Carlos Checa, off the podium in the four races held since his dream Miller Motorsport Park double victory, admits he could in for another tough weekend at Brno - but hopes that recent test data can point the way forward.
Checa will start round nine of 14 third in the championship, 52 points behind
Troy Bayliss, but only three points from Max Neukirchner and 16 in front of
Noriyuki Haga.
"The Brno track will be difficult for us, specially when it comes to the handling of the bike in the slower sections," admitted the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider. "However, we have gathered some important data during the Vallelunga test and will put some new ideas into practice this weekend. I am confident we can straighten out the issues we have been dealing with and improve our pace."
But if Checa is having a tough time, things have been even harder for team-mates and fellow WSBK rookies
Ryuichi Kiyonari and
Kenan Sofuoglu.
Kiyonari hasn't scored double-digit race points since his Monza podium on May 11, while Sofuoglu hasn't scored any points at all in the last four outings.
"I need to set a good result this weekend," confessed reigning double BSB champion Kiyonari. "My progression has gone down after the race in Monza but my motivation is stronger then ever. I made some mistakes in my tyre choices in the last races, but after we tested a better front tyre in Vallelunga, my feeling with the machine has definitely improved."
"I am looking forward to the next round in Brno," said reigning WSS champion Sofuoglu, who won the Brno Supersport race from pole last season. "I like the track a lot, but it will be a big challenge for me to ride the Superbike there. After the test in Vallelunga I feel like I have gained some ground and am closer to my team mates' lap times. I hope I can continue this progression and improve my results, starting this weekend."
