Grégory Leblanc had an impressive ride with the Kawasaki Trick Star team at the Suzuka 8 hour race.
Endurance racing is a cruel mistress sometimes. When you think you have no chance to win, you take the top spot of the podium like Leblanc did at the Bol d’Or last April ; and when things seem to be under control you can loose everything with only minutes to go to the chequered flag.
That is the feeling that Gregory Leblanc got from his first experience in Suzuka. A comfortable seventh on the leader-board with half an hour to race and the 29 year old racer from Meaux, near Paris crashed on dropped oil along with two other machines. His superb ride and hopes for success ended prematurely in disappointment deep in the gravel trap of the famous Japanese Suzuka circuit.
After bad luck in qualification and a resultant poor grid position, Lelbanc made a really strong start to the race. Following a one hour delay due to heavy rain, Leblanc used his hard earned race-craft to overtake more seasoned endurance competitors despite his lack of experience on Dunlop rain tyres.
Starting from 16th place on the grid – and after losing places due to his poor start – he came back to the pitbox after his first session in a creditable 10th place.
On his second stint, the 4 times 24 hours Le Mans winner made huge progress with every lap under 2min 11sec while achieving a personal best lap time of 2min 10sec, a figure comfortably below his best qualifying lap.
Finally twenty fourth at the end of the race, Gregory was naturally dissapointed. But the reigning French Superbike Champion was quite sure that his first ride will not be his last on the Japanese course.
« I’m quite upset about this result but that’s racing ! », said Leblanc. « All the Trick Star team did a really good job during the race and we didn’t get the result we deserved. Anyway it was for me a really good experience and I would like to thank Kawasaki France and team Kawasaki Trick Star who made this ride possible.
I really like the Suzuka course and I received a really warm welcome from Trick Star staff. I’m sure this first ride will be an avantage for me if I come back with Kawasaki SRC team next season.
We have now to put this poor result behind us and focus on the next race in Germany. I really want to make the strongest result possible with my Kawasaki number 11 Ninja ZX-10R to be back in front of the pack.
It will be the best way to prepare the next 24 Hours Le Mans race. The whole Kawasaki SRC team is ready to fight to get a fifth in a row victory. It will be our target and if we succed we will surely have a good chance to grab the world endurance title.
via Kawasaki
