Team Suzuki Press Office – August 27. FIXI Crescent Suzuki is on the way to Germany and the famous Nürburgring for the 10th round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship this coming weekend in an optimistic mood following strong results at the last round.
Jules Cluzel and Leon Camier both stood on the podium at Silverstone in England at the start of August and will be looking at building on those superb performances at a circuit that should be well-suited to the Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R1000. Cluzel tasted success at the 5,137m track on his first visit there last season – after qualifying on pole in the Supersport class, he battled with reigning World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu for the whole race before bringing his 600cc machine home in second place.
Nürburgring was also a happy hunting ground for Camier in 2012, as he raced the FIXI Crescent Suzuki to the team’s first-ever World Superbike podium. Starting from seventh on the grid in race two, Camier picked his way through the field after a poor start and made his way up to second place, but after nearly crashing in the final chicane he was robbed of that position and took third with a margin of just 0.200 seconds from the runner-up. The FIXI Crescent Suzuki pair will both be aiming to repeat those results this time around and with the recent improvements the Suzuki GSX-R has shown, Cluzel and Camier could both be in with a chance of more glory after tasting success at Silverstone. During the short summer break the crew has been hard at work on the FIXI Crescent Suzuki GSX-R and selected new parts from Yoshimura will be used for the first time at Nürburgring, which are intended improve the bike’s all-round engine performance.
The Nürburgring is one of the most famous motoring locations in the world. It is located in the Eifel region of Germany about 70kms south of Cologne and this huge complex features a Grand Prix race track that was built in 1984, as well as the longer old North loop track, or Nordschleife as it is better known, which was built in the 1920’s. It is the Nordschleife that adds to the legend of the venue as it is considered to be one of the most demanding and difficult racing circuits on the planet. The ‘Green Hell’ by which the Nordschleife is also known, has been a one-way, public toll-road for nearly 80 years and has staged F1 and motorcycle Grands Prix throughout its history. Nowadays it is better known as a track-day venue, where anyone with a road legal car or motorcycle – as well as tour buses, motor homes, or even cars with trailers – is welcome to take the challenge of over 20kms of road through more than 70 bends, which has made this strip of asphalt a must-do for many race enthusiasts and petrol-heads alike.
This weekend’s World Superbike action will get underway on Friday morning with the first free practice session, followed by the opening qualifying period in the afternoon. Saturday morning will have a second qualifying session to confirm the riders that will progress towards that afternoon’s Superpole.
The first of Sunday’s two races – both to be held over 20-laps – will get underway at 12.00hrs local time (11.00hrs BST) with the second event scheduled for 15.30hrs local time (14.30hrs BST).
Leon Camier:
“I’m eager to get back to racing again after a couple of weeks off. We have made some big steps in recent events and I know the guys have been working hard in the break, with the help of Yoshimura, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they have done. Silverstone was a big boost for me, it was so deserved for the whole team and great to see Jules up there as well; it shows that all the hard work is starting to pay off. I’m really looking forward to the next couple of races and hope the team can continue to make progress and we can get more results like we had at Silverstone.”
Jules Cluzel:
“Silverstone was a great weekend for me and the whole team, it was good to get one FIXI Crescent Suzuki on the podium, but two was more than we could have imagined. The bike worked well all weekend and the crew gave me a machine that I felt competitive on in both races. Straight after the weekend I wasn’t very well, but I’m ok now and I’ve been training hard with lots of cycling to keep myself fit throughout the break. I had a good race the first time I went to the Nürburgring last year and was challenging Kenan for the win all race long. I think the Superbike will suit my style well around this track, so I am hoping to be on the pace quickly and pushing towards the front group.”
