BOGDANKA PTR HONDA’S Sam Lowes aims to start his second World Supersport season with a podium at Phillip Island next weekend after taking a close third in Australia last year.

His South African teammate Mathew Scholtz is new to the championship and the Bogdanka family but targets a point scoring position in his debut start after a successful first test at Almeria in January.

Pawel Szkopek on his Bogdanka Honda PTR bike also aims for a strong start on one of his favourite tracks, having taken a strong third in an eight-hour Endurance race there in December 2011. A final test will take place at Phillip Island on Monday and Tuesday before the season kicks off next weekend with the race in Sunday, 26th of February at 3:15AM CET.

Sam Lowes: “The off-season was good for me but for a rider it’s always too long. I’ve worked with a new trainer and feel fit and after the test at Almeria we’re ready to rock and roll. It was my first time at Phillip Island last year and I loved the track. Last year we came close to winning so this year the goal is to battle for victory. Phillip Island is very picturesque, fast and flowing with lots of elevation changes. There’s nothing that really stands out but it flows really well and is a real rider’s track, which is why so many riders like it. We’ll start the week with the official test which will be very important too because it will be the first time we’ll all be on the track together. We’ve got a few things to try but we’re confident and I’m looking forward to getting back on a bike. I learned a lot last year, we’ve made a lot of improvements over the winter and we want to fight for the World Championship this year.”

Mathew Scholtz: “Having met and tested with the team a few weeks ago in Spain I am confident for an awesome season. The whole package works well for me – the structure of the team, the support and of course the bike. The PTR Honda was a little different to the Moto2 machine from last year, especially the electronics took some getting used to, but by the end of the Spanish test I felt more comfortable on the PTR Honda machine. In Australia we will have another test session to make the final changes for the opening race. Where I live in South Africa I have no road race circuits close to me so I have been riding motocross and hitting the gym everyday to make sure I am physically at my best. Being my first year in a World Championship I have to learn lots of new circuits, but the team are obviously super experienced and can supply me the equipment and basic settings I need.”

Pawel Szkopek: “I can’t wait to get my second World Supersport season with Bogdanka started. I’ve been training hard over the winter with my local handball team who are the national champions, so I’m good shape and really motivated. I’ll be racing with my old number 19 again and my brother will work as my mechanic which is another boost to my confidence as things seem go to well for me when he’s around. I want to improve on my last year’s results this season and I’m sure that the experience from 2011 will pay off. Phillip Island is one of my favourite circuits but the test will be a good warm-up. We might have to adjust our last year’s setup a bit as the track got more bumpy, but I’m confident and want to be at the front. It won’t be easy, as 2012 looks set to be the most competitive season in World Supersport’s history, but I’ll do my best. PTR have prepared a great bike for me so I’m looking forward to putting it to a good use at Phillip Island.”

Simon Buckmaster, Bogdanka PTR Honda Manager: “Bogdanka PTR Honda has its best rider line-up ever and we go into the first test and race confident this will be the start of our best season.”

More, from another press release issued by Bogdanka PTR Honda:

Champion waiting in the wings – meet Bogdanka PTR Honda’s rookie Mathew Scholtz

Mathew Scholtz might only be 19-years-old at the start of his first World Supersport season with Bogdanka PTR Honda but his racing CV is already quite varied and impressive as he did it all from local motocross, mini-moto and supermotard in his native South Africa, through the Red Bull Rookies Cup, German 125cc and Spanish Moto2 Championships. Here’s what he had to say ahead of his World Championship debut at Australia:

Mathew, how did you got into racing?

None of my parents had raced before. When I was about eight I went over to my friend who had a motocross bike. I tried it, loved it and got into motocross. When I was 12 I moved to supermotard and then onto road racing a year or so later. In 2008 I qualified for the Red Bull Rookies Cup and spent three years racing there.

By 2010, your final year in the Rookies Cup, you’d been racing at the front and winning both in the Cup as well as in the Spanish and German 125cc championships but then you’ve got injured. What happened?

I was slipstreaming another rider to get a faster lap during a qualifying session at Assen. He slowed down and I was so close that I rode into the back of him and got knocked out, so I don’t really know what happened then but I woke up in the hospital and they said I’ll have to get reconstructive surgery on my foot. It took about three months to get my foot working again but even now it’s not 100%. I might have another surgery on it one day but it’s not affecting me on the bike at all. That year I was doing the Rookies Cup, the Spanish and the German Championships. In the Rookies I was near the top three when that happened. In Spain I was fifth or sixth and in the German Championship I was second overall at the time and fighting for the title, so I basically lost the season after that crash.

You’ve tried it all as far as racing; supermotard, mini-moto, off-road, road racing, how much did it shape your riding style and how would you describe it?

Each discipline has its own requirements but I’d say I’m an aggressive rider because coming from motocross I like to slide a little bit and it doesn’t worry me when the back-end is loose in the corners or anything like that.

Why World Supersport and why Bogdanka PTR Honda in 2012?

We wanted to move across to the World Supersport Championship because it’s very popular in my country. When we got the offer from Bogdanka we took it straight away and now I’m very, very happy. The team seems perfect and we hope for a very good season.

What is your goal for this year?

I want to pick up points in every single race and maybe try get into the top 10 a few times.

What will be the biggest challenge?

After our first test at Almeria the bike seems like a really nice bike. It’s easy to ride and handle so I think the biggest thing will be to learn the new tracks and get to know other riders.

Is there any particular track you’re looking to the most?

I’m really looking forward to every track I haven’t been to. The first race is at Phillip Island which looks like a really nice track and I can’t wait to be there racing.

How big is racing and motorcycling in general in South Africa?

It’s not the biggest sport. South Africa’s main focus in sports is in rugby and soccer but I would say there’s a large community which really enjoys bikes. There isn’t too many people riding on the roads because our roads are a bit dangerous; but when it comes to racing, we do have quite a few riders.

Would you like to see the championship returning to Kyalami?

I would love World Supersport to come to Kyalami and race in my home country and I would love to race here myself in front of my fans; so hopefully sometime in the future we’ll come back here.

What’s your ultimate goal as a racer?

My dream is to hopefully make it to MotoGP one day but now I think we’ll slowly have to work our way up and someday win a World Championship.

How did you enjoy your first test with the team at Almeria and meeting your new team-mate Sam?

I was really nervous ahead of our first test at Almeria because I didn’t know the team, my teammates, the bike or the track. Everything was new to me but after two days of testing everything seems perfect to me. I love the team! The bike seems fast and has a good setup and everything looks to be going well.

How’s the bike and how much have you had to change your style to suit a Supersport?

The PTR Honda was actually the first Supersport bike that I’ve been on. Last year I rode a Moto2 bike in Spain but a Supersport bike has traction control and launch control so it took me a bit of time to learn the bike but now it seems perfect. We changed the bike to suit me and things are looking good.

What kind of person are you away from the track?

I like playing soccer, hanging out with my friends at the beach, doing some motocross and all the normal things basically.

Will you be taking your PTR teammates for some surfing at Phillip Island then?

That sounds good. I hope we’ll do that!