Lowes out to gain momentum for late season Pata Yamaha push

Fresh from signing a new one-year deal with Pata Yamaha, Alex Lowes is keen to use the Lausitzring round as a starting block to attack the final sprint of the season in the closing rounds of 2017.

Lowes sits fifth in the World Superbike riders’ championship behind the dominant factory Ducati and Kawasaki riders and returns from a triumphant defence of his Suzuka 8 Hours title alongside Michael van der Mark and Katsuyuki Nakasuga last month for Yamaha.

Having enjoyed an in-season test at Lausitzring and Almeria, Lowes is aiming to establish some momentum for the final five rounds of 2017 after enduring his worst race weekend of the season last time out at Laguna Seca after falling from race one and finishing ninth in race two.

"After a few weeks away from the World Superbike Championship I am looking forward to the Lausitzring race, I am still buzzing from winning the Suzuka 8 Hours and after a really positive test in Almeria, I am excited to be getting back to the racing action,” Lowes said. “I am also delighted to have extended my contract for the 2018 season with the team and hopefully, we can finish this year as strongly as possible.

“My goals are for a solid weekend to give us something to build on for the rest of 2017 as we try to close the gap to the guys at the front.

“It's a bit of a peculiar track at Lausitzring, it is quite bumpy and also has quite a technical layout. The whole team have been working really hard and haven't really had a summer break, so a big thanks to them too and I cannot wait to get back on track.”