Both Tom Sykes and Loris Baz have delivered a race win to the official Kawasaki Racing Team in 2012 but this weekend everyone involved in the squad will enjoy a new experience - a race in Russia.

The all-new 3.931km Moscow Raceway, located on the outskirts of the capital of the Russian Federation, is brand new in bike racing terms. It forms the host venue for the 11th round of the Superbike World Championship from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th August, but race weekend will be preceded by a one-day test on Wednesday 22nd, to get the teams and riders used to the layout and surface of the exciting new track.

Whatever challenges await the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R riders in Russia, an all-new territory for the SBK championship to visit, both Sykes and Baz are confident that they will be as competitive here as they have been through a tough 2012 season.

Sykes is currently third in the championship fight, some 51.5 points behind the championship leader Max Biaggi and 41 points behind second place rider Marco Melandri. Tom has been inside the top three ranking for most of the year and despite a disrupted and ultimately unfortunate home round last time out in the rain at Silverstone, Sykes still has many opportunities to gather valuable points in the remaining four rounds, including the Moscow event.

Teenager Loris Baz has impressed many observers after making the jump from Superstock rider at the start of the season to a full-works rider in SBK, even before his astounding win last time out at Silverstone. Loris now has three podium finishes in the last four individual races and has jumped from the top twenty to 13th place in the series overall.

Kawasaki Team Pedercini’s Superbike division will field three Superbike riders at the Russian round, regular competitor David Salom, plus David McFadden and Alexander Lundh. There will be no Superstock races at Moscow but all classes will reconvene for the following round at the Nürburgring, Germany, on September 9.

Tom Sykes:

“I am looking forward to the Moscow race and it will be a new adventure for everyone. I am particularly looking forward to the one-day test to try and put some more miles under the belt and improve our race weekend. I think that this coming round will be very interesting and I am quite sure it will not only be the fastest rider but also probably the smartest team that wins. I am confident in Kawasaki and all of the team and I am sure we can have a good weekend. I have not heard much about the racetrack but I have seen a little video of it. I will go in there with an open mind. It is a new part of the world to me so I hopefully it will give me good memories to take back home.”

Loris Baz:

“After what happened at Silverstone I feel really good, as you may imagine. Maybe the fact that we go to a new track is going to help us a little bit because everybody will start the same on the bike. But, the same as every race, I want to learn and work, go step-by-step, and then on Saturday we will see where we are. By then we will know more or less where we will be for the race. If the weather good then getting into the third row of the grid, getting into Superpole 2, would be good. Into Superpole 3 would be perfect. If I can take two top eight places on raceday I will be really happy.”

David Salom:

“I am very much looking forward to arriving at the Moscow Raceway and getting started with practice on Wednesday. It will be a new circuit for me and our team, so I am hoping we can find a good setting for the bike during the first practices and then work forward from this point. In this moment I am feeling confident on the bike; I am learning more and more every time I race the bike, so in Moscow I really want to fight for championship points.”

David McFadden:

“I’m really happy to be here and I know my team will help me to quickly adapt to the new bike. I’m lucky because I can have this interesting experience at a completely new track like Moscow Raceway. I want to enjoy myself and take this opportunity to do my best for Team Pedercini and for my sponsors.”

Alexander Lundh:

“This will be my first race with Pedercini Kawasaki Superbike team. I have never raced in Superbike before and so I will have to familiarize myself with my new bike, starting with Wednesday’s test and Friday’s free practices. I know the team’s technical staff will help me adapt quickly to the new bike. I’m happy because I’m starting a new and exciting experience in the World Superbike with a very clever and skilled team. Hopefully we’ll be able to score some very good results.”

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