From a press release issued by Honda Racing Press Information:

THE CATHEDRAL CALLS FOR HONDA’S HOPEFULS

After an extended summer vacation the World Supersport Championship contenders gather together in Northern Holland this Friday, to challenge at the unique and timeless Assen circuit once more. Sometimes referred to as the ‘Cathedral’ of bike racing, sometimes called the ‘Riders’ Academy’, Assen is a modern classic with a long history. Its current 6.027km length and 24 corners present a genuine challenge even to riders of the calibre of runaway World Championship leader Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR)

With five free weekends since the previous round at Brands Hatch for most of the competitors, many have made use of their leisure time to relax and recharge their batt eries for the end of season push. For some, like Vermeulen, the thrill of competition has punctuated the holiday period.

The young Aussie, only 21-years-old and one of eight supported Honda riders in this year’s championship fight, competed at the shorter national-level Assen circuit some four weeks ago, as part of the Dutch Championships. Vermeulen’s experience of Supersport machinery and his rapid Ten Kate Honda have been a devastating combination this year, pushing him fully 37 points clear of his closest competitor Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha), with only three races to go.

Vermeulen, an uncomplicated character with a mature head on young shoulders, acknowledges that his recent experiences at Assen even the shorter version of the multiple cambered track may give him an edge on many of his regular competitors.

“Assen should be good for us, partly because the track is so close to the team’s base, and it will be a home round of sorts,” said Vermeulen in the run up to the Dutch event. “We did a National Championship race and although we didn’t use the full track we’ll be racing on in the World Championship event, it does give you a feel for it. I think it will be an advantage for us, especially if it rains, because we have good base settings for the bike in the dry. We don’t have to worry too much if practice is wet but the race itself is dry.”

One of four factory Honda riders to have already tasted the Assen circuit in the aforementioned Dutch National race was Vermeulen’s team-mate, Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR).

“It was good to be able to race at Assen and we have already got reasonably good settings for the race. So a lot of the set-up work is no longer ahead of us anymore and that makes us confident for the race itself,” said Muggeridge. “We only raced the last time on the shorter National circuit but all the information we gathered will be useful this weekend.”

Broc Parkes (BKM Honda CBR600RR) acknowledges Assen is a difficult circuit to master, but nonetheless is looking forward to another high-speed run through the Dutch countryside.

“I have had some reasonably good results there is Superbike and I like the layout of the track,” said Parkes. “I think it’s a place you have to go at least twice before you get it really right. It’s not an easy place to set good lap times right away, because it’s so long. You also have to have a fast bike for Assen it’s a horsepower circuit. You can gain to some extent in the corners, unlike Monza for example, but you do have to have a lot of power.”

Christophe Cogan (BKM Honda CBR600RR) has been a consistent threat to the top ten positions all year but feels that a lack of testing in the run-up to the Assen round will not help his cause.

“We did not get a chance to test in the break so we will have to see how we get on when we get there,” said Cogan.

Robert Ulm (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) eagerly anticipates one of his favourite circuits of the season, an unusual choice for a rider who normally prefers slower tracks such as Valencia or Misano.

“I have only tested a racebike in my head since the break but I have had two Supermoto races, one in Germany and one in Austria,” said the long time World Superbike rider. “The race results themselves were not so good but it is very good training for machine control so I am happy and ready for Assen. It’s a nice circuit for me, a safe track, and I like the fact that there are so many corners.”

Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) grabbed the unexpected chance to shine in the Klaffi Honda team this year with both hands, and he sees Assen as another circuit he has a realistic chance to score a podium at.

“My feel for Assen is very, very good,” enthused the Frenchman. “I like the track because last year I was fifth in practice, even though my bike was not the fastest. This year the machine is much better so to be at Assen, with the new bike, the new team, my physical condition being OK this is perfect! Assen is normally a pleasure for me in any case.”

Iain Macpherson (van Zon Honda CBR600RR) sharpened his Assen build-up at the recent Dutch National Championship race, behind the two Ten Kate Machines of Vermeulen and Muggeridge.

“I was third at the Assen race but Vermeulen and Muggeridge pulled away from me a little,” stated Macpherson. “I couldn’t understand it at first because I knew I was riding quite well and the bike set-up was good. Those two are riding particularly well but I found out later they were also trying out some new parts. If you do not have quite the same level of equipment as the opposition it’s even more difficult. At Assen we should have exactly the same spec of machine as them so that’s going to be very welcome.”

Werner Daemen (van Zon Honda CBR600RR) turned around his misfortune in the Dutch National at Assen to plan his strategy for the forthcoming WSS round.

“I also raced at Assen after Brands only on the little circuit,” stated the Belgian protagonist. “It was useful for set-up and we learned some good information about race tyres. The tyre I used in the race was unable to go the full distance so we know which tyre to use for the World Championship race distance if the temperatures are the same of course.”

After the Assen race round ten of the championship will take place at another classically sculpted race circuit, Imola in Italy on September 28.


