Silverstone Pre-event welcomes home talents and new arrivals

Silverstone (United Kingdom), Thursday 1 August 2013 - While the eni FIM Superbike World Championship action is set to kick-off proper tomorrow, a handful of World Superbike and Supersport riders took part in today's Pre-event at Silverstone, to share their thoughts and aspirations ahead of the ninth round of the season.

Brits Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team), Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet), Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki), Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike), along with WSS current Championship leader Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha) and Kev Coghlan (DMC Lorenzini Kawasaki) were joined on the stage by Spaniard Carlos Checa (Team Ducati Alstare), Irishman Jack Kennedy (Rivamoto Honda) and Supersport one event riders Glen Richards and Billy McConnell (Smiths Triumph) from Australia, for an interesting press conference with a final twist for two lucky ladies in the audience.

Tom Sykes

Photo by: Kawasaki Racing Team

Tom Sykes wants to turn the page on the technical issues of the Russian Round to repeat the dominant performance of Donington Park: "I'm looking forward to Silverstone, a circuit that I enjoy riding.

We don’t have the straight line speed like some other manufacturers, but we have a good base and I am looking forward to a good fight."

Eugene Laverty knows something about not finishing races in the first part of the year: "We had a good pace in Moscow but I didn’t want to get wet, so I decided to jump off the thing (crowd laughed). Five DNFs for me in the first half of the season isn’t great, but I am looking to put that right starting this weekend."

As riders were being interviewed from the SBK Paddock Show stage, a group of avid fans showed up wearing pink t-shirts - personalised with the names and racing numbers of each their heroes on stage - that were proudly and "loudly" exhibited during the show. Both crowd and riders loved it.

There was a nice surprise for Pata Honda's Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea, whose wives are expecting babies very soon. Team manager Ronald Ten Kate presented each rider a baby-grow, personalised to look like their respective fathers leathers, giving a warm welcome to the next generation of Reas and Haslams.

WSBK Series