The Virgin Mobile Cup riders will notice a new addition to the grid for the second round of the series at Donington Park this Sunday (9th April). Linzi Plastow from Newton in Derbyshire is a late comer to the Virgin Mobile Cup line up, just one week into the 2006 season. 21 year old Plastow, who took part in the Cup in 2004, is the only female participant in the British Superbike Championship. “I am so excited to be taking part in the Virgin Mobile Cup. It doesn’t bother me at all to be the only girl. The reason why I chose to take part in the Cup is that it is all about the individual rider’s ability. We all have identical brand new R6s on the grid and once the lights go out, we are all at the same starting point.”
Rob McElnea said: “We are thrilled to have Linzi back on the Grid, she showed a lot of potential 2 years ago. It is great for the sport and the Virgin Mobile Cup to have a woman competing against the lads.”
The first round of the Virgin Mobile Cup at Brands Hatch was won by Swindon-based Matthew Whitman who rode beyond his 19 years in the trickiest of conditions. With an ever-changing track the young riders tested the new Dunlop Qualifier tyres to their full race potential. Whitman was followed by Tom Grant and Leon Hunt took third place.
Whitman explained: “The weather was changing all the time during the race but I had every confidence in the Dunlop Qualifier tyres; the feel, grip and feedback was amazing. The all new Yamaha R6 was awesome and really performed on the day. I just hope that I can build on my success at Donington and I am really excited about riding the Yellow Dunlop Animal leader bike for the first time this season.”
McElnea added: “The lads need to be congratulated on how well they performed at Brands. They rode with a maturity and race-craft beyond their years. The slippery surface would have tested any skilled rider, so they all need to be proud of what they have achieved so far.”
As the grid of 16-22 year olds head to the newly-developed Donington Park, home of British Moto GP, there will be challenges for the riders and all new Yamaha R6.
Series Organiser, Rob McElnea commented: “The youngsters will be riding in the tyre-tracks of Valentino Rossi at Donington and it will be an experience they will never forget.”
Related Linkswww.virginmobilecup.com
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