The Swan Yamaha team return to the high-speed Hampshire circuit of Thruxton this weekend for the second round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship.
Defending champion Tommy Hill is targeting a strong return to the circuit after a non-points scoring round in the opening race at Brands Hatch last weekend when he battled to overcome the conditions but dramatically slid out of contention. Hill just missed out on the podium at the track last season but is feeling confident of success as he targets top three finishes. Noriyuki Haga will make his first visit to the former airfield and the Japanese rider is also determined to have a stronger weekend after missing out on a top ten finish at Brands Hatch after suffering from grip issues. The Swan Yamaha team have worked hard since the first race on Easter Monday to solve the problems and are confident ahead of this weekend’s two races.
Tommy Hill
“We are going to Thruxton looking to get on the podium and score those important podium credits. I know we have the package with the Swan Yamaha and this circuit should give us another opportunity to develop the bike as it is so different from the Indy circuit. I am eager to get riding again and put the disappointment of Brands Hatch behind us for good because we are confident that we can make amends for last weekend.”
Noriyuki Haga
“It is the first time for me to visit Thruxton and when we arrive there I want to have a look at the track so I have an idea ready for practice on Friday, but I learn the tracks fast so I am not worried. I was disappointed with the result at Brands Hatch but now I am looking forward to Thruxton as on TV I have seen it is very fast and seems quite wide to make passes. I hope that this weekend we can have a good result for everyone as I want to be fighting for a good position in both races.”
Team manager Gary Ekerold
“After a difficult weekend at Brands Hatch the Swan Yamaha team are all looking forward to Thruxton. We hope that this weekend we get some better conditions because we know that we have the pace to be competitive and we believe we resolved the issues we had last weekend. The team finished on the podium there last year so we are aiming high for this weekend.”
