Heading into the half-way point of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) are keen to continue with their pace fans have seen so far in 2017, and have some strong set-ups behind them following a two day test.

Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli is a favourite circuit for reigning world champion Rea, who is looking forward to getting out on track along the Rimini coastline. Understanding how his ZX-10RR will perform in a variety of weather conditions, the Northern Irishman is able to go into round seven with some confidence. Taking the last three victories around the Misano circuit, Rea is keen to get racing underway.

 “After spending some time at home I’m really excited to arrive in Misano,” explains Rea. “Especially after our test there a couple of weeks ago, we now have a good understanding of how the bike performs in different temperatures. We are even better equipped than before to build a solid base after focusing on conserving our tyre life, and that gives me some more confidence. Misano is a circuit that means a lot to me as I took my first ever WorldSBK race there. I love everything about this race; the atmosphere, the circuit, the fans, the food and the beautiful beaches up and down the coast.”

 British team-mate Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) secured his first victory of the year last time out at Donington Park, and following a strong two day Misano test he is hopeful the improvements found with his ZX-10RR will stand him in strong stead for the Pirelli Riviera di Rimini Round.

Sykes talks us through his feelings ahead of the weekend: “We have been coming closer to where we want to be and at Donington we had a great performance, despite not winning race two. I was very disappointed to miss out but luckily we moved straight on to the Misano tests. The boys kept working hard and I have to say I left the tests very happy, with a lot of information and mileage done. Considering my previous physical condition I was very happy to do 100 laps on day one of the tests and just over 50 on day two. Finally, I feel I am going to Misano ready to step-up my game and enjoy it more, focusing on getting more points and overall performance.”

On track action begins at 9:45LT with WorldSBK FP1, as the timetable reverts to the European schedule we have seen throughout the start of the season; meaning Race One’s lights go out at 13.00LT on Saturday and Sunday welcomes Race Two at 13.00LT. All action can be followed on the WorldSBK VideoPass.