Lowes on pace for PTR at Almeria

Sam Lowes recorded the fastest time during a test last week attended by several World Supersport teams at Almeria in southern Spain.

The Performance Technical Racing Team turned out in full-force at the test, with all six PTR-backed riders present.

Martin Jessopp (Riders PTR Honda) was among the group as he used the shakedown to get to grips with his CBR600-RR machine following his switch to the class from the British Superbike Championship.

Mathew Sholtz (PTR Bogdanka Honda), Patrick Jacobsen and Ronan Quarmby (PTR Honda) also made the most of the chance for some on-track action ahead of next month's opening World Supersport race at Phillip Island in Australia.

However it was Lowes, now in his second season in Simon Buckmaster's PTR colours, who set the pace with the 21-year-old lapping in a time of 1m38.6s, slightly quicker than the remainder of the PTR riders, each of whom were outside the 1m39s mark.

Polish rider Pawel Szkopek also attended the test on the Bogdanka Honda, which is a separate operation from the PTR team this season even though they share the same sponsor.

No times are available for the other Supersport riders who tested at the Spanish venue, including Luk?? Pe?ek (Prorace Honda) plus RivaMoto trio Eduard Blokhin, Oleg Pozdneev and reigning European Superstock 600 champion Jed Metcher who will ride Yamaha R6 machines, or Hungarian Balasz Nemeth (Racing Team Toth Honda).