Team Suzuki Press Office – May 20.
The sixth round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship sees Voltcom Crescent Suzuki set to race on home soil this weekend as the team travels to Donington Park for this season’s only race event in the UK.
Local rider Alex Lowes, based just 10 minutes from the Derby circuit, is eagerly anticipating his home race at his favourite track and has a one-off RST race suit, adorned with the Union Jack, to celebrate the occasion! Having mounted the rostrum three times during his previous BSB and WSBK appearances, Lowes is confident his knowledge of the circuit can aid the development of the Yoshimura-powered GSX-R’s new electronics further. Randy de Puniet is equally enthusiastic about a return to the British track – having claimed his last 250GP win (in 2005) and a third place podium during the 2009 MotoGP™ here on his previous visits – and is looking forward to atmosphere created by the Voltcom Crescent Suzuki team’s home crowd. The celebrations will also continue with a commemorative logo representing 30 years of Suzuki’s GSX-R range positioned on Lowes’ and de Puniet’s race bikes for the remainder of the season.
Set in the heart of the historic Donington Hall Estate, North West Leicestershire – 190kms from the UK’s capital, London – and established as a motor racing circuit in 1931, the 4023m-long layout encompasses 12 corners throughout its clockwise, undulating design. The location’s natural amphitheatre creates perfect viewing for the spectators as the WSBK riders tackle the high-acceleration and hard-breaking corners of the British track.
Donington Park will see Lowes and de Puniet complete all three timed-for-qualifying free practice sessions on Friday May 22nd, the first of which commencing at 10:00BST, with an earlier than usual Superpole starting at 12:00BST on Saturday. Sunday’s two 23 lap races will run at 12:00BST and 15:00BST respectively, with a reduction of three laps if the British rain descends.
Alex Lowes:
“Donington has always been one of my favourite tracks and as it’s only 10 minutes from where I live it really is a home race! I’ve made some great memories here over the years – including getting a WSBK podium on the Suzuki last year – and the UK fans are always in great spirits, really supportive of all the British riders, and Crescent as the only British-based team, so it’s a fantastic atmosphere all weekend. It’s a technical layout and I always enjoy the challenge but I know the track so well, so I’m really looking forward to getting started on Friday and getting back out there on the GSX-R.”
Randy de Puniet:
“I have good memories of Donington Park because I had my last GP win there in 2005, in the 250cc class, and in 2009 I also finished on the podium there for MotoGP™. It is a small track and I really like it, especially the first part, although not so much the final two corners. I really like to race in England because the British fans love motorcycles, they respect the riders, the atmosphere is always great and it is always a pleasure to race there. The weather is always critical, but we haven’t had a wet race yet this year, so maybe it will be our first one! I really hope that we can find the solutions to set the base for the GSX-R this weekend so we can start to work on Friday morning, I want to enjoy riding the bike and to be able to ride a good race on Sunday.”
