In Superpole Qualifying on Friday 12 June, Salvador secured his third consecutive pole position start on his Ninja. The next best Kawasaki rider in Superpole was David’s team-mate, Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) in eighth place.
The ever-improving Jose Osuna (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team Kawasaki) placed tenth on the Race One grid after Superpole, with Aragon race winner Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki) 11th and Alvaro Fuertes (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team Kawasaki) 12th.
Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki), who had ended Superpole in 15th place, was made to start at the back of the Race One grid after being issued a penalty for a yellow flag procedure infringement during the Superpole session. He was thus 31st on the Race One grid. He had arrived in Misano still feeling the effects of a crash at the previous round, Motorland Aragon.
In the opening race of the weekend, on Saturday 13 June, hot conditions were fully in evidence once again, with the track temperature rising to 50°C.
Incidents and close action were also in evidence in this most closely contested of categories within the overall WorldSBK paddock - but every Kawasaki rider managed to finish the intense 12-lap opening race at the 4.226km-long seaside circuit.
The fastest Ninja rider proved to be Championship leader Salvador. He would finish just behind the podium trio, with his last lap plan ruined by another rider who almost high-sided right in front of him. David was still just 1.163 seconds from the race win.
Only 0.094 seconds behind Salvador was his team-mate Torres, in fifth place. Competing in the same group as the ProDina riders, MTM Kawasaki competitor Artigas was seventh.
Four more Kawasaki riders posted points-scoring finishes, with all finishing together from 11th place to 14th.
Osuna was 11th, a penalised Fuertes 12th (after exceeding track limits on the final lap), Juan Risueno (Pons Motosport Italika Racing) was 13th (also penalised for a track limits infringement), and a battling Veneman went from his 11th row starting position to 14th, scoring two championship points for his great efforts.
Julian Correa (Pons Motosport Italika Racing) started the first race in 25th place and ended up 20th.
The second race was another tight affair from the start, but it was to prove to be a much better experience for one particular Kawasaki rider.
Salvador was in the fight for the Race Two win all the way through, leading the race on four separate occasions, including the most important lap - the final one.
He would form a three-rider mini-breakaway group at the end and finish up leading Carter Thompson (Yamaha) and Fenton Seabright (Triumph) across the line by 0.039 and 0.148 seconds respectively.
This was David’s second race win of the season, and the sixth for any Kawasaki rider since the inaugural round in late March. The other Kawasaki race winners are Veneman and Artigas with one each, and Torres with two.
In the final official Race Two results, Artigas placed fifth, after being pushed from his ideal racing line by another rider, not once but twice.
The improving pace and race showings from Osuna and his Deza-Box 77 Kawasaki Team saw him ninth in Race Two, and only 1.523 seconds from the race win.
After a three-second penalty was applied to Torres, for irresponsible riding, he dropped down to tenth in the official results, not fourth.
Fuertes and Risueno each scored points in this race, for 13th and 14th places respectively. Correa was 19th.
Another misfortune hit Veneman - literally - in Race Two as he was taken out for what was fourth time this season. He escaped with bashes and bruises but was understandably unhappy at his recent string of bad luck induced by other riders.
After five of eight championship rounds have now been completed, the top of the table makes happy reading for Kawasaki fans. Salvador leads Torres by 164 points to 130 - a gap of 34. Artigas is just one point behind Torres, with 129. The next Kawasaki rider in the rankings, Veneman, is tenth with 62 points. Fuertes is 11th with 48 points and Osuna is 15th, on 30 points.
Kawasaki - thanks to its Team Green rider and team support program - is now 70 points ahead of Triumph and 79 ahead of Suzuki in the Manufacturers' Standings. Two Kawasaki squads lead the Teams' Standings, with Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI 102 points ahead of MTM Kawasaki - 294 to 192.
The next round for this exciting new category of racing will not be at Donington Park with most of the other WorldSBK paddock classes, but round six takes place at the subsequent round at Magny-Cours in France - between 7-9 September.
Rider Comments
Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki), stated: “It was a difficult weekend. I came to Misano not at 100% and we struggled a bit with the setting during the first day, so I couldn’t make a good qualifying and I also got a back of the grid penalty due to the yellow flag protocol. Starting from the back I recovered up to P14 in race 1, with good pace. In Race Two I was more confident as we found some solutions in warm-up, but after one lap I was taken out once again and my race ended up. I’m OK and that’s the good part, but really disappointed about being taken out for the fourth time in the season. Hopefully my luck changes and I’m happy we have now summer break to try to recover.”
Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki), stated: “The first race at Misano was a little difficult. In the first corner, another rider pushed me out, and I lost the gap to the front group. I started to close it, but it was a bit late. I finished in P7. In Sunday’s race, I felt stronger. I pushed harder and felt better with the bike after making a good step from Race One. I fought for the victory inside the front group, but in the last lap, another rider touched me quite hard and pushed me out again. So I finished P5. See you all in Magny-Cours for the next round.”
David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI), stated: “Saturday ended with a tough race. For most of it, I was in the top positions, always fighting for the podium. I was trying to manage the situation because I saw some riders really pushing the limit, and I didn't want to make any unnecessary mistakes. I even had a rather risky moment towards the end when the rider in front of me risked a highside, and I almost hit him. Fortunately, we managed to avoid the contact and continue the race. In the end, we finished in fourth place. Throughout the second race, the others managed to overtake me on the straight, so I tried to make the most of my strengths in braking. Our bike works very well in that area, and I felt particularly competitive, too. In the end, I'm really happy because winning on the team's home track is special. We're working well, and the results are showing. We know there's still room for improvement, especially on the straight, to be even more competitive and have a more complete package. We're continuing to work with this mentality because we're on the right path. Now we'll take a few days to recharge our batteries, and then we'll start preparing for Magny-Cours as best we can, with the goal of arriving even stronger.”
Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI), stated: “It was a very difficult race, because we had to ride on the limit throughout. What we lost on the straights, we tried to make up for under braking, pushing hard on every lap. In the end, we still managed to score important championship points, and that's the most positive thing we can take home. We concluded the Misano weekend with a bit of disappointment over what happened in Sunday’s race. Frankly, we feel the penalty was quite severe. It's not the first time we've found ourselves in a situation like this, and after what happened in Aragon, this decision also leaves us somewhat perplexed. On the final lap, I was simply trying to make up positions and push to the limit, as one does when the result is in play until the chequered flag. Unfortunately, the stewards' decision impacted the final result, but we can't change it now. Now we look ahead and focus on Magny-Cours. We'll prepare as best we can to be ready for the next round and continue to give more than 100%, as we have done so far. During these months of break, we'll work and rest to come back even stronger.”
Jose Osuna (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team Kawasaki), stated: “The weekend in Misano was, I think, good because we made a good step forward. We were top ten in all the sessions, so that confirms that we made that step. I feel more comfortable on the bike and we did a really good job to find a good set-up. It was a good weekend because this is a circuit where everybody was going so fast, and things were close all weekend. I am happy with the second race because I was inside the leading group, fighting for the podium. I am happy with this step.”
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