Team Alstare refreshed for Brno

From Team Alstare Suzuki

One of the best-loved circuits on the calendar, Brno, is the scene for the next round of this year’s Superbike World Championship.

The undulating circuit, situated in the Czech Republic is a demanding 5.503km track and will once again provide a stern test for all riders.

"Brno is not so far away and I suppose it’s almost like second ‘home race’ for me and I expect a lot of German race fans there," Max Neukirchner said. "It is a tough track, but a good track and it has a lot of variety and I like that. It was good to win in the last round at Misano and now I’d like to keep up my momentum with another win in Brno."

Last year, Team Suzuki Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama took a superb third place in the first race and will be hoping for more of the same this weekend.

"Every day or so, my left hand is getting better and I expect to be almost 100% at Brno," Kagayama said. "It is not the broken bones that are a problem but the ligaments. They take longer to heal up properly, but I am sure I will be much stronger in Brno than I was in Misano.

"Brno is quite a tough circuit, but I like it. I am not sure how grip level will be after resurfacing, but it will be the same for all of us and we will just have to get used to it as quickly as we can."

Recently the track has been resurfaced and the grip improved so the first day of practice and qualifying will be new territory for all riders and technicians.

"Last year I was on a different bike, so there will be a lot for me to learn again," Fonsi Nieto said. "I will try hard to get a good qualifying and Superpole because that has been a bit of a problem for me sometimes this season. There are so many good riders and bikes this year that you need a good grid position to make a good result.

"The new surface may give us some problems and a lot will depend on the weather, so we will have to work hard right from the start of the weekend for sure."