Back in Czech

The break is over, the MotoGP season marches on to Brno, the place with no vowels. Shinya bettered his free practice times, and starts off from the 11th position, while team-mate Alex Hoffman is lined up 3 spots behind him.

1. Sete Gibernau SPA Team Movistar Honda 1min 57.504 secs
2. Nicky Hayden USA Repsol Honda Team 1min 57.551 secs
3. Loris Capirossi ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 1min 57.685 secs
4. Valentino Rossi ITA Gauloises Yamaha Team 1min 57.875 secs
5. Marco Melandri ITA Team Movistar Honda 1min 57.999 secs
6. Carlos Checa ITA Ducati Marlboro Team 1min 58.185 secs
7. Alex Barros BRA Camel Honda 1min 58.223 secs
8. John Hopkins USA Team Suzuki MotoGP 1min 58.277 secs
9. Colin Edwards USA Gauloises Yamaha Team 1min 58.323 secs
10. Max Biaggi ITA Repsol Honda Team 1min 58.337 secs
11. Shinya Nakano JPN Kawasaki Racing Team 1min 58.49 secs
12. Makoto Tamada JPN Konica Minolta Honda 1min 58.61 secs
13. Troy Bayliss AUS Camel Honda 1min 58.662 secs
14. Alex Hofmann GER Kawasaki Racing Team 1min 58.793 secs
15. Toni Elias SPA Fortuna Yamaha Team 1min 58.815 secs
16. Nobuatsu Aoki JPN Team Suzuki MotoGP 1min 59.495 secs
17. Kenny Roberts USA Team Suzuki MotoGP 1min 59.734 secs
18. James Ellison GBR Blata WCM 2min 0.529 secs
19. Roberto Rolfo ITA D'Antin Ducati Pramac 2min 0.879 secs
20. Ruben Xaus SPA Fortuna Yamaha Team 2min 1.535 secs
21. Franco Battaini ITA Blata WCM 2min 2.585 secs
22. Jeremy McWilliams GBR Team Roberts 2min 4.663 secs

Source : crash.net

"Today was much better than yesterday, I had better rear traction and front-end feel and I could enjoy riding the bike, although we are still too far from the times at the front of the grid. We have made a lot of adjustments to chassis and engine settings, and there are more to try in the warm-up tomorrow. I have made my race tyre choice from the new Bridgestone selection and race consistency looks good. Today the latest Bridgestone qualifying tyre also worked very well."

- Shinya on qualifying eleventh

Source : Kawasaki-Eckl

In the meantine, Kawasaki's technical manager has admitted that the current Ninja ZX-RR has been tweaked to its maximum capability but is still quite a few steps behind competing with the front runners. Kawasaki will need a totally new machine for 2006 to pose some serious threat to the competition. A samurai, maybe ?