Newsletter

The official race report service of Kawasaki Racing Team.

22 April 2018

Disappointment For Okubo And Morais

Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and his team-mate Sheridan Morais experienced an unfortunate raceday in Assen after they collided on the second lap of the race. Both riders attempted to restart but were forced out of the final classification.

Having qualified ninth, Morais was tenth on lap one, until an attempted pass from Okubo in turn five resulted in a collision and then a fall for both riders.
 
In the championship standings Morais is 16th with nine points from his lone finish in Motorland Aragon last weekend. Okubo has two points and is ranked 26th in the championship after four races.
 
After their luckless weekend in the Netherlands the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team will reconvene at home, at a very different kind of classic and atmospheric circuit to Assen, Imola in Italy. Raceday is on May 13th.
 
Hikari Okubo, stated: “I want to say I am very sorry to the team because I made a big mistake, crashed, and hit my team-mate in a very bad way. After this race I will have a lot of things to think about. Very sorry again.”
 
Sheridan Morais, stated: “I did not really get to race as it was over after one lap. Hikari, I guess, tried to pass or made a mistake or something and rode into me in turn five. That made me crash and it was a quick end to my day. It is difficult to know what we could have expected from this race because of that.”
 
With some regular riders out, the top ESS rider was also the top Kawasaki finisher, Rob Hartog (Team Hartog Against Cancer), at his home round. He was seventh, making this the best race finish of his career in WorldSSP.
 
Wayne Tessels (Chromeburner Wayne’s Racingteam MTM) was 13th and scored points at his home round as a result. Nacho Calero (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) was 17th and Peter Sebestyen (SSP Hungary Team Kawasaki) 19th.
 
Michael Canducci (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) and Lachlan Epis (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) could not get to the finish today, both experiencing technical issues. Series regular Anthony West (EAB antwest Racing Kawasaki) could not start the race after suffering a forearm injury on Friday.