World Superbike heads to Assen

From WSBK

The Assen TT Circuit in the Netherlands is the venue for this weekend’s fourth round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship. World Superbikes have graced the Drenthe circuit ever since the first edition in 1992 and despite it undergoing a major transformation in 2006, when it was reduced in length from over 6km to its current 4.555km, Assen remains one of the most spectacular events on the calendar.

The production-based world championship can count among its past winners some of the riders who have helped to create SBK history. First and foremost, the legendary Carl Fogarty, whose total of 12 wins is out of reach of any of the current crop of competitors, while in more recent times the record goes to Troy Bayliss with six wins, including a double last time around. Assen is also a circuit where Ducati has always held the upper hand, winning 22 out of the 34 races held there.

With his double win at Valencia, Japanese rider Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) became the first breakaway leader in this year’s championship, accumulating a 40-point advantage over Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) and 70 over Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare).

His lead is not yet comfortable however as after Assen there will still be 10 rounds remaining and 500 points up for grabs. So far the championship has shown that there are any number of riders capable of winning individual races, and at Assen they will all have Haga’s Ducati in their sights.

With three wins to his name, the same as Haga, Spies, whose ability to go quick at circuits he has never seen before continued during last week’s Monza testing, will want to make amends for his slip-up at Valencia, where his rival proved to have just that little extra pace.

Neither Honda nor Suzuki have won a race this year but both are going for the top slot at Assen. The Ten Kate Honda team is racing at home and Carlos Checa, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Jonathan Rea will be aiming to overturn a so far disappointing season start. Suzuki Alstare is putting its faith in the development of the GSX-R1000 and the undoubted qualities of Neukirchner, who has had an up-and-down start to the year but who has already been twice on the podium.

The Valencia round saw the re-emergence of Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), the Italian’s morale boosted by two podium finishes. The young Italian is expected to be a protagonist throughout the season but still needs to be more consistent to emerge as a true title contender.

Compatriot Max Biaggi had his Valencia weekend compromised by a poor Superpole performance and will be determined not to make the same mistake twice as he helps to take Aprilia back to the top again after their early season prowess. Britain’s Leon Haslam meanwhile has had a sensational start for the Stiggy Racing Honda team, with a third place and two fifths that have earned him fifth overall in the standings.

The Supersport category has not been as wide open and hard-fought as this year’s championship for a number of years. The top five riders are separated by 11 points and there have been three different winners so far.

Two riders are equal on points at the top, 2007 champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) of Turkey, and the talented Brit Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport), who is making waves in his first season in the category. Behind lie three more Honda riders Eugene Laverty, Andrew Pitt, 2008 champion, and Anthony West.

Favourites for this weekend’s race have to be the Ten Kate duo Sofuoglu and Pitt, seeing as the team has a superb record on its home track.

Both Superstock classes were dominated by Italians at Valencia, with wins going to Claudio Corti (Suzuki Alstare) and Danilo Petrucci (Yamaha Trasimeno). Corti will have to deal with the attacks of his two chief rivals Xavier Simeon (Ducati Xerox) of Belgium and Frenchman Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Honda). Petrucci was in a class of his own at Valencia, but Britain’s Gino Rea (Ten Kate Honda), Belgium’s Vincent Lonbois (MTM Racing Honda) and Italy’s Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha Trasimeno) will be the other men to watch.