World Supers: Silverstone It Is!

The following is from Honda...

Unlike many of his Superbike World Championship peers Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Jonathan Rea has been busy since the last race at Brno, competing in the Suzuka 8-Hours race and posting a podium result on raceday.

Rea was a race winner last time out in World Superbike at Brno, overcoming some recent set-up issues with a great race one victory, his third of the year. It moved him to third place in the standings, with his home British round awaiting him on Sunday 1 August.

The Silverstone circuit, in Northamptonshire, has been heavily modified since it last featured on the WSBK calendar in 2007. It has recaptured some of its original spirit as a fast and flowing track, and also features an extensive infield section that brings the lap length up to 5.902 kilometres. MotoGP machines have already raced on the new layout and they proved the theory that the track will be one of the fastest on the WSBK calendar.

Two Honda riders are in a three-way fight for the Supersport World Championship title, championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and former leader Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda). The first DNF of the season for Laverty and a brilliant win for Sofuoglu at the previous round (despite carrying a deep laceration to his left elbow) put Kenan on 183 points. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) ended Brno with 168 points and Laverty has an unchanged 161 points.

Back in the Superbike World Championship, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Max Neukirchner is keen to use Silverstone as the venue to turn his season around, after a double DNF at Brno left him 18th in the overall championship fight.

The ECHO CRS Honda team, and its Australian rider Broc Parkes have made some recent progress, with two points scoring finishes at Brno last time out placing Broc inside the top 20.

WSS competitor Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda) had a career best fourth place finish at Brno in early July, his rookie season highpoint proving his talents and determination to succeed. He is keen to get back into action after a quiet time since his last race, and sees Silverstone as a good opportunity to go for his first podium finish. Gino is seventh in the points standings.

Michele Pirro has been forced to miss the Silverstone round for his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team after suffering facial bruising and a dislocated wrist at the Brno race. South African rider, Ronan Quarmby, will replace him.

Parkalgar Honda rider Miguel Praia posted a career best seventh at Brno last time out, a result he now hopes to improve on at his crew's home circuit in England. Like his team-mate Laverty, he has tested at Silverstone recently.

Massimo Roccoli from the Intermoto Czech Honda team is another rider hoping to turn his season around at this race, after suffering some bad luck at key times this year. In 13th place overall, one place behind Praia, Roccoli is only 11 points from a top ten spot, with four points scoring rounds to go, including Silverstone.

The long summer break in August starts as the action at Silverstone ebbs away, with the 11th round of 13 taking place at the Nürburgring, Germany, between September 3 and September 5.

WSBK Rider Comments

Jonathan Rea, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR:
"The 8 Hour was a pretty gruelling race, probably the most difficult thing I've ever done physically. I had an awesome time, though, and had a great team who really looked after me well and made the whole experience a lot of fun. Now it's back to business at Silverstone, which looked like a pretty fun place to ride when I went up to watch the MotoGP race there. Some friends have ridden it, too, and given me a few pointers. But it's a new challenge and fresh motivation for me, so I'm really looking forward to riding there. It'll be a tough weekend and, just because it's my home race, it won't be any easier than any other. We have to forget about earlier races and see how the bike is performing on Friday morning; then we'll move forward in as positive a way as we can from there."

Max Neukirchner, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR: "Brno was a very tough weekend for me and the two crashes were very difficult to deal with after we had found something positive over the weekend. I've tried to put it out of my mind and focus on the positives though and I'm looking forward to bringing these to Silverstone this weekend. Silverstone is a new circuit for everyone and therefore we all start a little bit more equal. I also hope that the weather is a little better than the last time I was there three years ago, when the second race was cancelled!"