MotoAmerica champion Cameron Beaubier made his World Superbike debut at Donington Park today and immediately rose to the challenge with a place in qualifying two after spending just two hours riding Sylvain Guintoli’s Pata Yamaha.
Beaubier, who is standing in for the injured Frenchman, ended the day in ninth place and only a second slower than fastest man Tom Sykes even though the R1 he rides in America is a lot different to the WSBK-spec version.
“Every time I get on the bike I feel more and more comfortable. The forks and triple clamps make the bike a bit stiffer than mine, the Pirellis have a lot different feel than the Dunlops I use at home and also, at home, I feel like there are a handful of guys really fast up at the front but here everyone is fast, it” said Beaubier, speaking to bikesportnews.com at the track.
“It’s definitely tough. I found a few tenths in the last exit on a new tyre and it bumped me up five or six places. I am having fun. After this morning, I definitely thought we had some work to do. It felt good to be in the top ten after practice and I hope I can build on that.
“I knew what direction it went in, but it felt like a completely new track on a Superbike. I’m having fun around this place. I really like the first section, it’s fast and flowing but then it’s two tracks in one as you have to park it and park it again in the last section.”