After an extended summer break, the Pata Honda World Supersport team is heading to the Jerez circuit in Spain for round nine of the 2014 series this weekend (5-7 September) with Michael van der Mark in a strong championship position.

With a 53-point lead over his nearest rival and a maximum of 75 points available from the remaining three races following the recent cancellation of the South African round scheduled for 19 October, the 21-year-old Dutch rider knows he is in control.

The World Supersport championship has not had a round since 6 July when van der Mark won at Portimao in Portugal but he got the opportunity to race for Honda at the prestigious Suzuka 8-hour race in Japan at the end of July.

For van der Mark it was a second successive victory in the prestigious endurance event with his MuSashi Harc-Pro Honda team-mates Takumi Takahashi and Pata Honda World Superbike rider Leon Haslam. 

Michael van der Mark: “This summer break has been long but it was great to have the opportunity to return to Suzuka at the end of July and win the 8-hour race again with Leon (Haslam) and Takumi (Takahashi). I had a little holiday in the sun after that and I’ve been training hard to get ready for racing again. It will be a little strange to get back on the smaller CBR again after riding the Fireblade in Japan, but I am really looking forward to riding it again. I will approach this weekend in exactly the same way as normal, which is to try and win. I will have the championship in my mind as always though and just try to do the best that I can.”