Tom Sykes is eyeing a long awaited first Bennetts British Superbike win of his career after booking his slot on the front row for the latest round at
Oulton Park.
The Rizla Suzuki rider has been getting closer and closer to that maiden triumph over the last few races and is equally well placed to break his duck this weekend after claiming third on the grid.
Indeed, Sykes is feeling particularly confident if the conditions stay dry on race day and he gets a better start than he did from pole position at
Mallory Park.
“It is a front row start and I am fairly pleased with the Rizla Suzuki this weekend,” Sykes told
Crash.net Radio. “We have a good set-up in the wet and an even better setting in the dry, so roll on the racing!
“The first hurdle is always to get a good qualification slot and we are on the front row, so we just need a good start and I know we have a good race pace too.
However, just like Cal Crutchlow and Shane Byrne, who will start just ahead of him, Sykes admits he could have gone quicker had he not spent two laps trying to find clear air on new tyres.
“Things should have been a bit better,” he added. “We put a new rear tyre on but I came up to a queue of riders, so it took me two laps to find a clear lap.”
