MCN Donington Park WSB: Vermeulen set to ride at Donington, but unlikely to race

Chris Vermeulen will make his long awaited return to racing this weekend when first free practice kicks off for the MCN-backed Donington Park WSB round, but it is unlikely he will actually race on Sunday.

The factory Kawasaki man completed 30 laps at Cadwell Park on Wednesday and while it was positive for him to be back on a bike, he is still well below full fitness and isn’t expecting to be in a position to actually race on Sunday.

Speaking to MCN, Vermeulen said: “I haven’t been at Cadwell for 11 years but it was still a useful test for myself and the bike. At the moment I don’t think there is that much chance that we will be able to race on Sunday, but saying that if the practice and qualifying go well it would great to be out there.”

Team Manager Paul Risbridger added: “Kawasaki Japan weren’t keen for Chris to even ride until he was 100% fit but we’ve all agreed now that its important for him to be on a bike this weekend.

“It’s great for the team to have him back and we’re all very keen to hear his feedback on the bike. The target now is for Chris to run the full weekend and race at Assen and be competitive by the time we get to Monza.”