WSBK riders speak ahead of Turkish Round Istanbul (Turkey), Thursday 12 September 2013 – The eni FIM Superbike World Championship had its first ever pre-event today at the Intercity Istanbul Park, as a selection of Superbike and Supersport riders – joined by representatives of the Circuit Board – took to the SBK Paddock Show stage for a press conference to introduce the maiden round of the series on Turkish soil. Sharing their thoughts and feelings ahead of this historical weekend Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team), Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet), Jules Cluzel (FIXI Crescent Suzuki), Ayrton Badovini (Team Ducati Alstare) and Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike), along with WSS Championship leader Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha) and local hero Kenan Sofuoglu (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki) were introduced. Each rider involved in the pre-event showed a lot of appreciation for the circuit, beginning with WSBK Championship leader Tom Sykes: “It’s great to be in Turkey, it’s my first time here and the weather is fantastic. I had a little look at the circuit and it’s amazing, hopefully the ZX-10R will perform well here. I’m a bit young in terms of track knowledge, but we’ll do our best and keep focussed.” The star who received the biggest applause while entering the stage was, of course, three-time World Supersport Champion Kenan Sofuoglu, who is looking forward to a strong performance in front of his crowd, to keep his title defence chances alive: “I never raced on this track before so, despite being a local rider, I have no advantage on my rivals. I think at this level, it’s more about knowing your bike than the circuit itself, and I’m confident the long straights will suit the ZX-6R very well. Racing in front of thousands of fans can inspire you, but also put a lot of pressure on your shoulders.” On-track action for World Superbike and Supersport Championships will start tomorrow morning with a 90-minute free practice session for both classes.