Sykes Scores In First Race Of 2010 Season

WSBK, Phillip Island, Australia, 28 February 2010
Kawasaki Racing Team riders Tom Sykes and Chris Vermeulen found the opening race weekend a challenging one, but Sykes got into the points in the first leg after qualifying on row three.

Sykes was a fighting 13th in the 22-lap race, but Vermeulen fell while trying to move forward from seventh, crashing out on lap four. Tom was forced out of the second race when a small technical issue caused him to enter the pits, restart, and finally retire.

Chris fell in race two after being in fourth for a period of time, sliding off at high speed at the Hayshed corner on lap eight.

Chris was checked over by the track medics, and was found to have suffered heavy bruising to his right leg and had also damaged a finger.

The team now goes to Portimao for the next round knowing that it has made great progress in real terms on track, and hoping for a change in raceday fortunes. The team has previously tested at Portimao, which will help their pre-race preparations greatly.

Tom Sykes: “In race one we made some changes to the set-up and but it didn’t suit the tyre we used. In race two we got a good launch, but got boxed in and pushed out on to the dirty stuff, along with another couple of riders. So I went from thinking I would be sixth to being 15th. The bike was feeling good but when I went into the final two corners it felt like someone was pushing me from behind. I came back in and checked the bike, then went back out again before retiring. It was just a ten cent o-ring for the steering damper, causing the steering to feel strange sometimes. Otherwise, the bike was very good and giving me a strong race pace in race two. This whole Australian experience has been a good test period for us and I know that we go to Portimao having learned a lot. I would like to thank Kawasaki and the team for the amount of effort they have put in.”

Chris Vermeulen: “I was feeling positive for the race after our two-day test and qualifying sessions. In both races I had really good starts but in the first race I lost the front early on when lying 7th and in race two I had a problem that resulted in a high-speed crash. I’m bruised and battered but am feeling OK, considering the speed of the crash. I had heavy impact on my lower right leg and my finger is pretty smashed up. The preliminary X-rays have shown no breaks but for a precaution I am heading to Melbourne for a more detailed MRI scan. I’m glad we have a month before Portimao, so I can ensure that I am back to full fitness.”

WSBK results
Phillip Island