Thursday, December 15 2011
It has been confirmed that Kenan Sofuoglu and Sheridan Morais will be riding for Kawasaki DeltaFin WSS in 2012. Preparations have already begun for both riders, who took part in testing during the last few months.
Sheridan was first to ride the Supersport Kawasaki at Portimao, setting the fastest lap time- watch out for this one next season! Sheridan leaves the Superstock 1000 class on a high as he claimed a podium position on the 2011 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R with the Lorenzini by Leoni team at the 2011 final round.
Kenan has already proved himself on the WSS scene with two legendary championship wins, and returns to the series following a season in the Moto2 Championship. He has already tested his new machine, setting laps at Aragon and Valencia in preparation for the 2012 campaign, which begins in February in Australia.
Kenan Sofuoglu: “I am very happy for this opportunity given to me by Kawasaki, a chance which has arrived in a particular moment of my sporting career. The experience in Moto2 was important but, for me, it is fundamental to fight for the title and I am sure that with the DeltaFin team behind me this will be possible. I come back to the Supersport World Championship happy with this choice, relying on the technical support of an important company.”
Sheridan Morais: “I have a good prior relationship with Kawasaki and that has built up here in this paddock. My DeltaFin team and Kawasaki have become like my family in Europe and think it is really like a family. We have a job to do but we all get on and enjoy each other’s company as well. I am working with a lot of the same guys I worked with last year. The Supersport bike is really good and I have lots of telemetry and a number of different things to deal with on the Ninja ZX-6R, more than I did on the Superstock 1000 Ninja ZX-10R. We have had some dry testing time now, so I am getting used to the softer tyres and working on suspension a bit. The bike handles so well and I am just getting used to it all. I’m loving it.”
Steve Guttridge, Kawasaki Europe Race Planning Manager: “We have enjoyed a lot of success over the past few seasons working closely in WSS with our Provec team and I would like to thank the whole team and their riders for the efforts they have made in that time to put Kawasaki on the top. Team Kawasaki DeltaFin will now be Kawasaki’s official team in this class. Already they have put together a solid new team and have started testing their new race machine and rider combination for next year. By signing Kenan they have brought a multiple World Champion back into the World Supersport mix and his ambition to win the title is very much the same as ours! Sheridan’s strengths, I believe, are firmly recognised on the Ninja ZX-6R and he has a depth of experience riding one for us, having won himself many national titles on that machine back in South Africa.”
Vanni Lorenzini, Team Manager: “In testing Kenan has confirmed he is a great champion turning in strong performances right away. Sheridan, still short of experience, has taken advantage of his track time on the bike and was very close his team-mate in lap times. We now have a testing ban for a month and that means that we will make the maximum of our workshop time and material to prepare for more testing in the New Year, and the then the start of the new season. We will most probably return to testing in January, at Almeria on the 19th and 20th.”
