth position, his best AMA Superstock
finish to date.
After the crash in the Superstock race, HanerÕs crew rushed to prepare the
bike for Superbike race two. Both Weber and Haner got good starts and started
working their way forward. Haner ran as high as thirteenth place but faded
to sixteenth at the finish. Weber continued his weekend long trend of putting
in consistent, drama free laps to finish in the eighteenth position.
John Haner Ð I am pretty happy about the weekend. The bike is really fast and
getting better every time we go out. To be this competitive the first time
out on the new GSX-R1000 is extremely encouraging for our chances for the rest
of the year. The Dunlop tires were amazing and I have to thank Tim and Shane
from Penske for all their help. I also want to thank my crew for all their
hard work.
David Weber Ð I had a great weekend. The new Suzuki GSX-R1000 is incredible
and with the support we are getting from Penske and Dunlop we will be up front
in no time. I want to thank my mechanics Rick Matheny and Matt Hill and the
rest of the team. This is the best situation I have been in since I started
racing and I canÕt wait to get to Fontana and continue to improve.
Kevin Hunt (Team Owner) Ð I was very happy about this weekend. The team is
working really well together and the bikes performed great considering this
is absolutely the first time they have been on track. Rick Matheny, Matt Hall,
Chip Spalding and the whole team has worked so hard to get us to this point,
but I especially want to thank Crew Chief, Michael Godin. Michael has not taken
a day off since February in an effort to get the bikes prepared for this weekend
and canÕt thank him enough. The 2007 GSX-R1000 is all new this year and companies
like Catalyst Racing Composites, LeoVince, GP Tech, and Pit Bull have gone
the extra mile to make sure we had the parts we needed to race this weekend.
Thanks to all involved and I am looking forward see what John and David can
do at Fontana next week.
Millennium/KWS Suzuki is proudly sponsored by:
Millennium Technologies, American Suzuki, Ron Ayers Motorsports, Dunlop Tires,
Pit Bull, LeoVince Exhaust, GP Tech, Penske Suspension, Komodo Gear, Catalyst
Racing Composites, VP Fuels, EK Chains, Wiseco Pistons, BG Lubricants, Webcam,
Performance Friction Brakes, Shock Doctor, Worldwide Bearing, Zero Gravity,
XT Racing, APE, CTR Suspensions, Chickenhawk, K&N Filters, Hel Brake
Lines
For Pictures
and more Information: http://www.kwsracing.com or
Contact: chip@kwsmotorsports.com
Phone: 1-877-RACE-KWS
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