World Superbike 2013 – Round Five – Donington Park
— WSBK riders set for another epic battle at Donington Park
Rome (Italy), Tuesday 21 May 2013 – The eni FIM Superbike World Championship gets to the heart of England for Round 5 at Donington Park. The British venue was built in the ‘30s of the last century and saw a new life in the 1970s, becoming one of the most famous tracks for motorcycle racing in the world. Donington Park hosted the first ever World Superbike Round on April 3rd 1988, with pole position scored by local rider Roger Burnett on a Honda.
British riders always had a strong connection to their home round, but rarely got on top step of the podium in recent times. In 2012 Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) was the first rider from the UK to win a race at Donington Park after four years – before him, James Toseland was the last to score a victory (2007, race 1). Rea won one of the most unpredictable races of all time, settled at the very last turn of the race, after a collision with Leon Haslam and a consequent “domino effect” that involved Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet), who had previously tried to overtake Haslam, too – team mate at the time – for the race win.
Local boy Leon Haslam, now back with the Honda family for 2013, is still recovering from the leg injury he sustained at Assen almost a month ago, and he’s trying his best in order to take part in his home Round.
Despite the thrilling finale in 2012, Melandri has fond memories of the last weekend out on the Leicestershire circuit, as the Italian managed to give BMW their maiden World Superbike win in race 1. Works BMW rider Chaz Davies seeks redemption at Donington Park, following two difficult rounds at both Assen and Monza.
Aprilia Racing Team duo of Sylvain Guintoli and Eugene Laverty, who currently lie 1st and 2nd in Riders standings, have never scored a top-3 on the East-Midlands track. Laverty crashed in 2 out of his 4 WSBK races there, while Guintoli best result is a 5th place in last year’s race 2.
Tom Sykes’ (Kawasaki Racing Team) best result dates back to 2008, when he raced as a wildcard from BSB and finished with a sensational 2nd place in the aggregate race 1 results, behind Troy Bayliss. Team mate Loris Baz made his debut in WSBK last year at Donington, as substitute for the unfortunate Joan Lascorz. FIXI Crescent Suzuki Leon Camier scored his only WSBK podium finish at the British venue in 2011 (3rd place, race 2), but won race 1 two years before, in his winning British Superbike season.
Team Ducati Alstare welcomes Niccolò Canepa for a one-event participation. The current Superstock 1000 rider will join full-time riders Carlos Checa and Ayrton Badovini after testing with fellow Italian last week at Mugello. 2011 WSBK Champion Checa is still recovering from an osseus edema in his left shoulder that ruled him out the Monza round.
Standings – provisional*: 1. Guintoli 137; 2. Laverty 124; 3. Sykes 119; 4. Melandri 96; 5. Davies 94; 6. Baz 75; 7. Fabrizio 74; 8. Rea 71; 9. Giugliano 49; 10. Camier 46; 11. Cluzel 41; 12. Neukirchner 39; 13. Badovini 32; 14. Checa 29; 15. Haslam 29; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Aprilia 172; 2. BMW 144; 3. Kawasaki 130; 4. Honda 78; 5. Suzuki 68; 6. Ducati 52.
* Possible updated results could be defined by the International Disciplinary Court which is dealing with the appeal lodged by Aprilia Racing Team and rider Sylvain Guintoli, following the decision taken by the FIM Stewards in Monza (Italian Round, last 12 May) to cancel the drop of position sanction (from third to fourth place in race 2) imposed by the Race Direction on rider Tom Sykes.
World Supersport
Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha) approaches his home Round as new Championship leader, following his 2nd race win of the season at Monza and a turnaround of events that saw Kenan Sofuoglu’s crash on lap 4 and the withdrawal by Fabien Foret (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki) and Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport) from the final restart – as both were involved in the multiple crash that led to the third red flag in an hectic day for Supersport riders.
The English venue is a special place for the 22 year old, who scored his maiden Supersport race win last year on this very track – ahead of Sofuoglu – and has recently moved to Derby, 20km far from the circuit.
While Foret was diagnosed with no major injuries after a hospital check-up, van der Mark sustained multiple fractures in his left foot and he is currently recovering in the UK, together with Superbike team mate Leon Haslam. Both riders are set to tackle the Donington Park Round.
