Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/270748
IN THE WIND P28 Crutchlow wasn't comfortable with the new con- struction tires and only did the first six laps on one of them because the lack of grip for him was too much. "Me and Valentino [Rossi] tested the same tires and I think we both scrapped that tire because it was too bad to put in for the second time," Crutchlow said. "We couldn't do the second six laps because they were too bad. They were bad for grip for me anyway. And Valentino... I saw him out on track the same time and he looked exactly the same as me." As for Rossi, he was able to find some good things about the new tires. But of the new tires he tested on day one, it lacked the same performance as last year's. "I find something not so bad," Rossi said. "Not about the performance, but about the life of the tire. So it is something good, something bad, but already we have some good way to follow. For me the target is to try to have the same performance with more life. If we are able to achieve this result I am very happy. It is not possible I think to have the tire that is faster and stay longer. So the good thing, if Bridgestone work in the right way, is that have a tire that can resist for all the race without losing a lot of edge grip." Andrea Wilson SCHWANTZ FOR 8 HOUR W ith Yoshimura set to cel- ebrate its 60th anniver- sary it's only fitting that they field a team in this year's Suzuka 8 Hour. It's even more fitting that they are putting 1993 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz on the bike. Schwantz, who came out of retirement to compete in the 8 Hour last year, will ride alongside his former teammate Satoshi Tsujimoto in what is arguably the most prestigious round in the World Endurance Champion- ship. "Competing in the 2013 Su- zuka 8-Hour with Team Kagaya- ma reminded me of what racing with a great team is all about," Schwantz said in a team release. "I am really looking forward to celebrating Yoshimura's 60th an- niversary of being in business by competing in the 2014 Suzuka 8-Hour on a 'Pops Yoshimura' Suzuki. Pops was a very in- fluential man in my career; I first met him mid-way through the 1985 season riding for Yoshimura. Riding for Pops taught me a lot and helped groom me to be the competi- tor that I am. He was a real motivator and got the best out of everyone that worked around him." Yosh will also field a sec- ond team that will consist of Aussie Josh Waters and All- Japan Superbike rider Takuya Tsuda. Schwantz's team will be the Yoshimura Legends team with Waters leading the Yoshimura Shell Advance team. Schwantz, who will turn 50 pri- or to the race, finished third last year in the 8 Hour riding for the Team Kagayama team. He also finished third in the race with Tsujimoto in 1986, with Graeme Crosby in 1985 and with Doug Polen in 1988. Kevin Schwantz will race in the Suzuka 8 Hours this year to help celebrate Yoshimura's 60 th anniversary.