After a strong first weekend in Kawasaki colours for Jonathan Rea and two battling performances from 2013 champion Tom Sykes the entire KRT squad is looking to the next challenge - an all-new one for everybody in the team.
For Rea another two podiums are the aim after winning the opening race of the season and then finishing runner-up in race two by only 0.010 seconds. His 45 points are therefore just five from the maximum possible after a dream debut on the Ninja ZX-10R.
With some set-up issues and being run off track at one stage in Australia Sykes is now looking to record his first two podiums of the year at the new Chang International Circuit located in the north east of Thailand. Tom currently has 23 points and is fourth overall in the early season rankings.
The Chang International Circuit is the first ever WSB venue in Thailand and with no prior testing there for the regular teams the first 75-minute long session on Friday 20th March will be an important one to make early progress towards a final race set-up.
At 4.554km long the Chang circuit is flat and features mostly slower corners, but with two fast straights followed by tighter turns there should be overtaking opportunities to exploit.
Sykes has already been on a promotional road trip in Thailand, taking part in PR activities, supporting the new Kawasaki effort in the Asia Road Racing Championship and meeting the fans during a large-scale event in Bangkok. He is now looking forward to visiting a local Kawasaki factory before race weekend begins.
Jonathan Rea: “To be honest we had a much better start in Australia then we imagined. I know we were quite reserved with targets at Phillip Island as it had not been a circuit that has favoured the bike but we managed the set-up quite well. I was surprised with our pace. What I did learn was that all week we had been having some problems but Pere, Paolo and the guys at Showa worked it out and on raceday we had a package to ride a strong 22 laps each time. That really impressed me. In the end I had a bike that I was really happy with. That gives me a little extra confidence now and because things are still reasonably fresh for me, to have that feeling is good. I have been in Thailand for a while and I always had a plan to come out for a week before the race. We never got to go on a family holiday last year so we are taking a few days here to recharge the batteries ready for round two, and to get acclimatised to the conditions a little.”
Tom Sykes: “I am looking forward to the first ever WSB race in Thailand. We are competing in a world championship and we are certainly doing more overseas races now. I am really looking forward to going to the new venue and I know from experience that the fans in that part of the world are fanatical about bikes as well. We have seen the circuit layout and for me it looks like what we generally expect from a European circuit. Hairpins and not so many long, long corners. The circuit is obviously a new challenge for everybody and I am sure the temperature and humidity will be something different.”
Other Kawasaki riders are hoping to make a big impact in Thailand with David Salom (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) in particular out to score well after suffering a fast crash in Australia and missing the opening two races.