Sam Lowes expecting “emotional” UK WorldSBK after team owner death
The UK WorldSBK will be the first race for the Marc VDS team after the passing of team owner Marc van der Straten.
An “emotional” UK WorldSBK awaits Sam Lowes and the Marc VDS team after the passing of team owner Marc van der Straten.
78-year-old van der Straten’s passing was confirmed last Sunday (5 July). The Marc VDS KM99 team was competing in Suzuka last weekend, but the weekend of 10–12 July will be the first WorldSBK race weekend – and Moto2 round – since.
For Sam Lowes in particular the news of the death of van der Straten was impactful, the British rider having been on the Marc VDS team since 2020 in Moto2 before moving to WorldSBK with the outfit in 2024.
“It’s going to be a different kind of weekend; it was a surprise, we didn’t expect it, and it’s going to be emotional,” said Sam Lowes, speaking to WorldSBK.com ahead of the Donington race.
“Marc [van der Straten] is someone who supported me a lot over my career, and my family, so it’s very difficult.
“We’re proud to be here and do the best job we can in his name. He had a lot of passion for all motorsport, cars and bikes.
“Some of my best races have been in his livery, and I’m going to try to keep that going this weekend.”
As well as the timing of the round with the passing of van der Straten, Donington is a home round for Lowes and he expects to excel at a circuit he won at en route to the Supersport title in 2013.
“I live less than 20 minutes away, so it’s a definite home race,” said Lowes.
“I’m hoping to have a lot of support from the British fans who are always amazing.
“It’s a track that will suit our style.
“I’ve had a couple of bad rounds, and I'm focusing on having good results. It’ll be a good battle for third; Montella has made a big step, and Alex [Lowes] has been solid for a long time. Let’s see what happens this weekend.”
Alex joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two years.
