Voltcom Crescent Suzuki Quickest In Testing

[totalmotorcycle]

#Voltcom Crescent #Suzuki Quickest In Testing



Crescent Suzuki concluded its preseason testing schedule this week, topping the timing sheets on both days at Portimao.

World Superbike rookie Alex Lowes, on his first visit to the Portuguese circuit, showed he was getting to grips with the GSX-R1000 superbike, and after setting the fourth quickest time on day one went on to record the quickest lap time set over the two days.

Eugene Laverty, who was fastest on day one, finished the test second fastest, making it a positive outing all round for the team, as they worked on suspension set up and electronic strategies.

Lowes completed 165 laps over the two days in Portimao, doing his best to learn a track he had never ridden before, while Laverty completed 133 laps. Covering so many miles allowed the team try various chassis and braking settings, continuing the development started at Almería last week.

Alex Lowes said afterward, “The test has been really good, I’m still learning a lot about the bike and obviously it’s a new track for me, so it was nice to have the opportunity to learn the track and still be quick.

“We did a long run today and while the times were good, the most important thing was that it gave me a lot of confidence. We got a lot of information about the bike and it was good for me as well, as I’ve not done a race simulation since the last round of BSB. I still need to improve myself a lot and work on the bike but we shouldn’t be too far away.”

“A massive thanks to the team; they’ve been working really hard, late nights and two tests back-to-back. I think everyone is excited, we are all getting on great and we know we need to work hard. We have a big challenge in front of us and it’s nice to do a good job.”

Laverty 02Eugene Laverty added, “This Portugal test was the best yet; even yesterday we got some good laps in the wet to understand the bike and then in the dry our pace was really strong, which shows the work we’ve been doing on the electronics has been important and that our work is reaping the rewards.

“It’s also nice to reward the team because they’ve worked incredibly hard over the last couple of months. The work they have done in six weeks most teams probably wouldn’t complete in six months.

“They haven’t stopped, so I think it’s nice to see some positive potential being shown. I’m feeling good on the GSX-R and I’m looking forward to Phillip Island.”

The Voltcom Crescent Suzuki team will now return to the UK to further evaluate the data collected and prepare for the official pre-season test at Phillip Island, Australia in a month’s time, ahead of the opening round at the same circuit.