Alex Lowes will remain an integral part of the Kawasaki Racing Team for the coming seasons, having agreed a new multi-year deal that will take him into his third year as an official Kawasaki WorldSBK rider.

The contract signing was witnessed by Mr Masatoshi Yoshioka, Director of Corporate Planning Division, Kawasaki Motors Europe at the recent Assen round of the 2021 FIM WorldSBK Championship, where Alex retained his overall fourth place in the points table.

As well as returning as a full KRT Superbike rider next year Alex will also strengthen his bond with Kawasaki and his KRT squad as he and Jonathan Rea will be joined by 2021 Kawasaki superbike debutant, Lucas Mahias, to compete in the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours race later this year.

With a race win and seven other podiums to his credit since he joined Kawasaki in 2019 Lowes continues to find a greater affinity with the new Ninja ZX-10RR, his team and his pit crew, led by Marcel Duinker.

Before the 2022 season there is the small matter of the rest of this year’s championship to go. Five rounds have been completed with a further eight to go, depending on local regulations around the global pandemic.

Alex Lowes, stated: “I am really happy to have signed once more with the Kawasaki Racing Team, the most successful team in the current era of WorldSBK.

After a strange first year in the team last year due to the global situation and with such a short season it has been good to start this year at some different tracks and I am understanding the bike a lot more. It has also been slightly frustrating this year because I feel like we started strongly but the results are not quite where we would want them to be right now. We have a lot of potential and I am still in the top four of the championship, close to the top three, which is the target for this year.

I will be working hard for the next few weeks to make that next step to be regularly challenging for the podium. Honestly, I feel like it is close, so with this team and all these guys around me – with the relationships we have been building – everything is in place now to push things forward.

I am really thankful to stay in the team next year, and proud of the faith that Kawasaki has shown in me. In our job there is a lot more that goes on behind the scenes than the results that you see on the track so I am really happy about this new deal with KRT. A massive thanks to all the guys behind the project, to Guim and Biel Roda, Steve Guttridge and all the people at KHI in Japan for believing in me again.” 

KRT Manager, Guim Roda, concluded: “Alex started with KRT during the Covid pandemic. He needed to learn quickly and concentrate on making championship points in those first three months; not easy. For 2021 he started the season strongly and we are all working to make those important steps to improve the performance of the overall package.

We are so happy to have Alex and he is highly motivated to continue with the KRT project. With this two-year agreement we are convinced that we will now build on these firm foundations to create the strongest package with him, Marcel, his Crew Chief, the Ninja ZX-10RR and the entire KRT organisation.”

2021 Alex Lowes Rider Statistics:

  • 2021: Races: 15, Wins 0, Podiums 4, Superpoles 0
  • Career Race Wins: 2 (1 for Kawasaki)
  • Career Podiums: 28 (8 for Kawasaki)
  • Career Poles: 1 (0 for Kawasaki) 

#NinjaSpirit    #FaceYourself 

Editors Note: the accompanying image was created within Covid protocols

For the second round of the EWC World Endurance Championship, the Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar Team managed to run an exceptional 12 hour race on the famous Estoril circuit in Portugal. Once again, the experience of the riders and the mechanical reliability of the Kawasaki Ninja allowed them to consolidate their second place.

The good weather and the heat were evident for the whole 12 hours of race. At 10am, Jeremy Guarnoni on the #11 got away to a very good start and went straight from 8th to 5th position. He stayed there for several laps before making his first pit stop earlier than his competitors for strategic reasons. Indeed, team manager, Gilles Stafler had foreseen this scenario.

Following the excellent performance of the Ninja ZX-10RR and some crashes and unforeseen events of competitor bikes, the #11 found itself elevated to second position.

Unfortunately, after more than three hours of racing, the intervention of the safety car did not benefit the SRC Team and it lost about 10 seconds on the first placed machine

.After a number of twists and turns, the lime green bike was in first place around the halfway mark and led for most of the second half of the race until a fuel failure interrupted this domination. Erwan Nigon had to push his dry machine to get back on track with David Checa in third position.

