Kawasaki’s Chris Vermuelen return to fitness has suffered still another setback, and the Australian will not be racing in this weekend’s World Superbike round at Imola.

Vermeulen took part in the Superbike test at Misano last week, but was only able to ride for one of the two testing days, as one of screws in his right knee come loose therefore had to undergo more surgery (in Barcelona) to remove it.

At the moment it’s unknown whether Vermeulen will recover in time to take part in next week’s Magny Cours round or if his goal will be the season finale at Portimao, October 16th.

Between his knee and elbow injuries, the Australian has been able to compete in only six races this season.

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When it was announced on Sunday that Paul Bird had lost the Kawasaki factory contract for 2012, just after Tom Sykes scored his maiden World Superbike win at very wet Nurburgring, many were left wondering on what will happen to current factory riders Tom Sykes, Joan Lascorz and Chris Vermeulen.

According to Bird in his post race Nurburgring interview, Sykes was also issued his walking papers, but the English rider’s manager in a press release decided to clarify his client’s position, stating that discussions to remain with Kawasaki are still ongoing.

Sykes played a big part in the development and testing of the 2011 ZX-10R Superbike, while Lascorz and Vermeulen were sidelined recovering from their big 2010 injuries.

“In response to recent events, and as the sole appointed party responsible for negotiating Tom Sykes’ ongoing contracts, we can confirm the following:

“Tom remains a fully committed Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM) team rider and will continue to do so for the duration of his current contract. For the remainder of the season Tom’s primary focus is to produce the best possible results for PBM and Kawasaki, as his recent win at the Nurburgring would confirm. It is clear from Tom and also Kawasaki that there is a strong desire from both parties for there to be an ongoing relationship that can reap the full benefits of the work done to date. Discussions regarding this matter are in progress at this time.

“Once Tom’s plans have been finalised, these will be communicated via ourselves in the usual manner. In the meantime Tom will continue his role as a professional WSBK rider, doing his utmost to represent PBM and their associated sponsors, Kawasaki, and his own personal sponsors in the best possible way at all times.”

Source | crash.net

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About a week ago the French media were reporting that Paul Bird has lost the bid to field factory backed Kawasaki’s next season in World Superbikes and that it had been assigned to WSS team Provec Motocard who was one of the teams who had entered a bid, and today those rumors were confirmed as Tom Sykes took his PBM Kawasaki to the highest podium in a rain drenched race 2 at Nurburgring.

Bird’s team has been running Kawasaki’s for last three years in the championship and has helped develop the current Nimja in it’s first year, however the squad hasn’t had the results that Kawasaki was expecting.

Marco Melandri and Yamaha team manager Andrea Dosoli have been linked to a move to the Green Team, while it’s currently unknown what Paul Bird’s plans will be for next year.

Source | mcn.com

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Everyone was pretty excited when it was announced that the WSBK Kawasaki team would wildcard at this weekend’s British Superbike triple-header at Brands Hatch and see if Tom Sykes could repeat his 2010 victory, but unfortunately Sykes has been ruled out after his injury (a possible cracked right ankle and a thoracic trauma) during last week’s WSBK Silverstone round.

With Sykes out of action, Paul Bird has called in World Supersport rider Broc Parkes as his replacement to be fielded alongside other Kawasaki rider Joan Lascorz. Parkes is currently fourth in the Supersport standings with the Kawasaki Motocard team and raced for the Kawasaki team in World Superbikes in 2009.

“I am pumped about racing this weekend with the Kawasaki team and it will be great working with all of the crew again,” said Parkes. “I haven’t ridden a Superbike for a while where I have been racing in the World Supersport Championship so I need to adapt again quickly but the Kawasaki has seen some big improvements since I last rode it so I am looking forward to it. The depth of field in BSB has definitely increased and it is going to be tougher than before I think; you can see how strong the competition is from what John Hopkins did last weekend as a wildcard at Silverstone. It is a great opportunity for me to race again at Brands Hatch and I need to thank Paul Bird and everyone at Kawasaki.”

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If Chris Vermeulen’s 2010 WSBK season was interrupted due to his knee injury, this season isn’t going any better, because the Kawasaki rider will be sidelined for the upcoming WSBK Silverstone round due to ongoing injury.

The Australian was able to take part at the last round at Brno, but managed only to finish race 1, and sat out race 2 with nagging problems to his back and to the elbow injury that he picked up in a highspeed crash during practice at the Ascari corner at Monza in May.

