A Weekend to Remember for Tom Sykes in Monza

Kawasaki Racing Team rider Tom Sykes enjoyed a 2nd and 3rd place at Monza in the World Superbike competition, but not content with that he also came away with a new track and race lap records. All of this is in addition to being third in the overall championship – not a bad weekend’s work!

Kawasaki Racing Team rider Tom Sykes enjoyed a 2nd and 3rd place at Monza in the World Superbike competition, but not content with that he also came away with a new track and race lap records.  All of this is in addition to being third in the overall championship – not a bad weekend’s work!

Sykes on his Kawasaki ZX10R missed the top podium place in the first race by only 0.085 seconds, he narrowly missed the win although a last lap move on an inside line at Parabolica, the last corner took him past Eugene Laverty and into 2nd.   Lap five saw Tom’s new lap record of 1’42.229 seconds!

Race two saw a third place, only 0.725 seconds from another win, putting Tom on 119 points, 18 points off the Championship lead.

Tom Sykes: “Today I put it all out there for everybody to see. I could not give any more. Race one was a great race, a great battle although I was like a sitting duck at the back for a time. I was waiting to see where those guys were strong, and they have some speed, so I used that to my advantage and it led to a very exciting last lap. I tried to lead after lap 15 and pull a gap but it was not to be, because they reeled me straight back in.

The last lap was great, it was almost a third to first run from the last corner, but I did not want to do anything stupid, so to have the Kawasaki NinjaZX-10R working like that here makes me very motivated.

Monza was going to be one of the most challenging circuits we would visit this season but we have come away with pole position, a new circuit record, a lap record and two podiums, so I am happy!”

A great weekend for Tom and Kawasaki in Monza.