WHAT DOES MEAN TO ME
As the first round of the 2025 season gets underway a new regular element of the Official Programme makes its debut . At each round we will ask some top WorldSBK and other paddock talents what WorldSBK really means to them .
Those who make a living inside the WorldSBK paddock seldom have time to take stock of the whole scene ; to think about what it actually means to live and work in what everyone agrees is an unusual ‘ industry .’ That is particularly true of the riders themselves , who when not lapping the racetrack are training , preparing and generally being highly focused athletes .
So we asked them to ask themselves one simple question … What does WorldSBK Mean To Me ?
Alex Lowes - bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team
One of the most experienced WorldSBK riders there is , Alex Lowes has been a BSB Champion , an official WorldSBK rider for Suzuki , Yamaha , Kawasaki and is now an important part of the new bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team project in 2025 .
He has racked up over 300 race starts in WorldSBK so far , stood on 46 podiums and earned four race wins . As the most recent three of those victories have taken place at this very venue , what better place to get his thoughts than Phillip Island ?
“ It has been my life for a long time now , more than ten years ,” said Alex from his home in the English Midlands , just before Christmas . “ Obviously , it means a lot of good memories and a lot of good times for me . Both on the track and my experiences since coming into the paddock . But also off the track , with the travel around the world , doing something I always dreamed about doing . And spending time in different places with my family . So WorldSBK means a lot to me , and I have spent pretty much most of my adult life racing in the series .”
Earlier in his career , with the British Superbike title safely in his grasp at the end of a closely fought 2013 season ( beating all-time BSB legend Shane ‘ Shakey ’ Byrne in the process ) did WorldSBK simply provide a logical next step for Lowes ? As it would have been for any ambitious BSB Champion , especially at 23 years of age ?
“ Yeah , and I think the reality is that I left school and started working for my dad when I was 18 , 19 , 20 ,” explained Alex . “ When you are in that situation , the realistic chance of being MotoGP™ Champion is quite far away . They are looking for guys that are already in MotoGP™ , or in other MotoGP™ classes and winning . Unfortunately Spanish , Italians , other Europeans , their careers are a little offset from ours , because that are into GPs while they are just teenagers . We ’ re not . You dream about racing around the world , and you dream about racing in a World Championship , as a kid - which I think is everybody ’ s dream - in any sport . I enjoyed BSB , and I still enjoy watching BSB , which is a fantastic series , but I was always hoping to be in the World Championship . My brother Sam was already in WorldSSP racing at that time , so I knew the paddock , and I liked it . So I was fortunate enough to get an opportunity to move up to WorldSBK and it felt like I could go to WorldSBK and have a realistic chance of doing well .”
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