FIXI Crescent Suzuki will replace injured John Hopkins at this weekend's World Superbike race at Donington Park in England with young British hopeful Peter Hickman.
Hickman has good knowledge of the Donington circuit, having raced there many times before in the British Superbike Championship. The 24-year-old from Louth in Lincolnshire will join the team this evening to get acquainted with his new crew and the Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R1000. He will be replacing Hopkins for this weekend after the Anglo-American broke a bone in his right foot and injured his left hip at Monza last weekend. Hopkins hoped to be fit to ride at Donington, but a specialist examination earlier this week revealed more damage than originally thought. He will have a further scan tomorrow to find out the full extent of his injury.
Leon Camier is looking forward to racing at home, as WSBK makes its first of two visits to England in this year's Championship. Camier is eager to get back on track and put last weekend firmly behind him as he aims to get a good result on home soil.
FIXI Crescent Suzuki will take to the track tomorrow morning for the first free practice session, where Hickman will get his first taste of riding the Suzuki GSX-R. The pair will then have two qualifying sessions to push for a place in Superpole, where they will try and get the best grid positions for Sunday's two races.
Peter Hickman:
"I'm so happy that I've got a chance to ride with the FIXI Crescent Suzuki team this weekend. It's going to be a steep learning curve, but I've got nothing to lose, so I'm really looking forward to it. I know the track, but I don't know the bike, so I'll be spending the first practice getting used to the GSX-R and how it behaves around Donington. I'd like to thank everybody in the team for giving me this chance and I really hope that I will not disappoint them."
Leon Camier:
"It's always a bit special riding at home and we're all looking forward to the race this weekend and doing well in front of our own fans. It's tough having back-to-back races because it gives the team a lot of work to do. But all the guys have been working very hard and I'm looking forward to first practice and seeing the results of all their work. Donington is going to be a tough race for sure, but I hope for everybody's sake that the weather is going to better than last weekend and I also want our fans have something to cheer about on Sunday."
Jack Valentine - Team Manager:
"It's disappointing not to have John on the bike this weekend, but he's suffering a lot of discomfort from his left hip and he'll have a scan tomorrow (Friday) to determine the full extent of the damage. We're pleased to be able to give an opportunity to a young British rider - Peter Hickman. I was impressed by Peter in BSB last year when he was running at the sharp end for most of the season. It's a great opportunity for him and I would like to thank the MSS BSB team for allowing him to ride this weekend."
