Huddersfield's World Superbikes champion Tom Sykes is set to face two new challenges as he looks to defend his title in 2014.
The 28-year-old Kawasaki Racing Team rider will face a fresh challenge from top young racer Alex Lowes and also have to adjust to a new Superpole qualifying system – Sykes being king of the Superpoles last season and starting at the front of the grid eight times in 14 rounds.
British superbike champion Lowes will not defend his title after signing to race for the Voltcom Crescent Suzuki team in the World Superbikes Championship.
The 23-year-old from Lincoln will be the new teammate of 27-year-old Northern Irishman Eugene Laverty, who finished second in the world championship in 2013 on an Aprilia.
Lowes recently completed a two-day test session on Suzuki’s GSX-R 1000 at Jerez in Spain and then put pen to paper on his contract for the 2014 season.
Lowes, whose twin brother Sam won the 2013 World Supersport Championship, said: “I am really looking forward to the new season and I will try to learn as much as I can from Eugene and then try to beat him!
“I know this will be a learning year for me, but I am eagerly anticipating it.”
Team manager Paul Denning added: “Alex was the first rider decision we made for 2014 and having experienced his commitment, ability to learn and raw speed at the two tests we’ve completed so far, it only strengthens our belief that we have a very special talent riding for the Voltcom Crescent Suzuki team for next season.”
And the 2014 edition of the FIM Superbikes World Championship will see the introduction of a new Tissot-backed Superpole format, based on two sessions of 15 minutes each.
The combined times from free practice are to play a bigger role in the chase for pole position, with the 20 top riders from practice battling for the best placing on the grid in two qualifying sessions.
This change is part of an effort to make World Superbikes and MotoGP Sporting Rules as similar as possible, to create a common ground in terms of regulations that can help circuit organisers, marshals and everyone involved in both series.
Superpole new rules
The top 20 riders classified after the free practice 1, 2 and 3 sessions will take part in Tissot-Superpole
The 10 fastest riders will be seeded directly into to Superpole 2, while the riders classified 11th to 20th will take part in Superpole 1
The fastest two riders in Superpole 1 will progress to Superpole 2, making a total of 12 riders competing for the first 12 grid positions
Both Superpole sessions will run for 15 minutes each. There will be a break of 10 minutes in between Superpole 1 and Superpole 2
