A third and then a fourth place finish for Alex Lowes and Pata Yamaha at the Laguna Seca WorldSBK round are not exactly equal to his first career race win last time out but on a bike that has never liked the old dry lake circuit in the USA, it was all still forward movement for Lowes, who is now only 13 points behind Sykes, and fifth overall.
Lowes obeyed the first law of racing, beating his team-mate Michael van der Mark twice in California but just couldn’t hit the top three twice.
“The podium was too far today because I got caught behind Tom and Fores and Michael. If I could have passed Michael a bit earlier I think I had the pace to challenge Eugene but Eugene did a great job and it is great to see someone else on the podium, so congratulations to him,” Lowes told bikesportnews.com.
I left like I had the pace to challenge some more but I was struggling on the front to really pass. It was the best I could do and I am quite happy with a third and a fourth, and try to do a bit better at Misano.”
Misano could well be a very happy Yamaha hunting ground (after Lowes and VDM get back from testing in Japan for the Suzuka Eight-Hours) as Lowes explains:
“Obviously, Michael led for 14 laps there last year, so we know the bike can get around the track. It is a track that I do enjoy, a great place, a and everybody enjoys going to Misano. It is the last one before the big summer break, so we will try to get back on the podium. We got to the test tonight, so straight out of here, a busy schedule, and then back home for four or five days before Misano.”