Thumbs up for Baz's 2013 season in Kawasaki
At the penultimate round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship held last weekend at Portimão, another rider peg slotted into place as the Kawasaki Racing Team announced it had confirmed Loris Baz for the 2013 season. The young Frenchman, 2008 European Superstock 600 champion, stepped up into Superbike this year as replacement for the unfortunate Joan Lascorz at Donington Park, and soon managed to score some good results: third at Brno in race 1, and then outright protagonist at Silverstone where he scored the first win of his career, the second-youngest World Superbike winner at the age of 19 years, 6 months and 4 days.
Promoted from the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, in which he was second at the Imola opening round on an MRS Racing Kawasaki, the talented young rider from Sallanches is enthusiastic about being Tom Sykes' team-mate once again in KRT.
"I am really happy, as you can imagine!" said Baz. "Since I first got on the official Kawasaki Racing Team bike I have done everything I could to stay for the future. I think it is one of the best bikes and best teams so I did not want to go anywhere else. To stay in this team was the best for me. We have a really good base and I want to be strong for next year. I have to thank Guim Roda, my team manager, for taking me in the first place - a young rider on an official bike - and I also have to thank Kawasaki, who also believed in me. After the end of last year, when I had nothing, they asked me to ride in Superstock. I saw it as a new challenge and a new beginning. So I am really happy to ride for Kawasaki again and I cannot wait for next year."
