I Superbiker: Lincoln superbike champion Alex Lowes features in a film about racing and his life off the track.
The world premiere of I Superbiker: The War For Four took place in Lincoln on April 5, with director Mark Sloper and superbike star Alex Lowes meeting fans and taking questions.
Director Mark Sloper and superbike star Alex Lowes at the film premiere in Lincoln. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The premiere at The Venue in Bishop Grosseteste University was a sell-out screening, with guests having the chance to have their photo taken next to Alex’s show-stealing Honda CBR1000RR for Samsung Honda.
Alex Lowes (23), who grew up in Lincoln, battled it out to become the holder of the British Superbike Championship in 2013, and his ride was captured on camera for the documentary-style film.
Alex’s Honda CBR1000RR for Samsung Honda. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The 12-round British Superbike Season thrust lead riders Alex Lowes, James Ellison, Tommy Bridewell and Shane Byrne into the limelight, and the documentary brings fans closer to the sportsmen’s routines, home lives and challenges.
The documentary is the fourth in the series of ‘I Superbiker’ films.
Director Mark Sloper said: “It was an incredible season and something that I could not have scripted.
“What’s great about the film is it’s not about the racing specifically, it’s about the people behind it. It’s a human story.
“I’ve been following Alex and his brother Sam since 2007, and I’m one of those people that films things and doesn’t throw it away, so as they’ve been able to progress and get better, I’ve been able to go back to the archives.”
Alex is the twin brother of Sam Lowes, the current title holder of the World Supersport Chamionship. He said: “This year the target is to win the World Superbike Championships.
“I hope me and Sam can race together, because then we’ll decide who’s faster.
“There’s a boxer that trains in the gym with me and Sam, he keeps trying to arrange a fight, but I would definitely beat him in a fight!”
Alex Lowes. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Alex spoke to The Lincolnite about the excitement of his film debut: “It was quite possibly the best year of my life. Being in front of the cameras was a lot of fun and obviously winning the trophy was the icing on the cake.
“The first time I hopped on a road bike I was 12-years-old, it’s always been about the enjoyment for me and it’s something the whole family have supported. It’s a way of life now.
“I’ve had lots of hard lessons to learn. I’m a young guy doing something I love, and it’s easy to let my feet come off the ground and not listen to people that have more experience. I’ve definitely learnt the hard way a lot of times.”
On taking their seats for the start of the film, audience members took part in a Q&A session, hosted by former professional motorcycle road racer James Witham.
Alex began the session by saying: “The support of the fans is amazing, there’s nothing like people screaming your name and it reminds me of when I went to the races with my family when I was younger.”
Alex meets with fans and the film premiere. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The war between Alex Lowes and three times champ Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne became monumental. Shane’s fourth win would have made him the most frequent winner in the sport’s history.
In the unpredictable nature of the sport, clashes turned to crashes and the film highlights just how dangerous a job the riders have.
Alex said: “The last couple of year racing against Shakey has really helped me a lot because he works really hard.
“When you have a certain rivalry you think about them through the year. I’d think about Shakey when I was training and on the track, beating him in the rain was a great experience and something I have learned a lot from.
“I have a lot of respect for Shane and we get on really well off the track.”
Nice to have a good catch up with Harv last night top man helped me a lot!! pic.twitter.com/0lDGzS8I43
— Alex Lowes (@alexlowes22) April 6, 2014
I Superbiker: The War For Four hits UK cinemas on April 10, before heading to screens across the globe.
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