On 900cc three cylinder machines, against a wave of 1000cc fours and twins, his 2005 riding line up of Steve Martin and Garry McCoy have battled hard and well, albeit with little to show in terms of the points haul.
At Assen, where power is needed to keep up momentum, it may be another tough weekend for the Petronas runners, but with both Aussies keen to post more points, a pleasant surprise is not out of the question.
In the World Supersport championship Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier has simply dominated a classy top-level entry in the middleweight championship, running away with the lead thanks to six wins from eight starts - backed up to the hilt by another two second places.
His 74-point lead over his team-mate Katsuaki Fujiwara is significant, as another win at Assen, irrespective of any other rider’s finish, would give him the championship.
Yamaha Motor Germany’s Kevin Curtain has battled hard to split the Honda hordes, and he currently sits third, ahead of former World Champion Fabien Foret of Team Italia Megabike Honda and his full season rookie team-mate,
Michel Fabrizio.
