News 16 Mar 2017

Hook confirms 11th-hour Wakefield Park ASBK entry

Aussie international makes shock return to domestic competition.

Image: Russell Colvin.

Taree talent Josh Hook has decided to enter a privateer Kawasaki in this weekend’s second round of the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) presented by Motul Pirelli at Wakefield Park.

The 24-year-old will make his domestic Superbike return riding a borrowed ZX-10R from veteran racer Phil Lovett, calling upon former factory Honda teammate Jamie Stauffer and Speedway GP legend Jason Crump for assistance in the 11th-hour project.

Hook’s decision to ride Lovett’s previous generation ZX-10R only came on Tuesday after becoming frustrated as an onlooker at Phillip Island’s opening round last month. He had been unable to secure a full-time deal overseas for the 2017 season.

“I went down to Phillip Island and thought I was a pretty shit spectator,” Hook told CycleOnline.com.au. “I didn’t like the idea of sitting on the fence and watching, so that inspired me to go out and get something straight away. Nothing came of it over the next couple of weeks, so I called up my mate Phil Lovett, who has a few bikes in his shed.

Image: Alex Gobert (Foremost Media).

“He said ‘yep, no worries, just come down and grab one’, so I went down yesterday morning and picked it up. I went over it yesterday quickly, made sure it was all okay, and now I’m driving down to Goulburn to race! It’s happened quite quickly – I don’t really know what I’ve got myself into – but it’s something that I definitely want to do.”

“I had a pretty bad year last year and I’ve come back, but it’s sort of like nobody really wants to know you. It feels like you have to go right back to the start of your career in some ways, so that’s what I’m doing. It’s a foreign bike to me and I have no testing time, so it’s definitely going to be hard. I’d obviously like to win, but that will be hard in these circumstances.”

Hook has ridden the ZX-10R of Lovett previously, impressing during last year’s official ASBK test at Phillip Island by setting the second-fastest lap on day two. He spent much of last season aboard Kawasaki machinery in the World Superbike and British Superbike championships and will likely use Pirelli tyres this weekend because of that prior experience in those series.

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