Pitt problems disappoint Fuchs Kawasaki.
Reigning World Champion, Andrew Pitt didn't get the start he was hoping for at Sugo. After suffering problems with slower riders and the gearing on his Fuchs Kawasaki ZX-6R, the Australian ended the first qualifying session fourteenth fastest, putting him on the fourth row of the provisional grid for Sunday's Supersport race.
Reigning World Champion, Andrew Pitt didn't get the start he was hoping for at Sugo. After suffering problems with slower riders and the gearing on his Fuchs Kawasaki ZX-6R, the Australian ended the first qualifying session fourteenth fastest, putting him on the fourth row of the provisional grid for Sunday's Supersport race.
'I guess you could say that things didn't quite go according to plan this afternoon,' said a disappointed Pitt. 'We had problems with my number one bike this morning, which meant I had to use my number two machine for qualifying. We've also got a minor problem with the gearing. We're running exactly the same ratios that we did last season, but the engine is so much stronger this year that it's thrown the gearing out. And to cap it all, I got held up by a slower rider on my qualifying lap. I tried to get a second flyer out of the qualifying tyre but it was sliding all over the place within half a lap.'
Despite the problems, the Australian was confident that everything would be sorted in time for tomorrow's free practice and final qualifying sessions.
'We've got a bit of work to do tonight, fixing the number one bike and altering the gearing,' continued the Australian, 'but I'm confident that I'll be back on the pace tomorrow. At the end of the day, it's better that we have these problems in the first session, rather than during final qualifying tomorrow.'
It was also a day of disappointment for Pitt's young British team-mate, James Ellison. The 20-year-old reigning European Superstock Champion, racing at Sugo for the first time, struggled to find his form in the opening qualifying session.
'I just couldn't seem to find my balance on the bike this afternoon,' said Ellison. 'The bike's running well, I've got no problems on that score, but I didn't feel comfortable on it for the whole 45 minute session. But on the positive side, I now know my way around the circuit and, once I've had a chance to think things through tonight, I'm confident that I'll be back up to speed tomorrow.'
