Disappointing end to World Superbike season for Herefordshire's Chaz Davies (From Hereford Times)

Disappointing end to World Superbike season for Herefordshire's Chaz Davies

4:00pm Wednesday 10th October 2012 in Sport

CHAZ Davies admitted the end of his maiden World Superbike season – and his time with ParkinGO MTC Racing – wasn’t ideal but he now moves on to pastures new excited for the future.

Davies has known for a month that he would swap the leathers of ParkinGO, for whom he won the World Supersport title last year, for those of BMW Motorrad Motorsport next season.

However, Davies couldn’t sign off with a fifth podium finish of the season, after three thirds and a first-ever win since round seven, at the 14th and final meeting at Magny Cours in France.

The 25-year-old crashed out of race one after one lap before his team hurriedly worked on his stricken machinery to get him on the grid for race two where he placed eighth.

That meant Davies finished ninth in the overall standings with 164.5 points, and while disappointed by what happened at Magny Cours, he is now relishing what lies ahead.

“The last race of the season – the last weekend of the season – definitely didn’t go as planned. The weekend was pretty much hard work from the get go on Friday morning,” said Davies.

“And it ended up just being a difficult weekend due to that and also the crash in the first race upset things for the second race.

“It was not the way I was hoping to finish my time with the ParkinGo team. It is pretty disappointing not to give those guys a good result to sign off with.

“Nonetheless we have had three and a quarter yeas together, it is sad to move on but next year is a big opportunity for me.”

Davies’ efforts at Magny Cours were little more than a sideshow to fellow Brit Tom Sykes’ pursuit of Max Biaggi and the overall World Superbike title. In the end Sykes, who won race two, finished just half a point shy of Biaggi and Davies admits he’ll be working hard over the winter to prove his own 2013 title credentials.

“I owe a massive thank you to the ParkinGO team they have been like a family to me but roll on next year,” he added. “I will see what I can do this winter, I will try and learn the new bike and go from there.”

British Eurosport is the Home of Bikes, showing all MotoGP, World Superbike and British Superbike races on Sky channels 410 and 411 and Virgin Media channels 521 and 525 as well as eurosportplayer.co.uk.