Few circuits in the world have as much tradition and history as the track in the northern province of Van Drenthe, and for the 16th time in succession the World Superbike circus will be stopping off at the classic venue of Assen.
Always evolving in terms of layout and facilities, Assen may be somewhat truncated from its previous versions, but it is still one of the tracks any rider with ambitions of greatness has high on his winning wish list. The Assen SBK weekend is traditionally held in September, but this year the late April date sees it forming the ‘end of the beginning’, rather than it being a venue where many a championship fight is all but decided.
James Toseland aboard his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda won his fourth race in eight attempts this season when he secured the top step of the podium in race two at Valencia, but fifth place in race one, largely due to a tyre spinning on the wheel rim, ensured that he made little clear space to overall second place rider, Max Biaggi on the Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki. Biaggi is now 13 points behind Toseland and has to meet the challenge of another circuit new to him in SBK guise, as Assen was modified again only last year, when Biaggi was not active in any world series.
Noriyuki Haga and his Yamaha Motor Italia team-mate Troy
Corser sit third and fourth respectively in the 2007 championship chase, with Corser some 23 points behind Haga. On an all-new Yamaha R1 this year, this is already something of an achievement for each rider. Haga has winning form at the Dutch venue, having ridden the R7 Yamaha to a victory in 2000, but none of Corser’s 33 career race wins in SBK have come at Assen.
