From a press release issued by FGSport Group:

ASSEN HERALDS THE DASH TO THE FLAG

EIGHT DEGREES OF SEPARATION: Few nations on earth have a passion for motorcycle racing like the Dutch, something the World Superbike Championship contenders have experienced for the past 12 seasons without interruption. This year the usual large Assen crowd will bear witness to one of the most intense battles in the 17-year history of World Superbike. Four table topping riders approach the tenth round of the year with only eight points separating them, in what is shaping up to be the most competitive World Superbike Championship in history.

ANCIENT AND ULTRA MODERN: Assen, in its many and ever shortening layouts, has featured road racing long before the formal construction of a purpose-built racing circuit in the van Drenthe region of the Netherlands, way back in 1954. The current layout is just the latest of many, as modern trends and safety parameters have all played their part in redrawing Assen’s black ribbon of tarmac, which nonetheless still weaves between the drainage ditches and banks that surround this ultra-fast track. The current 6.027km long venue is the second fastest on the SBK Calendar, and always one of the most spectacular.

CLOSE, CLOSER, CLOSEST: With 150 points still up for grabs in the last three rounds at Assen, Imola and Magny Cours, anything could happen yet in SBK. But as we approach Assen it is shaping up to host the closest ever finish to a World Championship event. On the eve of the Assen race Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila 999F04), Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR), Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati Koji 999RS), and James Toseland (Ducati Fila 999F04) lie in first to fourth place respectively, with even tail-ender Toseland only eight points off the lead. The closely matched machinery (thanks to regulation changes for this year) and the control tyre rules (whereby everyone chooses from the same pool of Pirelli rubber) have allowed every team in SBK an equal crack at race wins – hence the unremitting competitiveness of this remarkable season.

PREVIOUS ASSEN FORM: Despite such a compression of points at the top of the field, there are innumerable other potential winners or podium finishers active in World Superbike today. Possibly the only reliable indicator of who could win either or both of Sunday’s 16-lap races will come from the recent past. Of the 21 full time SBK combatants, only two have tasted victory champagne in Holland – Haga and fifth place championship contender, Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati). The championship leader at one stage this year, Chili is still a force to be reckoned with and is one of six riders who have win races in 2004. The full list so far is Laconi (5), Haga (5), Vermeulen (3), Toseland (1), Garry McCoy (Ducati Xerox 999RS) and Chili himself (1).

PODIUM POWER: In addition to the aforementioned championship high fliers, there have been a further four riders on the podium. In seventh place overall, one behind McCoy; Steve Martin has secured a quartet of third places, and more than his fair share of diabolical luck. Leon Haslam, Haga’s 21-year-old team-mate, has taken a solo third place thus far, helping him to eighth place overall thus far, with more to come no doubt.

END OF THE DECADE: The Anglo-Malaysian co-operation of the Foggy Petronas Racing is spearheaded by the riding duo of 1996 World Champion Troy Corser and rapid Briton Chris Walker. Equipped with the 900cc, three-cylinder FP-1, a unique interpretation of the SBK theme, Corser has taken a second place and Walker a third. The pairing round out the top ten in the championship, with eight rounds and 16 races gone. After some recent engine modifications the Petronas machine should be a more potent force at fast circuits like Assen than ever before.

PRIVATE PRANCERS: In a championship with more than its fair share of competitive machinery on which to compete, the Ducati 999 and 998 series machines still predominate at the top of the table. Ducatis have long been the weapon of choice for the private teams in SBK and despite a recent rise in competitiveness of the multi-cylinder Japanese machines, most operate on Ducatis in the top ten positions. The balance of power is slowly shifting, however, if we look outside the top ten places. Marco Borciani (DFX Ducati 999RS) is 11th on the eve of Assen but the thrust of Kawasaki Bertocchi’s 1000cc machinery has put the ZX-10R pilots Mauro Sanchini and Ivan Clementi 11th and 12th overall. The Zong Shen Suzuki of Piergiorgio Bontempi has steadily gathered points to the point of being 14th, ahead of former Supersport rider Gianluca Nannelli (Team Pedercini Ducati 998RS).

SUPERSPORT: In the World Supersport Championship there is one clear leader, the experienced Aussie rider Karl Muggeridge, from the Ten Kate Honda team. Riding his fast CBR600RR with great aplomb through the seven races so far, Muggeridge has won four of the seven races so far and given these figures he is a clear championship leader. He leads his closest challenger by a full 24 points.
That challenger is none other than Team Italia YZF-R6, Jurgen van den Goorbergh – a tantalising fact given that Assen is van den Goorbergh’s home race.
Third placed rider Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) has yet to win a race, as have the following two riders, Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) and Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda); despite all coming close more than once. The only other regular rider to have won this year is van den Goorbergh’s team-mate Fabien Foret. Despite suffering a nasty ankle break at the last event at Brands Hatch, Foret intends to return to race at Assen, but his team will be swelled by a famous WSS name from the past, Andrew Pitt, the 2001 World Champion. There will be a staggering 35 riders attempting to qualify at Assen, proving the popularity of both Supersport racing and Assen.

SUPERSTOCK: Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha riders Lorenzo Alfonsi and Gianluca Vizziello will continue their season-long battle for supremacy in Superstock, with the Yamaha Germany team of Kenan Sofuoglu and Didier van Keymeulen among other fighting them all the way. At present, Vizziello leads Alfonsi by 140 to 119 points, with no other rider able to take a win so far.

OPEN HOUSE: From 15.00 to 18.00 on Thursday 2 September there will be an opportunity for all the fans to meet the riders and visit the Paddock and the garages on Thursday afternoon, free of charge. The riders from Superbike, Supersport, and Superstock will be available for an autograph session that will take place in the SBK Paddock Show, located in the centre of the paddock. All Teams will also be available in either their Hospitality Unit and/or Pit Garages to meet/greet the public. Also there will be the chance to see three national races, which will be held that afternoon.