[Ducati] NCR-Ducati Canadian Thunder team update

[Vicki Smith]

NCR-Ducati spring testing at Jennings and Barber

Successful week of testing for the NCR-Ducati Canadian Thunder team.
Canadian, Andrew Nelson shook off his winter rust with two days of testing
at Jennings, Florida. A lot of work was done with the fine tuning the
suspension and mechanical set-up of the new Ducati 848 motorcycle. The
Bologna based NCR Factory technical crew chief Fabrizio Fontana was flown in
for the week of testing. Fabrizio was very happy with the progress that
Andrew made in the development of the overall set-up of the motorcycle.
Early testing showed that the lap times were dropping quickly by focusing on
the balance of the motorcycle. The engine was left stock for preliminary
testing since it already is approaching the horsepower limit of the Parts
Canada Canadian Thunder Class. Lap times were approaching the 1:20 mark and
then quickly dropped with consistent laps in the 1:18's with a best of
1:18.220. With testing at Jennings complete, the team packed up and quickly
set off for Barber Motorsport Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

The goal at the AMA Formula Extreme Class was to use the limitations of the
Parts Canada rules in a class that has a lot of flexibility such as slicks
and unlimited horsepower. The NCR-Ducati 848 used DOT Street tires and a
stock engine to compete in the field of 43 riders. Early testing had Andrew
lapping in the 1:33 range and then improved lap times to the low 1:30's and
also qualified 14th. Not bad for street tires and a stock engine!! The start
of the race saw a multiple hop start as Andrew attempted to adapt to the
torque of a twin. Even Andrew found it funny but it put him little further
back than what he would have liked for such a competitive class. He found
himself in 18th place and had his work cut out for him. He slowly chipped
away one rider at a time and finished the race in 12th position. An
excellent result for early spring testing.

Now the focus is on completing the NCR-Ducati 848 package in time for the
first round at Calabogie Motorsports park in Calabogie, Ontario on May
23-25th where Italian Valter Bartolini will be joining in the fun. Join us
in what will certainly be an exciting year for NCR-Ducati and the parts
Canada Canadian Thunder Class.

For more info, contact:
Jim McKenna at Ducati North America
www.ducatiusa.com  
or Joe Ippoliti at NCR
www.ncrfactory.com