PBM Kawasaki PR:

Broc Parkes finds himself partnered with another fast local rider for a long-haul WSB championship round, as Jamie Hacking joins the Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team for the Miller race weekend.

Last time out, at Kyalami in South Africa, local Kawasaki competitor Sheridan Morais put in two strong performances as a stand-in for injured team regular Makoto Tamada, and the team hopes that the fast and experienced Hacking will also be able to make a quick transition to the World Superbike scene at one of his home tracks.

Parkes, who was still suffering from the lingering effects of a testing injury in South Africa, expects to be much closer to 100% fit for the American round. He found the bumpy and intensely physical Kyalami circuit a difficult place to make his comeback, and is glad to have had a weekend off to allow his body to return to normal before heading to the US for raceday on 31 May.

Hacking is a well-known and well-respected force in American racing and having been a Kawasaki rider for the past few seasons, he has memories of riding the Ninja ZX-10R at Miller in the AMA Superbike class last year. Rider and team are both keen to get to work this coming weekend and have positive expectations, despite the vast strength-in-depth of World Superbike racing in 2009.

Hacking, the AMA Supersport and Superstock champion in 2006, has raced WSB on two previous occasions, as a wild card at Laguna Seca in 1998 and 1999. He posted a best single result of seventh.

Broc Parkes: “I’m grateful to have a two week rest between Kyalami and Miller to give my body a break and to get back to a decent fitness level as I really struggled in Kyalami. I’m looking forward to seeing how we go when I’m back to myself as the bike has been improving each race and we’re showing good progress with solid points scoring finishes. I didn’t race at Miller in World Supersport last year so this will be my first visit but I’m looking forward to it and also welcoming another new team-mate who is a local and will have experience he can bring to the team.”

Jamie Hacking: “I rode World Superbikes back when I first started racing at Laguna Seca. Obviously a lot has changed and I have more experience. I can’t really say what a realistic expectation would be without riding the bike, but Miller does seem to suit my style. Last year, it was our best track on the ZX-10R and I hope that we can try for a top ten.”