McCoy: Goodbye Kawasaki.

Fuchs Kawasaki riders Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt head to Valencia this weekend eager to end a tough 2003 season on a high.

For McCoy, the Valencia GP - which he won in 2000 - will have added significance because it will mark his final race appearance aboard the Ninja ZX-RR.

The Australian veteran's ninth place in the wet French GP at Le Mans remains the best result by a Kawasaki rider since the marques MotoGP debut just over a year ago, but the season as a whole has been a nightmare for the Slide King.

McCoy: Goodbye Kawasaki.

Fuchs Kawasaki riders Garry McCoy and Andrew Pitt head to Valencia this weekend eager to end a tough 2003 season on a high.

For McCoy, the Valencia GP - which he won in 2000 - will have added significance because it will mark his final race appearance aboard the Ninja ZX-RR.

The Australian veteran's ninth place in the wet French GP at Le Mans remains the best result by a Kawasaki rider since the marques MotoGP debut just over a year ago, but the season as a whole has been a nightmare for the Slide King.

"I never expected things to be easy during Kawasaki's first year in MotoGP, but it's fair to say things haven't turned out exactly as I thought they would," he admitted, "Even though this is my final race aboard the Kawasaki, I'll be going flat out as usual and would like to finish the season with my best result."

With Garry yet to announce his 2004 plans, a strong ride on his team green farewell could well be crucial - but he stressed the need to be realistic.

"I've been on the podium twice at Valencia, although I think the team understands that winning like I did here three years ago is beyond the reach of the ZX-RR at the moment," he added. "Like me, the team is very competitive and we all want better results and everyone has worked hard this year getting the ZX-RR project up and running. Kawasaki have thrown all their effort and technology into the project and I'm sure the work will reward them in the future."

Team-mate Pitt scored Kawasaki's first grand prix points for over two decades when he finished twelfth on his debut at Valencia last year, notching up what remains his best result to date. A former World Supersport champion, Pitt has conquered a steep learning curve over the past twelve months, but the Australian is keen to improve upon his personal best finish on his return to the 4km Ricardo Tormo circuit this weekend.

"My best result so far came at Valencia last year, but I've go to admit that it's not one of my favourite tracks," said Pitt. "It's tight and twisty, which is fine if you're on a Supersport 600, but not so good when you're trying to muscle something as big and fast as a MotoGP machine around. It's hard work!

"Having said that, though, I want to end the season with a good result, so I'll be focusing on a strong qualifying run this weekend. Starting further up the grid is a big help and I want to be closer to the front than I have been in previous races."

While McCoy prepares to move on when the chequered flag falls in Valencia, the work will not stop for the Kawasaki Racing Team, who will stay on in Spain for a test session next week.

This will be the next important step forward in the development program of Kawasaki's MotoGP project, which next year will see test rider Alex Hofmann promoted to the race team - almost certainly alongside Pitt.

Read More

Subscribe to our MotoGP Newsletter

Get the latest MotoGP news, exclusives, interviews and promotions from the paddock direct to your inbox