Injured David Salom’s place in the Intermoto Ponyexpres Kawasaki Team will be taken once again by Frenchman Florian Marino, who battled for race victory at Monza up to the chequered flag and ended up with an outstanding 2nd place. Scotsman Kev Coghlan (DMC-Lorenzini Kawasaki) will aim for his first podium in the series after showing some good performance in the 5-way battle for rostrum positions in the last round.
Irishman Jack Kennedy (Rivamoto Honda) and Christian Iddon (ParkinGo MV Agusta Corse) are two riders to watch for the upcoming race, as both rookies know Donington Park like the back of their hand, having competed last year in the British Supersport Championship with strong results – 1st and 2nd place at Donington Park for Kennedy, 3rd for Iddon in race 2.
Standings: 1. Lowes 70; 2. Foret 54; 3. Vd Mark 49; 4. Sofuoglu 45; 5. Zanetti 40; 6. Scassa 34; 7. Marino 31; 8. Antonelli 29; 9. Russo 26; 10. Kennedy 24; 11. Coghlan 22; 12. Rolfo 22; 13. Leonov 21; 14. Marconi 16; 15. Roccoli 14. Manufacturers: 1. Kawasaki 90; 2. Yamaha 78; 3. Honda 65; 4. MV Agusta 22; 5. Suzuki 8.
— Smiths Triumph – Smiths Triumph To Race At Donington World Supersport
Reigning Motorpoint British Supersport Champions, Smiths Triumph Racing Team, will be heading for Donington Park to take part in the World Supersport Championship race this weekend.
The Gloucester-based squad will field defending British Champion Glen Richards and his fellow Australian Billy McConnell as wild card entries aboard the brand new Smiths Triumph Daytona 675R machines on which they are contesting this year’s British series and hold sixth and third places respectively.
At the corresponding meeting last year, it was a successful outing for all three Smiths riders with Richards finishing in fifth, McConnell in ninth and Luke Mossey claiming the last point in 15th place to mark a hugely successful World Championship debut for the team.
So far this year, 25-year-old McConnell has racked up four podium finishes out of the six races to date in the British Championship with 39-year-old Richards claiming top five finishes in all but one of the six races and the pair hope to continue that consistency at the first of the two World Supersport Championship rounds to be held in the UK this season.
Rebecca Smith, Team Manager: “Smiths Triumph Racing Team has made the decision to enter the World Supersport round at Donington Park this weekend purely because of the enjoyment we got out of doing it last year. Since leaving Oulton Park we have been working extremely hard on the development of the new Smiths Triumph Daytona and we have been improving the competitiveness of the bike. We have completed extensive engine development work as well as tweaking to improve other minor issues that we had been having so far this season. Another benefit of entering is that it allows for Glen and Billy to ride competitively without any big pressure on them as we haven’t had a chance to get out on the bike since Oulton Park. Most of all we are hoping to just have some fun whilst being competitive on the world stage with the brand new Smiths Triumph Daytona 675R.”
— Liberty Racing call it quits
The LIBERTY RACING TEAM EFFENBERT thanks Dorna WSBK Organization Srl that allowed to the team to be present at the start to the 2013 season, and try to recover the substantial value of the investment in marketing and promotional activities carried out in the Superbike World Championship from 2008 until today , first in sponsorships and then with direct participation.
Whereas, as noted, the main goal of our team is the use of racing according to the parameters necessary for the promotion of the brand of our main sponsor and our other partners, we have found, on our opinion, some difficulties during these races in pursuing this targets.
Anyway, we believe that the continuation of the adventure of the team in the WSBK 2013 is not of our further interest , as the sponsors and partners have decided to direct the promotional investment in other channels at this time achieve the value economic effort / visibility more appropriate to the volume of investments.
In the next days will be communicated in detail the operational programs.
The Team takes this opportunity to thank publicly all those who have shared this adventure and all those who have spoken and written of us, whether good or bad.
— Althea Racing Preview
The fifth round of the Superbike World Championship will take place over the weekend of May 26- 27-28 at the Donington Park circuit, located close to Castle Donington in North West Leicestershire, England. Donington Park is one of Britain’s most popular racing circuits and home to many exciting and prestigious events. In 1985, the Melbourne Loop was built to increase the lap distance to 4.023 km. It is a parkland circuit set in a natural amphitheatre which allows superb viewing of its fast sweeping corners. After several years break, Donington Park received its official homologation from the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) in 2007, giving the Leicestershire venue the green light to host the races of the Superbike World Championship.
