Arezzo/Borgo Panigale (Italy), Thursday 11 June 2015 – The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team confirms that Luca Scassa will compete as a wildcard entry at the next round of the Superbike World Championship, taking place at the Misano World Circuit over the weekend of 19-21 June.

Scassa will ride a third Ducati Panigale R for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team, alongside official riders Davide Giugliano and Chaz Davies. The 31-year old rider, who hails from Arezzo, Italy, is already a component of the team, representing Aruba at all championship rounds. In 2015 he has also started working as test rider for the Ducati Superbike development team, something that will help him at the upcoming World Superbike round.

Luca last raced in the Superbike championship at Imola last year, after which a serious injury (a fractured right femur resulting from a crash during testing at Mugello in May 2014) unfortunately prevented him from competing for the rest of the season. In recent years his racing career has seen him compete in the Superbike, Supersport and MotoGP world championships, with his best result a fifth place finish in the 2011 Supersport series. This weekend’s wildcard entry will equate to Scassa’s 58th race start in World Superbikes.

Comments ahead of the event:

Luca Scassa

“It’s been a long year of recovery after my leg injury but finally it’s time to return to racing. Thanks to the work carried out for the Ducati test team, I’ve already had chance to ride the Panigale R and I can’t wait to race at Misano. For now I’m not setting myself any particular objectives, but I am confident I’ll be able to do well considering the good feeling that the bike gave me during the last tests at Mugello. I’m also very pleased that I have the chance to wildcard in Italy, also because it will be the first time that I race a factory bike with a top team.”

Stefano Cecconi – Team Principal

“It’s a great pleasure for us to have Luca on track as a third rider at the Misano round. With this wildcard we want to thank him and the test team for the great work that is continuously carried out, away from the spotlight but fundamental to the team. It will also be a good opportunity to collate further data and feedback in a real race situation. Finally, having another Italian rider on the Italian bike gives all of the fans and Ducatisti one more reason to come and enjoy the Superbike show at this second home round.”