Racedays Honda eager for Spanish success
The Racedays Honda Superstock team returns to sixth-round action at Jerez in Spain this weekend (5-7 September), eager to improve on its success last time out at Portimao in Portugal fully two months ago.
It’s been a long summer break but the team’s two FIM Superstock 1000 Cup riders Kyle Smith from the UK and American Josh Day were able to test at Jerez last week in order to prepare their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SPs for the hot conditions expected.
Smith finished in fourth place last time out in Portugal and won last season’s European Superstock 600 championship race at Jerez on the team’s Honda CBR600RR. The Yorkshireman is based in Alicante and knows the Spanish circuit well.
Meanwhile, the three-man Racedays Honda European Superstock 600 team is equally keen to make its mark in Jerez after a frustrating and eventful raceday at Portimao.
Italian Kevin Manfredi has recovered fully from injuries sustained in a first corner crash at the Portuguese circuit, a crash from which New Zealand team-mate Jake Lewis was forced to take evading action, thereby ruining his own race.
However, the two regulars are joined once more by 18-year-old British rider Chrissy Rouse who made a good impression with an 11th place finish on his debut in Portugal.
Gerry Bryce, Racedays Honda team principal:
We’re really looking forward to the Jerez races and Chrissy and Jake were able to test last weekend on the CBR600RRs so they’re both set up and ready to go. Kevin didn’t test but he’s very much a racer, as we’ve seen in the past; he’s over his injuries and raring to go. We won the Stock 600 race with Kyle [Smith] last year and I see no reason why another podium shouldn’t be on the cards. Kyle and Josh [Day] also tested here for Superstock 1000 but conditions were pretty tricky, with track temperatures of around 56 degrees. It was quite slippery and made for some rodeo riding but Kyle has won here before and is feeling pretty comfortable. Both riders come here on the back of strong performances at Portimao – I think fourth and fifth were pretty much the best results for the bike in a long time. The SP is proving to be a really strong package now, the riders are on it and we’re getting better every race. Can we have a nother four rounds please?!