On the 27^th May, World Superbike will get out on track at Donington Park for the twenty fourth time, the venue also counting itself as the birthplace of the Championship. A very different track to Sepang and Imola, the new challenge should produce another weekend of classic racing.

In Malaysia, Nicky Hayden claimed his maiden WorldSBK win after what was a perfect display of riding skills and race craft in wet conditions at the Sepang International Circuit in Race 2. He is now looking forward to riding again at Donington Park for the first time since 2009, with his best result around the parkland track a P4. With the great feeling shown onboard his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP in Malaysia, Hayden is eager to keep the momentum going as the season reaches its halfway point.

Michael van der Mark has had contrasting fortunes at Donington Park in recent years. He was victorious in World Supersport 2014 in a close last-lap battle with title rival Jules Cluzel, while in his debut World Superbike year last season he had to pull out from both races. The 23-year-old Dutchman is aiming to return to his early-season form, which saw him on the rostrum three times in the first four races, and to improve even further on his current tally of four podium finishes in 2016.

“We obviously come from a good result in Sepang but that’s old news now,” said Hayden. “We are now fully focused on Donington and on the races ahead, and we hope to be as competitive as we were in Malaysia in both dry and wet conditions, because I felt really great on the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP last time out. I raced at Donington in the early years of my MotoGP career and, apart from a small modification to the Fogarty Esses, the track is basically the same. I hope we’ll get a good start on Friday, prepare well for the two races ahead and then see what we can do. With all the British presence in the series in terms of riders and teams, I’m looking forward to a great atmosphere there.”

“After the Sepang round I was of course far from happy with our results, especially as I know how competitive we can be,” added van der Mark. “The plan is therefore to make sure we get back to the same level as we were in the first two rounds and get the best out of my Fireblade again. I really enjoy riding at Donington Park and have good memories from 2014; it is a very technical track with a great mix of everything. It’s a very different circuit compared to Sepang, but I’m looking forward to this new challenge and hope for a couple of good results in front of the British crowd.”

Both riders will head out to attack Donington Park for the first time on Friday 27^th May, before Race 1 on Saturday at 15:00 local time (GMT +1), ahead of Race 2 at the same time 24 hours later.