PIETRI RACES SUPERBIKE CLASS AT LAGUNA SECA
Team Roadracingworld.com Suzuki's Robertino Pietri put in a productive weekend at Laguna Seca racing in front of a three-day crowd of more than 130,000 spectators as the MotoGP World Championship joined the AMA Superbike Championship for the high-profile race meeting.
With the Superstock classes taking the weekend off, the former Venezuelan and Latin American Superbike champion focused his efforts on the Superbike class, knowing that the set-up and tire data gleaned this weekend could prove vital when the Superstock season finale takes place at Laguna Seca in late September.
Facing a deep field consisting of the AMA Superbike Championship regulars as well as many of the top Superstock stars, Pietri qualified on the inside of row five aboard his Superstock-spec GSX-R1000, posting the 17th fastest time of the abbreviated qualifying session with a best lap of 1:27.256.
In the race, Pietri jumped up to 14th early aboard his Pirelli-shod racer and picked up one addition spot during the 28-lap final to conclude his Superbike outing in 13th position.
Teammate Chris Ulrich sat the weekend out as he continues to recuperate from his Road America practice crash in preparation for a return to action when the Superstock series picks back up in a couple of weeks.
Ulrich explained, "I sat on the bike and thought about racing this weekend, but my hand is still quite painful and the bone is still healing. I only have about 60 degree of motion so we decided it was best to continue to rest up and come back strong at the next one. I was looking forward to riding, but there was no Superstock race at Laguna Seca and that championship is our primary focus."
Pietri, fresh off his first AMA podium scored in the Superstock race at Road America, and Ulrich, who earned a podium earlier in the season at Barber Motorsports Park, are eager to add to their 2008 trophy haul over the second half of the season.
The next race weekend will take place on August 1-3 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course where Ulrich was victorious in the Superstock class in 2002.
With the Superstock classes taking the weekend off, the former Venezuelan and Latin American Superbike champion focused his efforts on the Superbike class, knowing that the set-up and tire data gleaned this weekend could prove vital when the Superstock season finale takes place at Laguna Seca in late September.
Facing a deep field consisting of the AMA Superbike Championship regulars as well as many of the top Superstock stars, Pietri qualified on the inside of row five aboard his Superstock-spec GSX-R1000, posting the 17th fastest time of the abbreviated qualifying session with a best lap of 1:27.256.
In the race, Pietri jumped up to 14th early aboard his Pirelli-shod racer and picked up one addition spot during the 28-lap final to conclude his Superbike outing in 13th position.
Teammate Chris Ulrich sat the weekend out as he continues to recuperate from his Road America practice crash in preparation for a return to action when the Superstock series picks back up in a couple of weeks.
Ulrich explained, "I sat on the bike and thought about racing this weekend, but my hand is still quite painful and the bone is still healing. I only have about 60 degree of motion so we decided it was best to continue to rest up and come back strong at the next one. I was looking forward to riding, but there was no Superstock race at Laguna Seca and that championship is our primary focus."
Pietri, fresh off his first AMA podium scored in the Superstock race at Road America, and Ulrich, who earned a podium earlier in the season at Barber Motorsports Park, are eager to add to their 2008 trophy haul over the second half of the season.
The next race weekend will take place on August 1-3 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course where Ulrich was victorious in the Superstock class in 2002.
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