Two weeks after the Monza races, the Althea Racing team is ready for Round 5 of the World Superbike Championship that will take place this weekend on the English track of Donington Park. The Monza races proved that Genesio Bevilacqua’s team and rider Davide Giugliano are continuing to build their experience and are able to compete at the highest levels. On the Donington track the Althea Racing team aims to continue to improve and fight for the positions that count.
Davide Giugliano: “I really like the Donington track. It’s fast but it’s also technical and it’s always fun to ride the undulating sections of this track. Unfortunately the British weather is always an unknown and my hope is that it doesn’t rain. The Monza event didn’t exactly go as I’d hoped because we had some technical problems that limited me. This is another reason why I’m looking forward to Donington, to work hard with my team and obtain important results.”
— Fixi Crescent Suzuki
FIXI Crescent Suzuki is in England this weekend for the European round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship at Donington Park; an event that the team considers its first ‘home’ race of the season.
With the team’s title sponsors, FIXI, based in London and the squad’s operational headquarters at Crescent in southern England, plus the majority of the squad, including racer Leon Camier, hailing from the UK, the Donington event is a real homecoming for the Suzuki WSBK outfit.
Camier is hoping to be fully fit at Donington following the knee injury he sustained earlier in the season that has seen him compete at below full-strength at the last two events. He has worked hard on his fitness and will be heading to his home race in a positive and invigorated frame of mind following a tough training regime to build his race fitness and stamina.
Jules Cluzel is returning to a circuit that holds fond memories for him from last season. The Frenchman immediately made himself at home around the Donington layout, as he took Pole Position in the Supersport class and followed that with third in the race. His ability to quickly-learn circuits on the Yoshimura-powered GSX-R will again be put to the test as he continues with his impressive rookie season in the Superbike arena. He is still suffering from the after-effects of the accident at Monza that cost him the nail on his little finger, but he is determined to not let that hinder him this weekend.
The 4,023m-long Donington Park circuit is round five of this season’s championship, set in a natural amphitheatre in the Derbyshire/ Leicestershire countryside; and has many exciting corners set over its elevation changes. It is one or the riders’ favourite circuits of the year and not many tracks have a sight to compare with the entire field roaring down Craner Curves on the first lap – possibly one of the best stretches of asphalt on the entire calendar.
FIXI Crescent Suzuki will start the weekend with practice sessions on Friday and Saturday, which will hopefully see Camier and Cluzel advance to the Superpole on Saturday afternoon where the pair will be challenging for the best grid positions for Sunday’s two 23-lap races.
Leon Camier: “I am really looking forward to Donington Park; it’s great to race at home and I’m sure we’ll have a big crowd there to cheer us on. I have been working hard to get fully fit and now hope my injuries allow me to push to 100% and get the FIXI Crescent Suzuki up to where we need to be. The GSX-R’s engine performance has improved massively; we now need to focus on getting out of the slow corners cleanly and putting the power to the ground! Donington is one of those tracks where outright speed is not a necessity, so that should be an advantage to us.”
Jules Cluzel: “Donington is a really important race for the whole team, it is a totally English squad, with the exception of me and another guy – so I guess I will need to be a ‘Rosbif’ for the weekend! My finger is still quite sore and if I put gloves on, it is painful, but it is only a finger and it won’t stop me from riding. I was really disappointed after Monza because I think we had the chance of a good result in both races, but some bad luck and I think an unfair decision for the ride-through cost us. We have to put that behind us now and start working hard again at Donington; it is a track I really like and one that I went very well at last season. I know some of the guys have huge knowledge of the place – including Leon – so it won’t be easy, but I will try to learn as quickly as possible and hopefully give all our sponsors and fans something to cheer about on Sunday.”
— HRC Preview
Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) has more than just a home race to look forward to at the fifth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship at Donington Park on Sunday May 26. Given the many recent advances he and his team have found in the race specification and performance of his CBR1000RR he is also out to replicate the kind of form that put him on the first race podium at the Assen round in late April.
Improvements to his race package should allow him to make a real difference at Donington, which was the most recent venue Jonathan has scored a full race victory at, around this time last year. Having taken part in a bicycle race in the UK shortly after the previous Monza round Rea is at the peak of his powers again and ready to try to score his first win of 2013.
Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) is almost literally at home when he goes to Donington but currently he is in a battle to be fully fit after breaking his left leg at Assen. His recovery process is going well but he will have to wait until given the medical all clear before he can make a start at the fifth round of the year.
The complete Donington circuit may be formed of two truly contrasting sections but it is a perennial favourite with most competitors who get to ride a high-speed rollercoaster of asphalt down Craner Curves before making their gradual climb uphill to McLeans Corner and Coppice before rushing downhill again to the Melbourne Loop section. This final part of the 4.023km track comprises a slow chicane, then two tight hairpins onto the start/finish straight, and provides some of the hardest braking points of the year.
In the championship standings Jonathan is currently eighth, but only four points from a top six ranking after four rounds. Leon, who has had to miss the Assen and Monza races altogether, is 15th.
After Donington Park the championship trail heads south once more, to the modern classic circuit of Portimao in Portugal for the sixth round on June 9th.
VAN DER MARK JOINS HASLAM IN A RACE TO BE FIT
In a determined attempt to be fit to race at the fifth round of the FIM Supersport World championship at Donington Park this weekend Dutch rider Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) has joined his Superbike colleague Leon Haslam in the UK for a period of intense preparation and healing.
Currently third in the overall rankings after breaking four bones in his left foot during the previous Monza round, Van der Mark is determined to get back into action at Donington to help his overall championship challenge continue at the same high level he has reached since starting his rookie WSS season.
Lorenzo Zanetti (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) is a fighting fifth in the Championship after securing his first WSS podium at the previous round at Monza in his native Italy. He enters the Donington Park event, titled the European round of the championship, secure in the knowledge that more podiums are possible. Lorenzo is 30 points from the lead of the championship after five rounds, with ten rounds of the championship still to run, including Donington.
After a great start to his rookie season Irish rider Jack Kennedy (Rivamoto Honda) dropped to tenth in the championship after his Monza no score. Now approaching a circuit he has raced at regularly during his recent British Championship experiences he should start the weekend at no real disadvantage to most of his more experienced WSS rivals for the first time in 2013.
Luca Marconi (PTR Honda) is looking for any finish better than tenth in the Donington race to beat his 2013 best so far, as he sits 14th in the rankings after four rounds. His PTR Honda team is taking part in its home round in England this weekend and Luca wants to make a good showing for them, and to start moving up the championship table in his own right.
After a very tough start to the season delivered Sheridan Morais no points in the opening three races the gritty South African rider showed his true self at Monza by finishing sixth despite carrying a right shoulder injury. The lingering effects of that may still be evident but he has healed considerably since the last round.
David Linortner (Team Honda PTR) moved up to 23rd after scoring two points at Monza. Raffaele De Rosa (Team Lorini Honda) sits in 25th place.
Gabor Talmacsi (PRORACE Honda) will be looking to a track he knows well from his long experience of racing in the smaller GP classes to kick start his season after four races with no points. He was tenth at Donington for his current PRORACE team last season, shortly after joining the WSS class for the first time. He has upped his own level of preparation even more for the challenges ahead by racing in a national event at his own home track in Hungary.
The usual host of regular Honda riders will be out to make their first big impression of the season once again, including Imre Toth (Racing Team Toth Honda), Eduard Blokhin (Rivamoto Honda), Nacho Calero Perez (Honda PTR) and his fellow rookie Matt Davies (Team Honda PTR).
The sixth round of a 14 round championship will take place at another regular SBK venue, Portimao in Portugal, on June 9th.
Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) – “I think Donington could be a very strong track for us. Monza was going to be one of our weaker circuits but we were still there or there about. With no long straights at Donington I am quite optimistic about our chances. I like the track and it is good to be back in the UK to go racing. Given the championship situation points are not at the forefront of our minds so now we have to get some solid race weekends under our belt. It would be great to get a double podium finish this weekend, or even something better. Our package is pretty well rounded so we can go to any track now, keep our heads high and hope for the best possible results. I think Donington will give us a much more comfortable weekend than having to do two races at Monza.”
Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) – “I had a successful operation after Monza and my aim is to race at Donington, my home event. I am struggling with knee movement but I have a few more days of working on that. I know Donington well and from Assen onwards the team have made big steps with the bike. Jonathan has been speaking about how much better it is, so I am keen to get back on it. I had never missed an SBK race before in my life. I have had two broken legs, a collarbone, broken ankles in previous seasons and still been able to race, so it has been tough to take not racing in the past two rounds. If I can race I am definitely going to give it a go. From a positive side I will not have to learn Donington, there are not too many left-handers, which is going to be the issue with my knee. The biggest factors will be bending my knee enough and changing gears.”
