WSS » Zanetti, van der Mark make Supersport switch

22 September 2012
Lorenzo Zanetti and Michael van der Mark will make their World Supersport Championship debuts in 2013 after being signed by the new-look PATA Honda team.
Zanetti, van der Mark make Supersport switch
Lorenzo Zanetti and Michael van der Mark have been announced as Ten Kate Racing's new signings for the 2013 World Supersport Championship, where they will race under the PATA Honda banner.

Revealed as part of several announcements being made by Honda in Portugal this weekend, Ten Kate – who won seven consecutive WSS titles between 2002 and 2008 – will revert back to a two-strong line-up in 2013 having persevered with just a single machine for Broc Parkes this season.

The expansion has been made possible by PATA coming on board as title sponsor, a move that will see its protégé Zanetti switch to the Supersport series having ridden for PATA Ducati in the World Superbike class this season.

Stepping up from the Superstock 1000 Championship this year, Zanetti has performed solidly in his maiden season of Superbike racing having notched up four top ten finishes thus far. However, he is looking forward to getting involved in the Honda family and attempting to secure the team's ninth WSS title.

“It feels good to be coming home to Honda after winning the RS125GP Cup in Italy. This is a great opportunity for me to ride for the team that has won eight of the last 11 World Supersport titles. I think that riding for these guys on Honda's 2013 CBR600RR will be my best opportunity to show what I can do.

“The chance to work with such professional people and to be a part of the big Honda family is one that I hope I can maximise and enjoy as much as possible.”

Zanetti will be joined by Dutchman van der Mark, who is currently in the midst of a Superstock 600 title battle aboard a Ten Kate-prepared machine.

“When I started two years ago in Superstock, I had a dream to go to World Supersport and maybe World Superbike. These two years have been really great and now I get an opportunity to go to Supersport on the Ten Kate Honda CBR600 and I'm really looking forward to it.

“For sure, I have to learn a lot but I'm really excited because I already tried a bit in Moscow this year. It was a really positive experience and now I get a full season to show what I can do.”

Tagged as: Lorenzo Zanetti , Michael Van der Mark , PATA Honda
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Related Pictures

Pata Honda`s Michael van der Mark during testing at Phillip Island

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Ben1

September 22, 2012 7:02 PM

Looks like Ten Kate is keen on changing their riders. Sofu-Pirro in 2010, then Foret and Marino, then Parkes. These two looks great though. Zanetti rode 600s the last time in 2010 in the Italian Stock 600 championship, but the change could suit him. As for van der Mark, I consider him very talented. He won the last ST600 race two weeks after breaking his collarbone.


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