Ryuichi Kiyonari Speaks.. (4th and 5th)
I got a good start to the second part of race one and took the holeshot I think, but I had a problem with the tyre which was the same in race two. It was moving on the rim and made rear grip a real problem in both races. We decided to go with the softer tyre after warm-up but we hadn’t had a chance to do any longer runs with it. It was OK for the first couple of laps but then the problems started. It’s very disappointing but I guess the results are not so bad, and a lot better than last time at Kyalami.
Jonathan Rea Speaks… (5th and 3rd)
I was just settling into a good rhythm in race one when it got red flagged, but the second part was OK and I just couldn’t maintain the gap I had over Fabrizio, so he beat me to the podium, even though I finished third on the road. In race two, I just had to ride as slowly as I could to keep the guys behind me. There was a big gap to the guys at the front, who were riding at a fantastic pace, but I had a problem with the front of the bike. Luckily I was able to use the power of the CBR1000RR on the straights to stay ahead. I think we’ve found some consistency now, so we can return to Europe with our heads held high and look forward to some more good results.
Carlos Checa Speaks… (2nd and DNF)
Race one was nice – I got a good start in the second part. I pushed really hard behind Ben (Spies) but I was not able to catch him. It was great to be back on the podium in America. The crash in the second race was a real shame because I had a good pace and I was comfortable in third position. I entered the chicane maybe a little tighter than before to try and close the gap on Fabrizio, but I touched the kerb with my engine casing and that was the end of the race for me. But I think we have grown up a lot here and moved things forward in a good direction – it’s just a shame that the weekend had to finish like this.
