Ian Lowry rides TAS Suzuki superbike

BSB rookie Ian Lowry gave the 2009-spec Relentless by TAS Suzuki GSX-R1000 its first shakedown test at Kirkistown last week and is out again at the same venue this week.

Plans to test the new superbike in Spain recently were thwarted by the lack of parts to fit the 2009 factory forks. The team made a last-minute decision to go testing last week when long-overdue parts finally arrived at Belfast airport.

Team boss Philip Neil said: “We could have fitted our 2008 forks but that would have been pointless testing them. It’s 2009 equipment we need to test and at long last we’ve been able to get out with the new bike.”

Lowry was on-track with new-signing BJ Toal who rode the team’s superstock bike (which he also tested in Spain).

Toal also raced at Mondello round at the weekend and finished second (to JMF Yamaha’s Alastair Seeley) in one race and fourth in the other two.

Lowry’s new BSB team-mate Atsushi Watanabe has only just arrived back in the UK and will get a quick shakedown ride at Kirkistown before a full test day at Brands Hatch on Thursday in the MSVR test day.

The full TAS team is also expected to race at Bishopscourt this Sunday, March 29.