The fourth WorldSBK and WorldSSP round at Misano will be a very special one for Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, as it celebrates 30 years of racing activity for founder Manuel Puccetti. Having started out as a rider, Manuel then became Team Principal and has played a key role in the production-derived European and World championships for three decades.
To celebrate this important milestone, the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing hospitality will display an incredible “wall of fame”, an 18-metre photographic collage that traces Puccetti’s history. Six championship wins (two world and four European titles), 122 podiums and 44 race wins are just some of the numbers making up this unique pathway, one that has taken passion and a great deal of commitment.
As for the weekend on track, Tito Rabat has exploited the work completed by the team to improve the performance of his Ninja ZX-10RR KRT Factory Replica during important test sessions at Cremona and Misano and will do all he can to place top ten at Misano.
Can Oncu was also able to make his Ninja ZX-6R more competitive during testing at Cremona, as the young Turkish rider sets out to reach the podium this weekend.
At the Misano round, the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing bikes will be wearing the historic ELF livery, similar to that used in the 80s by “Rocket Ron” Haslam, to celebrate the partnership between Total Italia and Kawasaki Puccetti Racing. A solid professional relationship that has only got stronger over time and that is a source of pride for both parties, who renew the agreement year after year.
As for the Misano World Circuit, it was designed in 1969 and underwent significant restructuring in the 90s. In 1993, the track was extended to 4060 metres, while at the end of 2006 the facility gained a new 4180 metre track, which ran in the opposite direction (now clockwise). The track currently measures 4226 metres and incorporates 16 turns, of which ten are right-handers and six left. Pole position is to the right.
The full schedule for the fourth WorldSBK round is available at this link:
Manuel Puccetti
“We’re really proud to be able to celebrate the “first” thirty years of my sporting activity this weekend, from my start as a rider in 1994 to our current team. It will be a pleasure to spend the weekend with our sponsors, and let’s not forget that our bikes will bear the history ELF livery. We’ve used the long break in the race schedule to carry out some testing, which saw Rabat make a big step forward. As for Oncu, who is now back to full fitness, we’ve further improved the competitiveness of his bike. We head into these races confident that we can score strong results, thanks to our riders, our technicians and our sponsors.”
Tito Rabat
“I’m feeling confident ahead of this Misano round. The four days of testing we had at Cremona and the Misano World Circuit itself were very positive and fill me with hope. It would be great to get a good result in front of our sponsors and fans and we’ll do all we can to make that happen. We’re highly motivated and keen to do well.”
Can Oncu
“The Misano round has always been one of the season’s key events, in that it is our team’s home round. The tests we did at Cremona went really well and allowed us to refine the bike setup. I’ll do my best to exploit the full potential of the Ninja and give the team and sponsors the best possible results.”
