HUDDERSFIELD’S World Superbikes star Tom Sykes finished testing in Spain this week in positive mood.
The 26-year-old racer got the best out of a weather-restricted run on the tight track in Valencia as the Kawasaki Racing Team continued their build up to the 2013 FIM Superbike World Championship season.
The Valencia circuit, which is tight and intense with many corners squeezed into a small overall area, was dry for the team on the first day, but rain on the second day brought the tests to a premature halt.
Despite this, Sykes and teammate Loris Baz still put in more than 130 laps, so the sessions proved to be worthwhile in a multitude of ways.
“To be honest, the lap times came quite comfortably and we had a decent pace on the first day,” said Sykes, who was pipped for the 2012 WSB championship by half a point by Italian Max Biaggi.
“We used only one set of tyres on the final morning and on lap 15 I equalled my best from day one, but then the rains came and we had to stop early.
“We got some good information to keep moving forward with development of the Ninja ZX-10R.
“I am already familiar and comfortable with the new 17-inch tyres for next season and they worked well around Valencia. Overall I am happy.”
The next test outing for the team will be at Motorland Aragon, in mid-November, with three days of work scheduled.
