BMW riders ready to face team's home round
The BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team is preparing for its next home round. The seventh round of the 2013 eni FIM Superbike World Championship will be held this weekend at the iconic "Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari" at Imola. The workshop of the BMW factory race team is located at Crespellano, only 60 kilometres from Imola.
This season so far, factory riders Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies have shared four victories between them on their BMW S 1000 RRs. In the Manufacturers' classification, BMW is currently second with 211 points. In the Riders' classification, Melandri is fourth with 156 points. For him, Imola is also a 'home' race as he lives nearby. Davies follows directly behind in the points standings, in fifth with 133 points. After Sunday's races, the teams of the Superbike World Championship will stay at Imola to conduct an official one-day test on Monday.
Marco Melandri: "We head to Imola during a really important period of the season. From a technical point of view we have found a good direction and I would like to be on the podium in my 'home' race. I really like this track, even though it's difficult, quite technical and demanding, also regarding the riders' fitness. There is hardly any time to catch your breath, and the humid heat we're having at the moment will not be helpful. Physically, I feel fine though. After Portimão, I was finally able to train without any problems for the first time this year. Now I want to get back the results I was denied due to various reasons."
Chaz Davies: "My target for Imola is to be back on the podium. The last few races have been a bit difficult for different reasons but even so, we've learnt quite a lot that could be useful for other races during the season. So it is a matter of taking this knowledge and using it to get a better result. I think we have a good chance to achieve our target to be back on the podium. I quite enjoy Imola. It is a circuit that seems to suit my style and I have always had decent results there. It is also one of the typical old Italian tracks, being inside the park and close to the town, so I am looking forward to it."
