YEAR OF THE YOUNG GUN B
It’s not just the big names set to shine in 2017, there’s a glut of rising stars who will be doing everything in their powers to upset the old guard
ritish Superbikes has been a little bit quiet when it comes to young racers, but it looks like that’s about to change with riders as young as 19 looking to impress this season. Leading the charge for the younger generation is JG Speedfit Kawasaki’s Luke Mossey who, after securing a spot in the top six title fighters’ Showdown last year, is looking to join the scrap at the front as he earns his place alongside Leon Haslam in the official factorybacked Kawasaki squad. Just 24 years old, Mossey shattered the lap record at Cartagena earlier this month and is brimming with confidence. “It’s my third year with Bournemouth Kawasaki [now sponsored by JG Speedfit] this year and we’re coming off the back of a really good season,” Mossey said. “The aim is to fight for the title, in year one we got the Riders’ Cup [for finishing best-placed non-Showdown rider] and in year two the aim was to make the top six which we did, so we’re doing pretty well! “The key thing for me will be to try and get my first win early on, I really wanted it last year but it didn’t come for whatever reason.” While Mossey has been rapid over one lap for the last two years, it’s overall race pace he’ll have to improve if he’s to challenge the likes of team-mate Haslam. However, hard work through the winter on tyre conservation and race ‘I love having Leon as a team-mate. It just gives me more motivation to beat him’ runs under the supervision of newly recruited team boss Jack Valentine, could be about to pay off. “I’ve never been in such a strong position ahead of a season. I’ve never done this much testing!” Mossey says. “It wasn’t just about quick one-off laps for us either, I spent a lot of time working on race pace and improving this year which is a little stiffer and supposed to help with that.” While Mossey remains with the same team for the third year, it’s the first time he’s had a name as big as Haslam the other side of the garage. “I love having Leon as a team-mate,” he laughs. “It just gives me more motivation to try to beat him!”
‘I’ve never been in such a strong position ahead of a season’ LUKE MOSSEY