Amidst the Tuscan hills of the Mugello Circuit, the 5th Round of the 2024 Italian Speed Championship took place, featuring Kevin Manfredi, the only representative from La Spezia for Team Penta Motorsport, competing in the Superbike class on the Suzuki GSX-R 1000. Team Penta Motorsport officially announced that they will be leaving the Suzuki project at the end of the 2024 season to secure a more competitive bike for the future.
It was a challenging weekend for number 34, who faced significant technical difficulties, with a speed deficit of 20 km/h compared to other competitors.
Despite this, Manfredi never gave up: he finished the qualifying session in 11th position and completed Race 1 in a solid 9th place, managing even the gearbox problems that arose after the first lap.
However, the results did not satisfy the rider from La Spezia, a two-time European Champion, who continues to feel fast and believe in his potential, as he has demonstrated in optimal conditions.
Kevin: “We are working hard, but the technical gap is really insurmountable. Our Suzuki is from 2017, and competing against the official manufacturers who constantly develop their bikes is extremely difficult. We are slow in acceleration and top speed, which causes further disadvantages in the overall setup. Despite this, we have been fast, but on the straights, I was losing almost a second to my opponents, making it hard to recover in the corners. I’m happy to have brought the bike to the finish line with a ninth place in Race 1, but I know this does not reflect my true potential; I can achieve much more, as I showed last year.”
In Race 2, Kevin was forced to retire after a few laps due to a technical issue with the front brake lever.
The rider from La Spezia won’t stop, and this weekend he will be racing at the Misano World Circuit for the final round of the 2024 MotoE World Championship.
Kevin thanks all the sponsors and technical partners for their support during the 2024 season.
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