Sykes confident of nailing set-up
Having improved to third in the riders' championship, Tom Sykes is hoping to strength his title bid with a strong showing on home soil at Silverstone this weekend.
With five rounds of the World Superbike Championship remaining, the Kawasaki rider is third in the standings, 59 points behind Aprilia's Max Biaggi.
Sykes, though, appears to be coming into form of late, having achieved back-to-back runner-up results at the previous race weekend in Brno.
The Brit, who also has seven Superpoles to his tally this season, reckons his improved form has a lot to do with finally finding a good set-up for his Ninja ZX-10R.
"I am looking forward to getting to Silverstone to ride in front of a home crowd," said the 26-year-old. "If the weather is anything like as nice it has been in the last week then all the better.
"Going there, especially off the back of a strong weekend in Brno, is a little bit more exciting. I am looking forward to it even more.
"We made another step in the set-up of the Ninja ZX-10R last time out and that was witnessed by a lot of people. When the bike is working at its absolute best they can see how much better a job I can do.
"I am confident that when we nail the set-up each time I will be able to back up my strong qualifying performances. Our good results are due to a lot of hard work from Kawasaki, the team, and all our technical suppliers."
Sykes is now hoping to follow up his strong showing in Brno with another at Silverstone, although admits racing at home comes with its own set of pressures.
"I am glad we had two good races in Brno and grateful for the way things turned out, but to get two really good results in front of a home round means I will be even more satisfied.
"Sometimes at home rounds I find myself short of time because I know so many people, and we get to do more signing sessions, etc, so there are a few elements of preparation you have to keep focused on at your home races."
