Sunnyvale, Calif., October 10, 2020 – Lorenzo Zanetti gave the Warhorse Racing HSBK Ducati New York team Ducati Panigale V4 R SBK a sensational debut on American soil, taking second in both Friday practice sessions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, right on the tail of former champion, Suzuki’s Toni Elias.
Zanetti completed 33 laps on the brand-new Ducati Corse-built Panigale V4 R SBK and was consistently in the hunt for the top placings, eventually going on to a 1:37.055 at his first trip to The Brickyard.
For Wyman, the return to Indy was a trying one. The Excelsus Solutions/KWR Ducati Team man ended the day with a 1:38.929 for seventh fastest after a total of 34 laps, as he and the crew work through some chassis adjustments for the demands of Indianapolis.
Race One of MotoAmerica Superbikes at The Brickyard will start at 3:00 p.m. local time tomorrow, with Race Two scheduled for the same time on Sunday, October 11.
FP1 Final Standing
P1 — Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha) 1:37.736
P2 — Lorenzo Zanetti (Ducati) 1:37.963
P3 — Toni Elias (Suzuki) 1:38.456
P4 — Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 1:38.791
P5 — Jake Gagne (Yamaha) 1:39.059
P6 — Kyle Wyman (Ducati) 1:39.702
FP2 Final Standing
P1 — Toni Elias (Suzuki) 1:36.929
P2 — Lorenzo Zanetti (Ducati) 1:37.055
P3 — Bobby Fong (Suzuki) 1:37.315
P4 — Cameron Beaubier (Yamaha) 1:37.365
P5 — Mathew Scholtz (Yamaha) 1:37.484
P7 — Kyle Wyman (Ducati) 1:38.929
Kyle Wyman (#33 Excelsus Solutions/KWR Ducati Team)
“It was a bit of an uneventful day,” Wyman said. “We keep trying things and going backwards. We can’t find the right feeling in the rear, and there are a few issues with the front.
“We’re trying to get better here, which is a unique track, without having to revert back to what we had a Road America. We need to be better than that. We’re trying all our options—we think we’ve got a solution for the rear that will help us for the races. We are not going to give up.”
Lorenzo Zanetti (Warhorse Racing HSBK Ducati New York Team – Ducati #87)
“I struggled a bit compared to this morning,” Italian Zanetti said after the second practice session, “but this morning I started immediately with a good sensation. From first session to second, I tried to improve and the engineers from Ducati Corse helped me, but, maybe, like me, they thought of the Pirelli tires (MotoAmerica runs Dunlop slicks as opposed to Pirelli).
So, for me, the way of the second session was wrong. During the session, I managed a change on the chassis, and when I put the qualifying tire on with extra grip, the bike started to work. That gave me the opportunity to try for pole position on the first lap, but on the second lap I try and try, over the limit a bit. But, this time, I have a good bike, good support, although not many spare parts! So, I need to stay calm, and try to work and give the result for the team and the sponsors and help for the next race and next season.”
