Source: Kawasaki Racing.

The eni FIM Superbike World Championship heads to previously unexplored territories this weekend as the series will race for the first time at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

New championship leader after Donington Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) has never raced at Sepang before, but has always done well at new circuits on the calendar in the past two years.

The Brit won the opening race at Moscow Raceway and was second in race two in 2012, while last year at Istanbul he was third and second in the two encounters after starting from pole. He previously tested with Kawasaki at Sepang back in 2011.

Sykes aims to continue the good form shown at Donington, after the stunning double taken two Sundays ago at his home track. The reigning champion had one of the best races in his career in race one, as he made his way up through the field after a poor opening lap to take a remarkable victory over teammate Loris Baz.

After missing out on the podium in the last outing, Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) is looking forward to competing at Sepang. The Ulsterman knows the track already despite not having raced there before, as he did a test for HRC back in late 2010. Rea currently sits second in the standings and he is tied in points with Frenchman Baz.

The Aprilia Racing Team paring of Sylvain Guintoli and Marco Melandri have vast experience of the Sepang International Circuit, having taken part in many events in the past at the venue. Melandri stood on the podium at Sepang in 2007, as he crossed the line in second place in the MotoGP race behind winner Casey Stoner.

Despite being a new circuit for the championship, many other riders have knowledge of the Sepang track: Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team), Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike), Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), Toni Elias (Red Devils Aprilia), Claudio Corti (MV Agusta RC – Yakhnich Motorsport) and Imre Toth (BMW Team Toth).

Aussie Bryan Staring, who is set to make his season debut at Sepang this weekend with Team Iron Brain Grillini Kawasaki, is the only entrant of the EVO class to have contested a race in Malaysia before.

The battle for best in the new category is going to be as open as ever, with David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team), Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing Ducati), Leon Camier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike) and the rest of the EVO field ready to resume their battle for the top honours. Camier will attempt to race on Sunday despite sustaining an arm injury at Donington.