Q&A: Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki)

Relentless Suzuki rider, Ian Lowry was unfortunate enough to run over one of his fellow competitors, Tom Grant at the second round of the Maxxis Supersport Championship at Thruxton. He was injured in the crash which inevitably followed but he got himself together for the Silverstone weekend and scored a second place finish. Crash.net Radio spoke to him over the Silverstone race weekend.....

Question:
At Thruxton you managed to run over Tom Grant - what happened?

Ian Lowry:
He slipped streamed me coming up the back straight as a lot of them do, and going into the chicane I think he clipped the curb with his engine casing and lost the front and went down. I was so tight in behind him I had no where to go, there was nothing I could do so I just went over him. I didn't even have time to avoid him, it just happened so quick and before I knew it I was off as well. Its just one of those things, that's racing, it was a wee accident.

Q:
What injuries have you sustained from that crash?

IL:
I've got a fracture to my scaphoid on my right wrist; it is a bit of a problem this weekend when I'm breaking down into the hairpin because all your weight is on your hands. But we are dead on, we are struggling on and I think we will be alright.

Q:
At Thruxton you were duelling for first and second place, was that the first time you had lead a Supersport race?

IL:
It is yeah, I was going to say "Believe it or not!"....that is the first time I've lead a supersport race. I think I lead it for about six or seven laps, and then Michael Laverty and Tom Grant came passed me and I was thinking "this isn't too bad as I can slip stream them on the back straight on the last lap." So I was happy enough to sit in third I didn't know I was going to be off a couple of corners later. It is just one of those things.

Q:
Has that boosted your confidence knowing you can run right at the front?

IL:
It definitely has. At Brands I didn't really have the best race tyre times and whenever I got into the race I dropped my times quicker than when I was on a qualifier. Then when I went to Thruxton my race tyre times were alright and when I got into the race I went real, real quick so I think that is just the way it is. Whenever I'm in a qualifying situation I can't really..., it's not that I can't get it together I just can't get into myself like I can when I'm in a race.

Q:
There has been talk that Supersport isn't as competitive as three of the main front runners have stepped up to Superbike, what would you say to that?

IL:
I was thinking the same thing myself, but we went to Brands and the pace has just stayed the same there are just new faces. I mean Tom Sykes, Leon Camier and Eugene Laverty have all moved on and we have just stepped up the mark a bit.

Q:
Tom Grant the R6 Cup winner has been on form, were you expecting him to be a front runner so early in the season?

IL:
I think they did a lot of testing over the winter and he has proved he can be competitive enough on an R6 and he has been riding an R6 for three years. The machinery is good and the tyres they have are good too as they run the same as us so there is no excuse for those boys not to be on the pace. I think they are doing a good job.