Jeremy Guarnoni then put in a superb final stint to see the #11 finish second after a fierce battle with the #333 machine.

Again, all three riders set a very fast pace with exemplary consistency to lead an exceptional race. The Dunlop tyres excelled throughout the race despite the very high temperatures, and a track that was raised to 58 degrees at one point!

This second place on the podium allows the Webike SRC Kawasaki France Trickstar Team to take the lead in the 2021 FIM EWC World Championship.

Six-time consecutive World Superbike Champion, Jonathan Rea, has achieved another of his personal goals by passing his UK motorcycle test.

Winner of the world championship at his first attempt on Kawasaki machinery when he joined the Kawasaki Racing Team in 2015, the 34-year-old native of Northern Ireland repeated the feat by passing his Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) and motorcycle tests both at the first attempt.

Undertaking one to one training with Stephen Mills of Moto Training, Rea learned new skills and new ways to ride on private training areas and the public road using a Kawasaki Z650 supplied by Moto Training as part of their accreditation as a Kawasaki approved KRTS training school.

It is not uncommon for professional riders at the highest level of motorcycle sport to have no full motorcycle licence but for Rea this is a pathway to greater things as he considers which machine to ride now that he has a huge range of choice.

Commenting, Rea told something of his journey while thanking Stephen Mills of Moto Training and hinting at what his next step as a fully qualified road rider might be.

“I am so happy and proud to have passed my motorcycle test. It’s been something I have wanted to do for such a long time but with my sporting commitments and busy calendar it has been tough.

I took advantage of the lockdown due to the pandemic to study all the theory materials such as the UK Highway Code.

My priority was to reach out to an instructor that I would feel comfortable with and found Stephen Mills of Moto Training in Northern Ireland. He taught me all about riding a motorcycle on the road which is completely different to riding on a circuit.

You have to be much more aware as the environment is much less controlled and even I was able to learn new skills and techniques. The training has not just made me a better motorcyclist but also more aware when I am driving my car.

Now comes the pleasure of deciding which motorcycle in the Kawasaki range is perfect for me and my riding needs. I am pretty sure I know what fits my lifestyle and I will unveil my choice in the very near future.”

A video record of Jonathan’s training can be found on his YouTube page: Jonathan Rea

At midday, the chequered flag was waved after 24 hours of racing and the Webike Kawasaki France Trickstar SRC Team finished second aboard the famous #11 Ninja ZX-10RR – a magnificent podium.

The three riders Jérémy Guarnoni, Erwan Nigon and David Checa have again shown their skill and perseverance. Kawasaki, the most successful manufacturer at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, was not far from adding a 15th victory to its record tally.

The beginning of the race was marked by many twists and turns, with some competitors crashing out on the first corner. Starting from 7th position, Jérémy managed to make up two places before the safety car intervened.

From then on, Ninja #11 continued to run smoothly, with excellent consistency. One thing led to another and the team moved up to second place overnight, an ideal scenario creating a strategy that paid dividends at race end. Indeed, the Ninja equipped with its Trickstar exhaust and Dunlop tyres performed perfectly throughout the race and especially at night in the cooler temperatures.

Gilles Stafler, Team Manager of the SRC Team: “Even if I came to win the race, I am very happy with this second place. It was very hot, the competition was tough, and as long as the chequered flag was not shown, anything could happen! But we managed to put up a very good fight, which allows us to score important points for the Championship
The whole enterprise did a great job together, the team cohesion and the long experience of the staff and riders allowed us to get this place today. The Ninja ZX-10RR once again showed its extraordinary reliability and performance.”

The team thanks to all its partners, especially ELF, Dunlop, Webike, Trickstar, Tivoly, Primset, NGK, RK without whom this would not be possible.