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Buckmaster: "We need to get better and we will be better"

Tuesday, 26 August 2014 08:15 GMT

The PTR Manager is confident ahead of the final part of the season.

Performance Technical Racing manager Simon Buckmaster believes that the work done so far with the team will bring even greater results in the final stretch of the 2014 FIM Supersport World Championship season. After a difficult year in 2013, PTR started off the new season with a podium finish by Raffaele De Rosa at Phillip Island but also had to deal with the injury suffered by other CIA Insurance Honda rider Jack Kennedy. As the season progressed, the Irishman was able to get back to full fitness and to finally clinch his maiden WSS top-3 finish at Portimao by finishing second behind points leader Michael van der Mark.

Ratthapark Wilairot (Core PTR Honda) and Nacho Calero (CIA Insurance Honda) have also displayed good performance at times, with the former Moto2 rider Wilairot who is continuing to build speed upon speed in his learning year in the series.

“Obviously it has been better than last year but not as good as previous years” Buckmaster said. “We want to be better and we need to be better. We started the season well with Raffaele (De Rosa) in Australia. We need to improve and work harder especially with Jack to get the best out of him and he needs to work harder, too. It’s OK so far, but it needs to be better and it will be better. Ratthapark (Wilairot) was coming from another championship (Moto2) with a different chassis and stiffer construction tyres and it’s taken a little while to adapt. I think now we are starting to see the best of Ratthapark and I think he will have a strong end to the season. Nacho (Calero) scored his first points in the series and that’s fantastic for him. Of course he fell off at Donington and he has an injury now. He has been suffering a bit and this has affected his confidence. We are working to get him back in the points, that’s where he should be because he has done it already.”