Gary Mason - Photo Credit: Team Pedercini
Gary Mason thanked Team Pedercini for giving him the opportunity to compete in the Superbike World Championship despite failing to finish either race at Donington Park this weekend. The Briton substituted for David Salom and had to pull out of Sunday's races with set-up and tyre problems but enjoyed the experience nonetheless.
“In race one I had some trouble with my bike set-up and I decided to return to the garage. I'm disappointed because in race two after a good start I began to have problems with my rear tyre. After a few laps I was unable to ride my bike as I would have liked and I couldn't continue the race. I want to thank Team Pedercini for the great opportunity they gave me this weekend. It was really a fantastic experience for me to race in the World Superbike Championship.”
As it turned out, the Pedercini squad didn't get a single Kawasaki ZX-10R to the chequered flag with Leandro Mercado suffering a double DNF too. The Argentinian crashed out of race one before encountering similar issues to Mason in race two and is already turning his attentions to Miller Motorsports Park in a fortnight.
“In race one I got a good start but unfortunately I lost grip on the rear tyre in the second corner and I crashed. I was hoping to re-join the race but the bike had stopped running and so I was unable to restart. In race two there was some contact in the first corner and I was forced to reduce my speed and I lost some positions. Race two was really difficult for me. My bike's set up didn't allow me to force my rhythm and I also suffered from a lack of grip on the rear tyre. It was a weekend to forget – I prefer to look forward to Salt Lake City in two weeks' time.”