Michael van Der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) – “As always I am looking forward to the weekend but it will be a little bit difficult maybe this time. That is partly to do with the fact that I have never ridden at Donington Park before and also because I have a foot injury. It is getting better every day and we have made faster progress than we first expected. It will be a bit painful this weekend but we are riding for sure!”
Lorenzo Zanetti (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) – “Taking a podium at Monza was fantastic at my home race but it was a strange day with crashes all around and two crashes for me before the final race start. I have some problems with my back and my right hand because of this. Nothing is broken but it is quite painful. I like Donington. It’s not a fast track but a good one and a very different one from Monza. I want to try to push a lot at Donington, the same as in Monza, and fight for the top five places.”
Jack Kennedy (Rivamoto Honda) – “We will have a lot of people there and I suppose you could call it my home race. A lot of friends, family and sponsors will be coming so we will have to put on a good show won’t we? The weather does not look on our side through. Donington will be different because I know I should be quick in the first sessions, no matter what the conditions are, because I know the track so well. That is obviously a big confidence-booster as well because when you come towards the second qualifying session in 20th position or whatever at a new track you have a big gap to close and lots still to learn. I am hoping to be up inside the top five in every session at Donington. I’m looking forward to riding my Rivamoto Honda there as this time around we have a lot of knowledge of that track layout. This season is a learning process for me, especially with the electronics and the longer races that I am not so used to doing, but we are getting better at it every round.”
Luca Marconi (PTR Honda) – “I am not sure how the weather is going to be in England but I hope it is not raining. I like the track and I want to make a good result for the team, as it is their home race. I will try my best as always. Donington Park is very different from Monza and maybe the rider counts more than the bike. I like the flowing first part at Donington but I am not so keen on the very last part with the slow corners. It is difficult to pass other riders in most places on the first part so at least the last corners do give you some places to overtake.”
Sheridan Morais (PTR Honda) – “Last year I was also injured for the Donington round, after a big crash at Monza, but this time around my shoulder has improved and I hope I can ride my bike to its full potential. Sixth at Monza was not so bad considering I was not really fully fit. I came back to South Africa for a short period of time after Monza and that is always a bit hectic, but it is always good for me and it gets me ready to go racing again.”
Gabor Talmacsi (PRORACE Honda) – “I rode a stock 600 bike at a national race at the Hungaroring after Monza and I made my best lap time ever, so I think my form is good. I think the last three races we lost the race in the pit box more than with my performance so I will be recommending a new bike set-up and balance to my team. They are really looking to help me. At Donington I believe I can be where I have to be, even though I cannot say it is my favourite track because it is usually cold and raining! All the same, I feel confident going there.”
— Kawasaki Preview
Tom Sykes and Loris Baz head to Donington Park for Tom’s home round this weekend filled with the expectation of strong results at a venue that should offer good opportunities to both KRT riders.
Sykes was impressed by how well his Ninja ZX-10R performed at the ultra high-speed circuit of Monza last time out and at Donington, a track which he believes is even more suited to his machine’s wide ranging performance package, Sykes has every reason to be confident approaching his local event.
Baz is no stranger to Donington Park as he passes through the career milestone of one year in the official Kawasaki Racing Team set-up, which he joined at Donington last season. Already on the podium this year, going third at Assen, he is looking to make the most of qualifying and then keep in contention with the leading riders all through Sunday’s races.
Both official Kawasaki runners are proven SBK race winners on the awesome Ninja ZX-10R but each is still looking for a first career win in this class at Donington.
With the championship now getting tighter in terms of points spread between the leaders Sykes is now only 18 points from the very top, having won a race at Assen and taken five podium finishes from the eight races so far.
Loris, still only 20-years-old, sits in sixth place with a season highpoint of third in race two at Assen contributing to his strong early showings.
Federico Sandi (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) will be joined at Donington by his regular team-mate Alex Lundh, who missed the recent Monza round after suffering a collarbone injury at the Assen weekend in April.
The Superstock 1000 FIM Cup and Superstock 600 European Championship classes will miss out on the Donington race weekend but will reconvene at Portimao on Portugal for the fourth round of these championships on June 9.
