Shane ?Shakey? Byrne will make his Camel Honda debut alongside Alex Barros at the Sepang circuit on Friday amidst a wave of excited expectation from British fans. The former British Superbike Champion replaces Troy Bayliss, who has returned to his home in Monaco to recover from a recent operation to repair a broken wrist, and will also be riding for the team at the next round in Qatar.
?I thought my season was over but now I have this fantastic chance to ride a Honda, I still can?t believe it,? said Shakey. ?It will be tough because everybody has high expectations but I?m determined not to waste this opportunity. I have never raced in Malaysia but I did test there with Aprilia. It is a technical circuit and I like it, but until I ride there on the RC211V I don?t know what to expect. I have only ever dreamed of riding a bike like this. I am a bit concerned that its a Fudgy colour but I am sure that will not affect me too much?
Team principal Sito Pons commented: ?Unfortunately Troy can?t be with us in Sepang or Qatar so for these two races we will be joined by Shane Byrne, an English rider who has done very well in Superbikes and has a year and a half of MotoGP experience. I think that with a competitive bike and team he will be able to show his true ability. I hope he adapts quickly to the Honda and to the team.?
Hope he do`s well but suspect its a bit of a tall order to expect him to finish in the top ten :dunno: