Alessandro Di Mario’s Diary: "Now the Ducati V2 fits me like a glove

This weekend we raced at a circuit called “Road America” in Wisconsin. This is the Cheese State. The Elkhart Lake track is one of the historic stops of the championship that represents the pinnacle of American motorcycling. The circuit is located about a two-hour drive from Chicago, and the nearest big city is Milwaukee.

Although the circuit is fairly narrow, it’s very long: about 6.5 kilometers. Recently resurfaced, it features three long straights, the last of which climbs uphill to the finish.

The first thing I want to say is that Rahal Ducati is an exceptional team. They did everything possible to make me comfortable on the Panigale V2, bringing a ton of different parts: handlebars, rearsets, seats. In the end, for the first time I truly felt at ease.

Feeling the bike “like a tailored fit” (I don’t know how else to explain it) is essential. Many of you will remember the famous fuel tank that Jorge Lorenzo asked Ducati for to improve his riding position. As soon as they granted it, he started winning. It wasn’t just the tank, but that change was definitely important. With the riding position sorted, I can now focus on adapting my riding style to the new bike and the different tires.

Back to my weekend: unfortunately, due to small issues, during both qualifying sessions we went in too late for the tire change and couldn’t make use of the second tire. This relegated me to 11th on the grid.

In Race 1, after a not-so-great start, I found myself stuck in the middle of a group that slowed me down. Still, with some effort, and thanks to two crashes ahead of me, I managed to finish seventh with a nice comeback race.

Race 2 was finally different. At the start I held my position, but with an aggressive strategy I was already in eighth on lap two and by mid-race in sixth, having also pulled about four seconds clear of the group behind me. At that point, with no chance of catching those ahead, I managed the situation and brought home a sixth place that’s very important to me.

Now a month of rest (so to speak.. 😊 ) and then we switch sides with two rounds on the West Coast, where I hope to confirm the progress made. At the end of June we’ll race through the woods of Ridge Park, in the state of Washington. Then, in mid-July, comes Laguna Seca. And you all know what I’m talking about... See you soon!

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