The third round of the 2009 World Superbike Championship gets underway at Valencia in Spain next weekend with the Paul Bird Motorsport Team hoping for some better fortune for the Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team riders. The opening two rounds in Australia and Qatar weren’t as successful as they would have liked with only Broc Parkes managing to net a handful of points last time out and Makoto Tamada being sidelined following a practice crash, but having tested successfully at Jerez earlier this week, the team is confident of progress at the first European round. Aboard the official factory Ninja ZX-10Rs this season, with backing from www.supercasino.com, Vent Axia and Kick Energy, 27-year-old Australian Parkes and 32-year-old Japanese Tamada are working hard to make the machines more competitive and following a test at the Spanish track earlier this week, whereas Tamada was sidelined due to injury, Parkes reported significant improvements and both riders are confident going into Valencia. Broc Parkes: “It’s been great to test in Valencia prior to the race next weekend. We’ve tried and tested so many things and had quite a few positive things to report back. The bike should be better over a race distance but we still have a lot of work to do on set-up but I’m getting more and more comfortable on the bike each time I ride it. We are all working hard, the team and myself, and we’re confident that we can aim for some points in the races and being in the top ten would be a bonus.” Makoto Tamada: “I missed the race at Qatar and also the test this week so I can’t wait to get back on the track at Valencia. My injuries were not as bad as I first suspected. I am recovering every day, and I will be ready and fit for the Valencia race. It is my intention to get points at Valencia, and get back what I missed at Qatar.”