Home at last for Fuchs Kawasaki riders.

After ten months of testing and racing across five continents, Fuchs Kawasaki riders Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt finally touchdown at home for this Sunday's Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island.

The Melbourne-based circuit is expected to bring a welcome relief from the heat and humidity of last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, where Pitt finished just outside the world championship points. Track knowledge and cooler conditions are expected to provide a platform for both Kawasaki riders to aim for a points scoring finish in their home grand prix.

"I just love racing at Phillip Island - it's almost like being on holiday, with the beach and staying in Cowes," Pitt said, "Plus a bunch my mates will be there for the race, so it will be good to catch up with everyone.

"I think most riders enjoy racing here and, like Assen, it is one of the great tracks on the calendar. Phillip Island has always been a tough test on tyres, but I'm sure the Dunlop guys are ready for that - they've made some good progress this season and the cooler weather should work in our favour. The speed of the ZX-RR will be strong on the first half of the circuit, which is really fast, but the back section, up past the Hayshed to Lukey Heights, could be hard work for us."

The pre-race preparations will be more intense than usual, with Pitt and McCoy engaged in a series of media and corporate appearances that are all part of the demands of modern MotoGP competition, especially racing at home for a high profile factory team.

"It's always exciting racing at the Island with a big crowd, but it's also a lot of extra work with the media, team and sponsorship schedule - everyone wants some of your time," McCoy confirmed.

And the Phillip Island visit is not just a home race for the riders. The Kawasaki race team has a solid representation of Australian technicians in the garage, all of whom will also enjoy the opportunity of racing in familiar surroundings.

As the ambitious and constantly evolving Kawasaki Ninja ZX-RR project enters its second year of GP racing there is no lack of motivation to aim for the best possible result at Phillip Island with the support of family, friends and home fans alike.

"I would like qualify on the front row again like last year, but that will depend on how the ZX-RR and our tyres shape up with the track and, hopefully, cooler weather," McCoy said, "The Island is fast and the Kawasaki is not short of power, but the long, high-speed corners make it hard for us to get on the throttle early. I reckon we'll be hanging off the bike through the fast stuff out the back."

The Phillip Island circuit, with its amphitheatre style seaside location, is a spectacular race track setting. The undulating layout combines the challenging test of a high speed straight, a sequence of long and fast curves and two hairpin corners that provide the ultimate test of braking skills.

"All season, our goal has been to develop the Ninja ZX-RR for a top performance at Phillip Island, and our early aim was the podium because Garry and Andrew know this track very well," commented team manager Harald Eckl, "Unfortunately, at this stage of our new MotoGP programme, we have not reached the point of being able to provide our riders with a bike that will allow them to really show their home fans what they are capable of - and a podium position is out of reach in our first season.

"But, as always, Andrew and Garry will be highly motivated and again we are expecting strong support from our tyre partners Dunlop, who have been working hard on the special demands of Phillip Island."