Tom Sykes will be teamed up with WSBK rookie Ian Lowry at the Nürburgring this weekend, as team regular Chris Vermeulen continues his recuperation period.

After competing in a BSB round in early August and then making progress during a test at Almeria in Spain recently, the whole KRT team is ready to get back into regular WSBK race mode.

Nürburgring is the 11th round of the season, and with only two rounds left to run after this weekend every single point counts from now on. Sykes is 16th in the current overall rankings, but is only three points from the rider ahead. Tom has six points scoring races left to move up the overall standings.

For Lowry his forthcoming experience will be an all-new one in many ways, but he has ridden for the team in BSB at Brands Hatch in early August and has also tested the Ninja ZX-10R in Almeria.

Situated in the Eifel Mountains in the far west of Germany, the Nürburgring is a fabulously appointed track, but prone to sudden changes of weather. It is something of a classic of modern circuit design and a challenge to all-comers. The surface is bumpy in places along its 5.137km length and has one of the most dramatic high-speed braking sections in modern day racing, entering the first hairpin.


Tom Sykes:

“I am looking forward to racing the Nürburgring again as there are some really exciting parts around the track, especially the right kink out the back of the circuit and the Schumacher S. That gives you a rewarding feeling when you get it right. If we can get solidly into the top ten in each race that would be really good given where we are at now. With the level of the championship this year those would be two good achievements. Last year was a bit wet and dry so there is obviously some English-style weather going on over there!”

Ian Lowry:

“Nürburgring will be completely new for me but I have been playing the Superbike game on the PS3 a lot so I am a wizard at it now! Between that and doing some research of previous races I at least know what to expect in the early stages. I will do as many laps as I can on the scooter to get it into my head before first practice and the team has a lot of data from last year. We should not be too far away to start, and I can’t wait to get going.”