JG SPEEDFIT KAWASAKI READY FOR FIGHTBACK AT CATHEDRAL OF SPEED
28th September 2016 – As the 2016 MCE British Superbike Championship reaches the penultimate round at Assen, the JG Speedfit Kawasaki trio of Leon Haslam, James Ellison and Peter Hickman are looking for a return to winning ways as they bid to close the 27 point gap to series leader Byrne.
Arguably one of the most iconic motorcycle tracks in the world, Assen marks an important round for title contenders JG Speedfit Kawasaki as former Championship leader Leon looks to bounce back from a crash last time out at Donington and close the 27 point gap to Byrne. Fellow Showdown contender James sits in fourth, 58 points adrift, but having shown race winning pace at Donington he knows a strong weekend at Assen will see him back in contention ahead of the three race final round at Brands Hatch. Although narrowly missing out on a Showdown position, Peter is gunning for Riders Cup glory and after two fantastic races last time out, he currently leads the fight by eight points.
Dubbed the ‘Cathedral of Speed’, Assen in the Netherlands is one of the biggest highlights of the MCE British Superbike Championship season. A true mecca of motorcycle racing, the 2.8 mile circuit is a fast and flowing track which often creates race long battles for the lead. The final chicane in particular is a crucial section for last lap overtakes.
After the disappointment of Donington Park, Leon Haslam is ready to bounce back at Assen “I’m really looking forward to heading to Assen, it’s a circuit I’ve ridden at regularly over the last few years so it’s nice going to a circuit knowing I don’t have to relearn it! Obviously the crash at Donington was disappointing, it was our first mistake of the year but annoyingly it came during the Showdown. Although we’re now a little way behind Shakey in terms of the Showdown, I’ve actually scored more points as a whole over the season so we know that we’ve got the pace to close him down.
Assen is a fantastic circuit and always throws up good racing. I’m not approaching the weekend any differently and our goal is the same – to go out and win as many races as we can. It’s a really fast and flowing track which isn’t the best style for our bike but I’m confident we can still be fighting for the top step. Over the last few years, the weather has played quite a part for the BSB guys so hopefully it stays dry this weekend – but if not, we’ve won in both the wet and the dry this season so I’m ready!”
Looking to claim his first victory of the season, James Ellison added “I can’t wait to get going at Assen. The last few rounds have been really good and I’ve enjoyed running at the front again so I’m looking forward to repeating that this weekend. It’s always a special weekend at Assen, it’s a fantastic atmosphere travelling away and the track is incredible. I’ve had some really good success there over the years across varied bikes too. Last year we were able to get a double podium and with the improvements we’ve made in the last few rounds I’m confident of challenging for our first win of the season.
The weather is usually a big factor at Assen, but our goal through practice is focus on setting up the bike for race distance. We’ve had the pace to win the last few rounds but we just can’t quite stay with the guys who have opted for the harder option during the closing stages so this weekend we’ll look at working with the SC1 compound which will hopefully give us the longevity we need.”
Keen to extend his lead in the battle for the Riders Cup, Peter Hickman said “I’m feeling confident ahead of this weekend. Assen is an awesome circuit and it should suit my style and our bike as it’s quite similar to Donington in parts. The last three rounds for us have been really strong and we’ve consistently had good pace and challenging at the front which is great – in fact I think I would now be in the top six overall on traditional points.
We’re battling for the Riders Cup, which I’m leading at the moment, and whilst the plan is to extend that this weekend my goal is the same as it has been all year; to be running top six and fighting for podiums. I love the Assen weekend, going abroad and travelling over there gives the event an added bit of excitement and there’s always loads of Brits alongside the brilliant Dutch fans so hopefully I’ll be able to give them something to cheer about!”
GBmoto Racing Team Principal, Mark Smith-Halvorsen concluded, “Aside from the second race, Donington Park was a strong weekend for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team and we are eager to repeat that form. With the way the Showdown works, we’re now facing a large points difference to the series lead but we’ve seen countless times that anything can happen in Superbike racing and we head to Assen ready to fightback and close the gap to Byrne. All three riders are capable of winning races and fighting for the podium so we’ll be aiming to do just that at the Cathedral of Speed!”