BSB: Ellison 'confident' as TAG complete Spanish testing

While most Bennetts British Superbike teams are currently heading out for their first winter test in Spain, the TAG Racing team sit back in the UK having completed six days of winter testing.

Following their successful outing in Jerez earlier this month, the Swadlincote squad headed out to Cartagena last week for three days with James Ellison and Shaun Winfield.

Speaking after the test, Ellison says he’s feeling confident ahead of the official test at Donington Park later this month: “We made some really good improvements over the first two days and day three, if I’m behing honest we hit a brick wall, but we found a direction not to go in, which is what testing is all about! We now know where we need to start for the next test, but on a whole to sum up the three days they have been positive. We have got through lots of things we wouldn’t be able to do at a BSB round and I think we’ll arrive at the official test pretty much ready and on pace.

“I definitely feel confident heading into the final test, we’re still working on the rear end of the bike, because I ride totally different to how Josh (Brookes) does and the bike was almost set up for him so that is one thing we are still focusing on.”

Winfield added: “This weekend has gone really well, last time I went to Cartagena was three years ago and ahead of the test I couldn’t remember if turn two was left or right. The first day I started off steady, learning the track again, following James and Chris around really helped because they have lots experience around Cartagena and after that I picked up the pace really quickly. We then changed quite a lot on the bike to give me a little bit more grip, which helped me turn the bike a lot better and that worked really well. I followed Chris around for a while, and he pushed me a lot to improve my lap time, we had a good tussle and it really pushed me along. 
 
“The final day we made dramatic changes, which proved to be the right changes because I produced my personal best lap time on my own. I’m really happy with where I am the moment, the two tests at Jerez and Cartagena have proved really positive and having Chris onboard is driving me forward and giving me confidence. Overall I’m pleased and I’m excited to get back at it at Donington.”

The team will now prepare for the final pre-season test at Donington Park on March 20^th before the season gets underway at the Leicestershire circuit between 31^st March and 2^nd April.