Team SRC Kawasaki France was created in 2009 by Gilles Stafler, long-time technical director of Team Kawasaki France, to perpetuate the brand's presence at the highest level of endurance. Gilles' team won five victories at the 24 Heures Motos and three victories at the Bol d'Or between 2010 and 2016. Kawasaki France won six World Endurance Champion titles in 1981, 1982, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1996.
What is the program for Team SRC Kawasaki France for the next World Endurance Championship which will begin on September 15 and 16 at the Bol d'Or?
“It has been decided that we will participate this year in the entire World Championship, that is to say the four European races, plus the Suzuka 8H, provided of course that we are well placed in the Championship. Our program is therefore different from last year, where whatever happened we did not go to Suzuka. »
Three very different drivers will ride for you. Can you describe them to us, as well as their major role in the team? Let's start with Randy de Puniet.
“Now Randy is the most senior on the team. He knows the team and the bike perfectly, which allows him to have a role where he can tone it down a little if one of his two teammates is more demanding. He's not the boss, far from it, but he has more perspective on the team than the other two.
“Jérémy Guarnoni comes from the Kawasaki industry because he has been riding machines from this manufacturer for a long time. In particular, he has extensive experience in 1000 Superstock with the ZX-10R. Jérémy has long teeth and we will have to temper him a little so that he really learns to become a real endurance driver. »
Jérémy won the Bol d'Or for your team with Loris Baz and Grégory Leblanc in 2013.
“Yes, absolutely. Jérémy and Loris had been all the more difficult to manage since they were each 19 years old! They were still kids but they demonstrated that on the bike they were no longer kids. »
After the withdrawal of GMT94 endurance, why did you choose David Checa (three-time World Endurance Champion in 2004, 2014 and 2016-2017)?
“We recruited David Checa because of his great experience. Many people know him and know that he is a tough, very hard-working driver. He demonstrated it to us again during the recent pre-Bol d'Or tests where he discovered the team and the machine.
“I think our crew will be very homogeneous and efficient by combining a young rider with two other much more experienced riders, one in endurance and the other in MotoGP-type sprint races. But Randy now knows endurance well and we should have a good crew on the track. »
The Kawasakis are unbeatable in the Superbike World Championship (especially that of Johnny Rea…). Is this an asset for endurance?
“No, because they are actually motorcycles that are completely different from ours, especially electronically. These are speed type motorcycles. They are designed and prepared to do 25 laps, and not 25 relays of 25 laps each over a 24-hour race like the Bol d'Or.
“We cannot learn directly from motorcycles that are much more powerful. They require significant maintenance and could never last 24 hours. Knowing that now with electronics it plays a lot on the chassis geometries, we do not have the same motorcycle configurations at all. »
What is your assessment of the recent two days of testing at Circuit Paul Ricard*?
“I would describe it as rather positive since we worked more on the endurance side than on the performance side. We have selected from all the Pirelli tires available to us a tactical choice for the race, for day and night, but also for different track temperatures because we don't know what the weather will be like in ten days.
“We also worked on two slightly different chassis tuning options. The bike was already very fast with the configuration Randy chose previously, compared to the modifications we were able to make for Oschersleben in Germany.
“Our main areas of work have been the choice of tires and chassis geometry that we will use for race week, as well as for the race itself. »
*The top 6 best times from the two days of testing:
YART Yamaha – 1'55.037
Team SRC Kawasaki France – 1'55.746
ERC-BMW Motorrad Endurance – 1'56.217
LCR Endurance – 1
Bolliger Team Switzerland – 1'56.828
Yamaha Viltaïs Pierret Experiences – 1'56.975
Bol d'Or: The entry list
Photos © Team SRC Kawasaki France / FIM EWC David Reygondeau
