Former MotoGP rider Hector Barbera will make his Bennetts British Superbike championship debut for Quattro Plant – JG Speedfit Kawasaki standing in for the injured Ben Currie at Donington Park.
Barbera, who started 2019 in the World Supersport championship before splitting with Team Toth Yamaha by the third round following a financial dispute, has been acting as replacement rider for the injured Leandro Mercado at the Orelac Racing Kawasaki squad in the World Superbike championship for the past two rounds.
With vital experience on the Kawasaki ZX-10RR, the reigning BSB champions have called on the Spanish rider as replacement for the injured Currie who suffered a broken leg at the last round at Oulton Park.
Despite gearing up for his BSB debut, Barbera has experience around Donington Park having competed at the track during his 125cc and 250cc Grand Prix days between 2002 and 2009. In that time the Spanish rider won the 2003 125cc race, beating Andrea Dovizioso in his first-ever GP career win, while he took pole position in the 2009 250cc race.
“I am very happy to have this opportunity and it is incredible to be racing at Donington Park because I won my first race there, so I have good memories of the circuit,” Barbera said. “I want to thank Pete Extance and the Quattro Plant – JG Speedfit Kawasaki team for this chance to race in BSB.”
Given his experience of both Donington Park and the Kawasaki ZX-10RR, Quattro Plant Kawasaki team boss Pete Extance sees Barbera as the ideal candidate to stand-in for the injured Currie.
“I’m looking forward to welcoming Hector Barbera to the team,” Extance said. “He has a wealth of experience on many machines, including lately the ZX10RR in the World Championship.
“Donington Park is a track he knows well and he will hopefully put on a good show for the team and all of the BSB fans. Ben Currie is recovering well after surgery this week and will be back on his bike when fully fit.”
Donington Park’s national circuit layout hosts the triple-header third round of the 2019 BSB championship on May 24-26.
