Lachlan Epis set to break record
Rennie Scaysbrook | January 18, 2016
Butter wouldn’t melt… Epis is set to make history in February as the youngest ever starter of a World Supersport race.
The name Lachlan Epis may not be familiar to U.S. readers, but the young Australian will break the record for the youngest rider ever to start a World Supersport race at 16 years, three months old at the opening round of the championship at Phillip Island in Australia on February 28.
Epis will take the record from former World Superbike rider, Frenchman Maxime Berger, who was 16 years, eight months old when he made his WorldSSP debut back in 2006.
Epis spent the previous year learning the European tracks in the European Superstock 600 Championship and with that series disbanded for 2016, the teenager from Sydney will be part of his own team, running Kawasaki ZX-6R machinery with engines from Kawasaki Europe and support from the family business, Response Real Estate.
“All our realistic options, after Superstock 600 was dropped, were a step back or sideways,” Epis told mcnews.com.au. “And sideways meant not racing on the world supersport or superbike tracks. Australians don’t step back real well and stepping sideways just seemed to add years and cost to the original plan.
“After some serious thinking, we started work on building an all-Australian WorldSSP team, sponsored by Australian businesses. We approached Dorna with the idea of a three-year plan to get to the top step of the podium by 2018, and now we have been invited to do just that.”
Epis’ inclusion in WorldSSP bolsters Australia’s full-time presence to three riders, with sophomores Glenn Scott and Aiden Wagner both returning for 2016, and former Moto2 rider Anthony West set to make a wildcard appearance at Phillip Island.
