Misano A Popular Venue For KRT
Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes will join with their Kawasaki Racing Team colleagues once again at the eagerly-anticipated venue of Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, for round five of the FIM Superbike World Championship. The track action takes place between 2-4 June.
The 4.226km long Misano circuit, located very close to the Adriatic coast of Italy, is one of the most frequently used circuits over the long history of WorldSBK racing. Its combination of a spectator-friendly layout, numerous nearby holiday resorts and some stiff on-track challenges for the riders makes it a season highlight for all.
Jonathan scored the first of his 118 career WorldSBK race wins at Misano, way back in 2009. He now has a total of eight Misano victories to his name, making him the most successful WorldSBK rider at this circuit.
Alex has family connects to the Misano area and he is another who enjoys each weekend in a country that is as passionate as any for all forms of motorsport. Lowes has recorded two podium finishes at Misano and is out to try and add to that score this coming weekend.
Both Rea and Lowes are looking for their first race wins of the year, although both have secured podium finishes on their Ninja ZX-10RR machines.
The weekend at Misano begins in earnest on Friday 2 June with two practice sessions. Saturday 3 June hosts FP3, Tissot-Superpole qualifying and then a full 21-lap Race One. Sunday will see the Superpole Race (over ten laps) and then a final full distance Race Two.
After the first of two Italian WorldSBK rounds on the 2023 WorldSBK calendar, the teams will have another long layoff from competitive action before a home round for both Lowes and Rea takes place between 30 June and 2 July, at Donington Park.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It is great to be back at Misano. It is a great part of the world to host a race. I always spend a lot of time here with my family, enjoying the Italian hospitality, the beach, the food. It creates a really nice scene, a great backdrop of a race weekend. The circuit itself has so many nice memories for me. I won my first WorldSBK race there back in 2009. Since then we have enjoyed some good moments. I enjoy the track and it has a mix of everything, with fast and slow sections, and I particularly like the fast Curvone at the end of the back straight. We had a recent test at Jerez where we tried to improve in the kind of conditions we feel we will face again here. I think we enter this weekend in positive mood and looking forward to seeing what we can do. It will be so nice to face the Italian fans, and whilst I am not Italian, or have ridden for an Italian manufacturer, they always give me a lot of love and support. Hopefully we can put on a good show for all the people of Emilia-Romagna that have gone through a difficult time after the recent floods.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “Misano is always a great round on our annual racing schedule. My brother’s wife was originally from a place very close to the circuit, so it’s an area we have spent some time together in as a family – it’s lovely. The track itself is a lot of fun to ride, especially the middle section with the fast flowing corners. We had a good test in Spain recently and improved my feeling a little bit in those hotter conditions that we can expect to find this weekend. My goal is to be back on the podium and have some fun with my KRT team.”
Misano will be the first competitive WorldSBK round for new Kawasaki Puccetti Racing signing Tito Rabat, at what is his team’s home round. Oliver König (Orelac Racing Movisio Kawasaki) and Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing Kawasaki) will again fight for the points scores at Misano.