Now he has been advised by his doctors to sit out Silverstone to come back fully fit for Nurburgring in September. Vermeulen has been able to compete in only seven races so far this season.

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Chris Vermeulen’s rocky road to recovery isn’t over yet. The Kawasaki rider will not ride in this weekend’s fifth round of the World Superbike championship round at Miller Motorsports Park.

Vermeulen who has only been able to complete one race (Race 1 - Assen) so far this season, will remain in Europe and continue rehabilitation on his knee, but will also check out his arm fitness after his recent left elbow injury, picked up during practice at Monza. The former World Supersport champion will be testing at Aragon in early June to get to learn the track and try to get some consistent lap times on his Kawasaki.

“It is disappointing to not race in America but my injuries are still healing,” said Vermeulen. “The good thing is they are improving. The decision was taken with the team and Kawasaki to miss the race and concentrate on testing. That’s not only for myself to get some time under my belt away from the racing, but also to get more information about the bike. That means I should hopefully come back strong at Misano which is a track I know quite well. I have never ridden at Aragon before so it will be good to get some track time in and learn the track before we go there after Misano.”

The Misano Adriatico round is scheduled for June 12th.

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Kawasaki Paul Bird Motorsport and BMW Motorrad Italia will be holding a two day private test at the Spanish circuit of Motorland Aragon tomorrow and Friday.

This new test, ahead of the second round of the WSBK season at Donington Park, will allow the privateer BMW team with James Toseland and Ayrton Badovini, to get more testing time on their S 1000 RR’s after several sessions were cut short by bad weather.

While the Kawasaki team will continue its development on the Ninja ZX-10R, Chris Vermeulen is also expected to be present at Aragon track, in order to catch up on his team mates after skipping all the pre-season testing and the first round at Phillip Island due to the long road to recovery following his knee surgery.

Source | bikeracing.it

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Apparently Paul Bird of PBM Kawasaki doesn’t believe that Chris Vermeulen will still not be fit enough to test the new 2011 Ninja in next month’s four day test in Sepang, because he’s already arranged to have Stuart Easton to replace the still ailing Aussi.

Vermeulen has been out of racing action since July, when he pulled out of the WSBK championship to undergo extensive knee surgery, but had expected to be in shape to get his first taste of the ZX-10R at Sepang.

“Chris has been off his feet for 20 weeks and there is no point in having a rider who is only 80 per cent when it comes to testing. Stuart will ride with Tom (Sykes) and Joan (Lascorz) so we will have a full three-man team out there. Plus it’s also a thank you to Stuart for his Macau win with the team.”

Easton won the Macau GP last month for the third consecutive time.

Source | bikesportnews.com

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Joan Lascorz was severely injured during the Supersport round at the beginning of August at Silverstone, but the Spanish rider is on the rocky road back to recovery, and thinks he’s fit enough to test the new Kawasaki ZX-10R at Alemeria, at the end of this month.

Lascorz got a big and healthy moral boost when he was recently confirmed in PBM Kawasaki Superbike team, after spending a month and half in a hospital and another two trying to recover from his massive injuries.

Still doing rehabilitation and trying to regain fitness, Lascorz said: “My rehabilitation is going well since leaving the hospital on September 15th. I am doing pysiotherapy every day. I feel good, and working on building up my muscles so to be strong on the bike. I’ve done some supermotard, and am about a second and a half of my best time, so I’m satisfied. I have to keep working and be patient, trying to gain mobility in my arm. The nerves and muscles need time to recover”

Continue reading: WSBK: Joan Lascorz to testa 2011 Ninja at Almeria

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MSS Colchester Kawasaki rider Simon Andrews has been officially called in to replace injured Chris Vermeulen in PBM Kawasaki Racing team in this weekend’s WSBK round at Valencia.

Vermeulen recently had keyhole surgery to try to fix the problems afflicting his right knee after his crash during round 1 at Phillip Island and will have to sit out the Valencia race in order to try to be fit for the next round at Assen, on April 25.

The twenty-five year old Evesham rider tested the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Superbike at Valencia
last weel and knows the machine extremely well.

In last weekend’s BSB Championship at Brands Hatch, Andrews DNF’d in Race 1 and took the 8th spot in Race 2.

Simon Andrews:

“I am excited by the chance of riding for the Kawasaki Racing Team in World Superbike this weekend. It was good of them to give me the chance to test before the race. It went well; we all worked hard and moved forwards. It was also good to have raced last weekend in BSB as I have already had a taste of competition. From a rider’s point of view it is good to work with the people they have in the KRT set-up.”

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