Alex Lowes says the annual return to British soil for the Donington Park round of the WorldSBK Championship always presents a welcome opportunity to rekindle memories of his success on the BSB domestic scene.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Lowes’ romp to the 2013 BSB title on the Samsung Honda, the Lincolnshire rider defeating experienced six-time champion Shane Byrne in a tense Title Showdown.

A decade on and Lowes admits performing in front of the British crowd still stirs fond memories, a positive impact he will look to translate to strong results this weekend.

“It is a unique race weekend at Donington,” he says. “We are now based not even ten minutes from the track. It is always nice to have some family and friends get to the event. And it’s great to race in front of the British crowd. 

>>> 2023 WorldSBK Championship standings <<<

“Coming from BSB, I always feel a close connection with them. The track has been resurfaced so we need to check that on Friday, get a feel for it, as sometimes when a track is resurfaced it can be hard for tyre life. That’s something we need to consider. 

“It is always a pleasure to race at home and I can’t wait to get started. Some of the stuff we tried in testing last week could help us. 

“My plan is to fight for the podium places and that is what we are trying to achieve at our home race. I am really looking forward to it, aiming to enjoy the whole week and see how we get on.”

Lowes heads to Donington Park classified ninth in the overall standings with a best finish of third place in the Mandalika Superpole Race.