More, from a press release issued by FGSport:

FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

The Netherlands Round 10 – Assen
Assen Race Preview

A SHIFT TO THE CENTRE

The importance of the Assen race to the whole World Superbike paddock is immense, and for more than just the reasons of the Circuit van Drenthe’s long and proud history as a motorcycle racing venue.

Traditionally falling towards the end of the SBK calendar, Assen has frequently been the venue for some titanic battles on track, many of them deciding championships outright or firming up which of any particular year’s hopefuls will be going into the final race or two with a genuine chance of securing the coveted World Championship.

This year may be no different, as championship leader Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila 999 F03) enjoys a monumental 150 point lead over his team-mate Ruben Xaus, the only man capable of overhauling his total. It will take a Herculean winning run from now to the season climax at the French circuit of Magny Cours on 19 October for Xaus to snatch the laurels from Hodgson, plus a huge amount of misfortune would have to befall the Englishman for anything other than Hodgson’s name to grace the championship trophy.

The last Ducati World Champion, Troy Bayliss, won his single title in 2001 at Assen and Hodgson’s side of the Ducati Corse garage at least will be hoping for a similar trick at this most challenging of circuits.

Fast and curvaceous, long and festooned with cambered corners, Assen belies its completely flat topography by being one of the most challenging and technical circuits imaginable. Much modified from its original closed road nature, being purpose built by the standards of the day in 1954, Assen is a true classic rider’s track, exclusively aimed at motorcycle racing, and despite being widened, shortened and continually remodelled for safety reasons, it is still something of a breathtaking final exam of any rider’s all round abilities.

Machine speed is King at Assen, but it has to be allied to a cool use of racecraft and no little expression of rhythm on behalf of the rider.

Of the current SBK crop, only Pierfrancesco Chili (Ducati PSG-1 998 RS) has been able to score a win at Assen thus far, although in past years there have been close calls for riders like Xaus and Troy Corser (Foggy Petronas FP-1).

Chili has a win under his belt already this year, and he approaches Assen as one of a select band of only five riders to have done so.
Hodgson’s runaway lead is peppered with 11 race wins, Xaus has taken three victories, Chili and James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati 998 F02) one apiece and in the previous round Shane Byrne (Monstermob Ducati 998 F02) took both Brands Hatch victories as a preamble to securing the British Championship.

Arguably the most improved rider in the series this year is James Toseland, who has already suffered pain and injury for his high-speed art, but is now reaping the rewards in status and respect from a watching world. On one of the best bikes in the field, podiums at Assen are a genuine prospect for Toseland, but as the rolling mauls for the top points scoring places have shown this season, the competition will be as stiff as ever at Assen.

Regis Laconi (NCR Nortel Caracchi 998RS) has been close to a win this year and his fourth place in the championship makes him the top ‘true’ privateer, running a fast customer machine rather than a new or season old factory machine.

The awesome early season performances from Gregorio Lavilla and the Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 have stumbled a little of late but each has done enough to show they have what it takes at true world level. Once more the impressive Vittorio Iannuzzo will be in company with Lavilla, on a somewhat less full factory spec machine.
Injury and drama have been constant companions for Toseland’s team-mate Chris Walker this year, putting him sixth overall at present, by the slender margin of 13 points.

With many a DNF to his name Chili matches his race number 7 to his championship position, but he is nonetheless a whopping 62 points ahead of Aussie privateer Steve Martin in eighth place, the Pirelli shod rider just ahead of his team mate Marco Borciani and another perennial SBK privateer, Lucio Pedercini.

The spread of talent this season extends not only to those in possession of a machine currently capable of race wins. The Foggy Petronas effort, a high profile and high class affair has yet to show engine performance capable of taking either Corser or second rider James Haydon to the podium, but few doubt that when the machine is as developed as its unique 900cc three cylinder format allows, top results will be within reach.

As well as four local wild cards, there will be a proliferation of ‘foreign’ competitors, the most high profile being proven SBK race winner John Reynolds on his Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000. The huge attendance of British spectators at Assen, just a ferry hop across the North Sea from the UK, will be entertained by another of their compatriots, Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati).

In the World Supersport Championship, now approaching round nine, Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR), still enjoys a comfortable 37 point championship lead over Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Belgarda R6), but the fight for second at this moment in time is as close as it is possible to be.

Katsuaki Fujiwara (Alstare Suzuki GSX-R600) has been as potent a threat as ever, scoring a win, like his team-mate Stephane Chambon, who secured the last race at Brands Hatch. This trio, all chasing Vermeulen as three races remain, are some way clear of fifth place man Christian Kellner (Yamaha Motor Germany R6).

The only other man to have won a race this year is reigning champ Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-6RR), who sits in overall eighth place.

A huge 19 factory supported machines have been competing for the World Supersport crown this season, making Vermeulen’s win tally of four an outstanding achievement. This is tempered by the knowledge that all four competing manufacturers have scored at least one win.

Each race weekend from now on features a full card; as the season completes its calendar in Europe – the remaining rounds taking place Imola (September 28) and Magny Cours (October 19).