Tom Sykes is dreaming of a podium finish at next weekend's World Superbike meeting at Silverstone, although he admits it may prove a tall order. The Huddersfield rider has faced a challenging year on board the new Kawasaki ZX-10R, highlighted by a stunning pole position at Misano.
Sykes converted that into fourth place in the opening race of that weekend but it remains his best result of the year, and he heads to his home event in 14th place in the championship.
But with a new-look Silverstone approaching, Sykes has admitted to a few butterflies in his stomach but is eager to put on a show in front of his home fans.
“I'm really looking forward to riding in front of home support at Silverstone, especially with the new Silverstone Wing pit and paddock complex. I have to admit it will be strange riding over the old start/finish straight and not seeing my pit board hanging over the wall, but from what I have seen the new facilities look brilliant.”
“Silverstone has always been a great circuit with a good atmosphere. It's a track I really enjoy riding. Because it is my home round of the championship I get a little bit nervous leading up to the event, I suppose I just want to produce something special for the fans – hopefully between Kawasaki and the Paul Bird Motorsport Team we can produce a competitive performance.”
“To think about a podium result would be a dream come true for us at the moment. There is no doubt that I'd love to pull something special out of the bag, but we will just have to wait and see what happens on the day.”
Tickets are still available with advance tickets starting from just £20. Paddock and Pit Lane passes also available to purchase in advance. For further information, or to book tickets, visit www.silverstone.co.uk or call 0844 3728 260.
