A return to Europe and Valencia for the third round of the WSB Championship sees Broc Parkes and Makoto Tamada hoping track conditions will mirror those that graced a recent test session. Although Tamada was still recuperating from a big warm-up crash at the previous round in Qatar when the recent Valencia test took place, his team-mate Parkes made steps in the right direction to maximise the race-long abilities of his WSB-Spec Ninja ZX-10R. Tamada will also benefit from Parkes’ testing experiences, of course, despite missing out on useful track time around the 4.005km Spanish circuit. Makoto knows the track layout very well in any case, after many years of MotoGP racing and his ‘rookie’ WSB season in Kawasaki Superbike colours in 2008. Makoto will be out to repeat or better last year’s top ten finish at Valencia, when he was ninth in race one. The last race at Losail in Qatar marked Broc’s 50th race start in the WSB class, but after spending the last few years in World Supersport this will only be Parkes’ third meeting as a Kawasaki factory Superbike rider. Once more the official Ninja ZX-10R-mounted pairing face the prospect of the new-for-2009 three stage Superpole qualifying system, making their immediate goal getting into the top 20 after regulation qualifying, then going for final grid placings in three ‘knockout’ sessions from then on. Thanks to a change in the schedule from this weekend onwards, there will be two afternoon track sessions at Valencia on Friday, one free and one timed. 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. 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 last 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.”