Published October 26, 2021 by Michael Le Pard , Editor‑in‑Chief
Team Suzuki Press Office – October 25.
Naomichi Uramoto: GSX-R1000 – 8-7
The sixth and penultimate round of the 2021 ESBK Spanish Superbike Championship at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Spain didn’t go as hoped by JEG Racing Suzuki rider Naomichi Uramoto, but the Japanese rider is positive and motivated for the final round.
The historic and famous MotoGP™ and World Superbike venue is also the home of JEG Racing, who are based in Valencia. Uramoto and the team tested at the circuit prior to race with a plan to iron-out some of the issues they’ve encountered this season. However, due to a crash by another rider, the test was cut short so Uramoto and the team weren’t able to complete their full schedule.
On race week, the team tried as many settings as possible in Thursday’s untimed practices and Friday’s timed sessions, but the problem was not completely solved. In qualifying Uramoto wasn’t able to score his personal best with a lap of 1’35.675 and settled for the eighth on the grid in the opening race.
Race 1 was a struggle for Uramoto, he needed to brake more in corners to turn and because of this his rivals were faster at the exit, but he caught up with the riders in front of him but was unable to pass, finishing eighth at the chequered flag.
He made a good start in Race 2 on Sunday, jumping up to sixth at start. However, Uramoto had to defend his position, rather than going after the riders in front. Although he dropped to ninth for a brief moment, Uramoto regained eighth by mid-race. The second half of the race was spent in a one-on-one battle with Roman Ramos, the 2020 ESBK Champion. Uramoto positioned himself right behind Ramos trying to make a pass, wasn’t able to, and when he took a chance and passed him, Ramos took it back.
But in the final corner of the final lap, Uramoto passed Ramos and succeeded in blocking his line to finish seventh.
Naomichi Uramoto:
“We tried many setups to solve the problem we had. I changed my riding style to see if I could somehow make an improvement, but I am sorry that I was not able to do so. The team did what they could for me, and I thank them for it. There is only one more round left in the season, and I plan to ride a good race and wash all my frustrations away.”
Valencia ESBK Results:
Qualifying: 8th – 1’35.675.
Race 1: 8th – Best Lap 1’35.262.
Race 2: 7th – Best Lap 1’35.17.
Championship Standings (after 6 rounds): 7th – 123 points.
Report: Charles Chen / Speed of Japan.
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