ALEX LOWES is making a surprise return to the WFR Honda team he split with last season.
Lowes started the 2011 British Superbike season riding for the WFR team in the Evo class, scoring wins in the lower-spec category and mixing it in with the superbike machines. He then parted with the team after disagreeing with a longterm contract.
Moving to MSS Kawasaki, he scored a pole position in his first outing on the ZX-10R but failing to finish races due to crashing saw the Lincolnshire rider leave the team and join Motorpoint Yamaha for the remainder of the season.
Now back with WFR Honda, Lowes said: "I feel really good about the new season and returning to WFR Honda as I have had some of my best results with the team, so it is a mega opportunity for me. When we parted it was amicable and now I have been given the chance to return and we can really show what we are capable of. I know that the team has the potential and the ambition to be at the front; they are well respected in the paddock and now they already have some experience of the new bike from testing it already feels like as a team we have made a positive start, even though I haven't ridden the new bike yet.
"The results we had at the start of the season were unexpected as it was my first ride on a Superbike and I was up against the main Superbike riders who had more experience. I think that having ridden for different teams last year has meant I had three or four seasons experience all in one. I think that returning with the Honda will be good for me and I know I have the pace; I just need to be more consistent but that shouldn't be an issue as I won't be swapping between bikes next year! I think changing teams this season meant I was trying to push harder to try and find the limits faster and that caused the crashes. My style though suits the bikes for next season and I haven't had much experience of a bike with lots of electronic aids so I don't think I will find next year any harder.
"I have been training really hard already as I am already focused on the season ahead of me and I know that the team haven't stopped since the test in Spain. We want to be in that top six for the Showdown and you can see from this year how many riders had the chance of making the cut. I have a great team and two team-mates so we can push each other all the way. I can't wait to get out testing now so we can really hit the ground running when we start racing."
The 2012 BSB championship starts at Brands Hatch on the Easter Bank Holiday weekend in April. Click here for the 2012 British Superbike calendar.
