Gino Rea will join Buildbase Suzuki for the second round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship this weekend, deputising for the injured Keith Farmer.
Double Superstock 1000 champion and former Supersport champion Farmer damaged his shoulder in a crash in qualifying at Donington Park and so Rea joins the team ahead of the weekend; hoping that his past experience with Suzuki, can lead to a strong showing at Snetterton.
Rea said: “Obviously first and foremost I want to wish Keith well; it’s never nice to see a rider injured and especially to see him coming back from injury and be sidelined again so soon, so I wish him all the best. For me, I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with a professional and experienced team in this paddock.
“I’ve got one full year of BSB under my belt and last year I had a few one off rides, so I’m hoping the chance to work with the Buildbase Suzuki team will give me the chance to show what I can do. I’ve got past experience with the GSX-R so hopefully that base will mean we can get off to a good start this weekend.”
Team manager Steve Hicken commented: “It’s really unfortunate that Keith hurt himself at Donington, especially after the progress we made with him throughout free practice and the start of that qualifying session. We know he’s a talented rider and we’re hoping to see him back as soon as possible.
“Gino is a rider with a lot of experience, having raced in a variety of championships over the years, so we’re hoping that while he’s with us we can start to see the best of him at British Superbike level after a tricky year or two. Hopefully we can hit the ground running in the first free practice session at Snetterton.”
Meanwhile on the opposite side of the garage, Kyle Ryde will be looking to continue his run of form, after a strong opening round that saw him qualify on the front row and take a fourth placed finish.