Assen, The Netherlands - Round four of the World Superbike championship heads for the legendary TT Circuit van Drenthe this weekend, to a track that breathes history.
In 2015 it was Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea who broke records on his way to becoming the second most successful rider of all time at the Dutch track, as the reigning champion did the double and took both wins. Eventual title runner-up Chaz Davies on the Ducati was the closest challenger to Rea in both races, while local hero Michael van der Mark took a maiden double podium.
Dutch double for Rea at WSBK Asse n
As the paddock heads to the Netherlands in 2016, it is Rea who again heads the standings.The defending champion is the only man to have been on the podium in every race so far this season. Davies, however, again chasing down the crown, is second and comes off the back of a outstanding display of both his and Ducati’s goods this season after having taken a double win in Aragon, Spain, earlier in April. More than six seconds separated Davies from his nearest challenger in Race 2, and the gauntlet has most definitely been thrown down.
Tom Sykes, the 2013 champion and Rea’s team-mate, sits only three points behind Davies in the standings. After being beaten over the line by Rea in Race 1 at Motorland Aragon, Sykes fought back to finish second in Race 2, aided by a small problem for his team-mate, who was third. After a difficult Dutch round in 2015 with two fifth places, Sykes will be hoping to keep his great 2016 form rolling and stay on the rostrum in Assen.
One of the men with whom Sykes did battle in 2015 was Honda rider Van der Mark, who threw caution to the wind in his mission to stand on the podium and put on a spectacular display of home talent. Van der Mark’s first podium, in Race 1, was also the first ever for a Dutch rider. The Honda rider joined the class at the start of the season as reigning World Supersport Champion and eventually took three podiums for the Netherlands in his rookie year.
His team-mate Nicky Hayden is the WorldSBK rookie at Honda this year, but the 2006 MotoGP World Champion is learning and progressing fast. A veteran of the Assen track from his time at MotoGP, Hayden has also won at the circuit and the Kentucky Kid is sure to prove a tough competitor first time out at Assen in WorldSBK.
Star Motoring