Tom Sykes: “I am really looking forward to Donington. Monza for me was one of the hardest circuits we should have gone to, even though we won there last year, but we got on the podium twice. Donington is a flowing, twisting circuit so I am looking forward to riding my Ninja ZX-10R there. There are no real straights so it should be really good. It has always been a favourite of mine and I am very excited to go there with a fast and consistent package on the bike. I have led races at Donington in the past and we have been able to make good laps even at the end of races this year at a variety of different tracks, so I am really looking forward to Donington because it should be a nice one for me and the bike.”
Loris Baz: “I have taken some time out relaxing after Monza and I feel 100% again. I am impatient waiting to get to Donington and it is now one year since I started racing in Superbike with the team. I did not race BSB at Donington when I was doing that championship but I raced there in SBK last year and two times in Superstock before that. It should be a better track than Monza for us and only that final slow part that is not so much fun to ride. The final part is like it was not designed by the same guy that did the main part but it gives us some places where to overtake. We have improved our set-up a lot at Aragon, found some positive things at Monza too, so I am sure we will be really good in all the first section at Donington. Then I’m sure we should also find improvements in the last two corners. I would like to be inside the top five in both races and this weekend I am really looking for that.”
Kawasaki Mahi Racing Team India riders Fabien Foret and Kenan Sofuoglu enter the fifth round of the championship in second and fourth place respectively, and in a highly motivated mood.
Ninja ZX-6R riders have been well represented in the top results in 2013 so far with Foret winning the Spanish race at Aragon and Sofuoglu taking the first race victory in Australia. The previous round was not so lucky for either of the top-placed Kawasaki runners, with Foret injured and out of the Monza race altogether after many scary early crashes and four eventual race starts. Sofuoglu had a very uncharacteristic fall and a no-score.
The mission for both these proven World Champions at Donington in a few days time is the same – to close the points gap to championship leader Sam Lowes and gather as many points as possible.
Foret is fit to race despite spending a night under observation in hospital after the Monza race and Sofuoglu has been training hard to be in optimum condition to take on the unique challenge of Donington, which is very much a circuit of two halves. The first part is peerlessly flowing and undulating, first down then up hill, while the last part of the track is flat, featuring one chicane and two tight off-camber hairpins. These contrasting track sections present the teams and riders with a unique set of challenges in finding an ideal set-up.
With most of the top riders having dropped points already the overall championship table has seen the leading riders swap places almost every week, but currently Foret is in second place, 16 points behind Lowes, with Sofuoglu in fourth place, 25 points back from the lead after only four rounds.
At Donington Florian Marino (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) will once more replace the still-injured David Salom in the Czech-based Kawasaki team, riding alongside Luca Scassa (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) who scored a podium at Aragon in round two.
Andrea Antonelli (Goeleven Kawasaki) is eighth going into the fifth round, with Riccardo Russo (Puccetti Racing Kawasaki) ninth.
A home race for Kevin Coghlan (Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini Team) offers him the chance to capitalise on some fine performances in the past two rounds, including a very close fifth place at Monza, while Vladimir Ivanov (Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini Team) is also making great strides forward on his Ninja ZX-6R this year.
Fabien Foret: “I spent some time this week with Tom Sykes and it was fun driving his karts around. That was a good test to see if my Monza injuries have healed up. My neck is OK after the crash but I had a very sharp pain at the time it happened at Monza, when another rider hit me by accident. What the doctors found were my old injuries from 2008, the signs of three broken vertebrae, but I have had a lot of checks made now and there are no new injuries. It was just the old ones that showed up in the X-Rays at first. I took it easy right after Monza but now I am OK and ready for the Donington race weekend. I will be going there with a positive outlook. It is not my best track but if I try my best I can do much better than before.”
Kenan Sofuoglu: “I think I am confident for Donington because I have done my homework about the track and also done a lot of training to be ready for this race. It is not an easy track and the race pace is normally quite good there. Our suspension supplier has a lot of experience at Donington so we should be ready for practice and qualifying. I am 25 points behind in the championship but there are lots of races still to go and now I have to be clever and go step-by-step so that I can catch the leader. Monza was my track and a good track for my bike but many things happened there. You never know what can happen in this championship. But, hopefully, I have used up all my non-finishes because I have to be on the bike each time from now on and take good points.”