Crescent Suzuki and its newest addition Leon Camier will head to Portugal’s Algarve-based Portimao racetrack next Monday to embark on their first test leading up to the team’s entry into the 2012 World Superbike Championship. This will be Camier’s first outing on the Crescent Suzuki, during which he aims to familiarise himself with the bike and try out numerous chassis set-ups to establish a solid foundation to work from. Running existing engines from Crescent as well as new performance partner Yoshimura, another aim of three-day test will be not only to test the new engines but also to fine-tune the Motec electronics package. Camier, who is very familiar with the Portimao track having completed his last race there only six weeks ago, cannot wait to get out on track with the Crescent Suzuki. Said Camier: “I’m very excited to get out on the bike. There is a lot to test on the Crescent Suzuki and I’ll be getting to know the team. My focus will initially not be solely on lap times; at the minute it’s more about getting comfortable with the bike and having a good platform for the next test.” With Crescent Suzuki’s Californian star, John Hopkins, sidelined due to the ongoing recuperation of his recently operated finger, newly-crowned British Supersport Champion Alastair Seeley will be riding the other Crescent Suzuki to add valuable input. As part of the Suzuki family, Seeley is relishing the opportunity to test with the squad. He says: “I’m really excited about testing with Crescent Suzuki. It’s always interesting to see how things work with another team, plus it will be great to be back on a Superbike after a year in a different class.” Crescent Suzuki Team Manager Jack Valentine is also very excited about getting the team’s SBK effort underway: “I’m really looking forward to getting Leon on the bike. We’ll be aiming to get a good chassis set-up for him, and if he clicks with the bike early on – then we’ll be looking at lap times. But my primary aim is to get Leon comfortable on the bike so he can head into the winter testing break with a good feeling. “We will also be testing engines and electronic packages with the help of Alastair Seeley, who is standing-in for the injured John Hopkins. Alastair proved this season in British Supersport what a good rider he is, so we believe he’ll give us some useful input towards the development of the bike. “And last but not least, the team itself has had some new additions to it, making this trip somewhat of a team bonding exercise. So far the lads have gelled really well in the workshop, so I expect this will be the case in Portugal. “The main thing is to come away happy, focussed, and with some positive feedback that will allow us to step up again before the next test in the New Year.”