MILWAUKEE YAMAHA SET FOR ASSEN SHOWDOWN OPENER
The Milwaukee Yamaha team head to mainland Europe this weekend (18/19/20 September) for the opening round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship Showdown leading the chasing pack.
Josh Brookes holds a narrow two point advantage ahead of the tenth round of the season and the Australian is feeling confident of adding to his winning tally at the Dutch circuit.
Alongside Brookes, Czech contender Jakub Smrz lines up on the second Milwaukee Yamaha as the team prepare to come out fighting for the Showdown.
Josh Brookes
“I don’t feel any more pressure because it is the Showdown; I want to win races no matter what point it is in the season and I have put Oulton Park behind me now. I didn’t get the results I wanted for various reasons and it was a bit of a mess up compared to where we had been before that weekend.
“I try to apply a method to my racing and I want to be logical and calculated so I am thinking positively for Assen. I did the recent round of IDM there and it might be a different bike and different technical rules, but there must be some knowledge that I can take from there too. This should be a strong circuit for the Yamaha and if everything comes together then we have high expectations for this weekend.”
Jakub Smrz
“I’m really happy to have this opportunity and it’s all completely new for me. I don’t have much time to get used to the R1 but Milwaukee Yamaha is very professional team with a lot of experience.
“I feel though that I can benefit a bit from my Assen track knowledge. In the past I’ve always been very fast at Assen and it’s one of my favourite tracks where I have many good memories and good results. I didn’t race there last year and after an unlucky start to the season I’m very motivated to get back to Assen! I haven’t ridden a race bike since Snetterton but I have kept myself fit by training hard and I’m sure I will get back into race shape quickly.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Traction Control:
TTC GET SET FOR ASSEN: FRANCIS STEPS UP TO SUPERSPORT ALONGSIDE RISPOLI
Team Traction Control will return to the next round of the Motorpoint British Supersport Championship at Assen this weekend with a familiar two strong rider line-up as the team’s Superstock 600 contender Joe Francis will join American James Rispoli on the grid.
The legendary Assen circuit was where Rispoli scored his first podium finish in the championship last season and now the ‘Rocket’ is bidding for his first race victory.
Francis steps up for the Supersport class for this weekend, replacing Andy Reid who sustained a broken wrist after a crash whilst leading at Oulton Park after celebrating a debut win in the Sprint race.
Rispoli said: “This is the time where we are ready to try and push for wins because we know what we are capable of as a team. Both me and Andy [Reid] were pushing at the front at Oulton Park and we want more of that this weekend and with him out it is down to me. We are looking to win it is as simple as that, we are not stressing about it but we are ready to roll!”
Francis said: “I can’t wait for free practice one and it is such a great opportunity for me. I just need to take my time and learn the bike and do as many laps as I can to get a feel for it. It will definitely be hard moving into Supersport when everyone is running at lap record pace but these chances don’t come around often and so I am excited to do the best job I can for Team Traction Control. I am on the race winning bike on a great track – it can’t come soon enough!”
Team manager Grant Bunting commented: “We are all looking forward to Assen and we are looking forward to Joe making the step up to the Supersport class after Andy’s unfortunate injury. We wanted to give a young rider the chance and this is an ideal opportunity for him to show what he can do on the Supersport bike.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
BENNETTS SUZUKI SETS SIGHTS ON ASSEN SUCCESS
The Bennetts Suzuki team is set for Assen and round 10 of the MCE British Superbike championship this weekend with both Josh Waters and Christian Iddon aiming for a strong showing at a circuit they have both enjoyed success at.
Josh Waters took a race win in 2014 at the historic venue onboard Suzuki GSX-R1000 machinery, while Christian Iddon qualified on pole position the same weekend. With more development and new components making their way onto the Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R1000s at Assen, both the team and riders are hoping to make even more progress with the set-ups of the bikes, and have a successful end to the season.
Christian Iddon:
“Assen’s a circuit I enjoy and it’s a good round of the championship. I was on pole last year and Josh won a race, so we’ve definitely got form there and I’m feeling good about it. Even though the GSX-R has been raced in BSB before, as a team we’ve been learning a lot about the bike this season and we’ve always been improving. We’ve got some further developments for Assen too, which I’m excited about. We’ve had small but recurring issues with our set-up this season but the team has been working really hard to find solutions, and everyone’s determined to have a good final few rounds of the season to show what we can really achieve.”
Josh Waters:
“I’m looking forward to Assen this weekend. I like the circuit and obviously I’ve got some really good memories of winning there last year. It’s a fast circuit and its nature should hopefully really suit the GSX-R. Everyone in the team has been working hard, even when the results haven’t been coming and we’ve made progress over the season, so hopefully we can start well on Friday and enjoy a good weekend’s racing.”
Despite a challenging campaign to date, with bad luck also playing its part throughout the year, team owner Martin Halsall is ensuring there’s no let-up in effort as the season draws to a close, and is confident of a positive end to the season to highlight just how much potential there is in the team and its GSX-R1000 package.
Martin Halsall:
“It’s no secret it’s been a bit of a learning year for us. It’s been our first year with Suzuki and the GSX-R, but everyone in the team has been working hard to find the right set-up at each track and for two riders and we’ll continue to do so until the final round at Brands Hatch. We have been making progress all season and have been developing the bikes all the time, and have been robbed of some strong results by cruel misfortune. But with three rounds to go we’re looking for a strong run-in, starting this weekend at Assen, to showcase to everyone just where we know we can be when it all comes together for us.
“The fast and flowing nature of Assen should suit the bikes, and both Josh and Christian have enjoyed some success here too. If we can make a solid start from the first free practice session on Friday and have a good qualifying, there’s no reason we can’t be up there on Sunday.”
The first British Superbike free practice session gets underway at 10:15 on Friday September 18th, with qualifying taking place from 16:00 on Saturday, with racing commencing at 12:25 on Sunday.
More, from a press release issued by JGSpeedfit Kawasaki:
JG SPEEDFIT KAWASAKI HEAD TO THE ‘CATHEDRAL OF SPEED’ AS BSB SHOWDOWN BEGINS
The battle for the 2015 MCE British Superbike Championship title begins in earnest this weekend for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team as Title Fighter James Ellison and team mate James Westmoreland head to the iconic Assen circuit in the Netherlands.
Having cemented his position in the all-important top six last time out at Oulton Park, JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider James Ellison heads into the opening round of the Showdown just 31 points adrift of the series lead. Although still suffering slightly with his injured wrist, Ellison will be looking to return to the top step of the podium and reduce the gap as he bids to secure his and the team’s first MCE British Superbike Championship title. Although not making the Showdown, team mate James Westmoreland enjoyed a strong showing at Oulton Park and heads into the Assen ready to challenge for the podium again and help Ellison.
Dubbed the ‘Cathedral of Speed’, Assen is one of the most iconic motorsport venues in the world and is considered a true Mecca for motorcycle racing. The 2.8 mile circuit is a fast and flowing circuit whilst the final chicane is a crucial section for last lap overtakes.
Excited to get back out on his JG Speedfit Kawasaki ZX-10R, James Ellison said “Although I’m still not 100%, I’m in a much better shape than I was at Oulton so I’m heading to Assen this weekend ready to challenge the front runners again. It is still a matter of time until I’m fully healed but we showed we can still challenge for the podium.
Assen is a good circuit for me and the Kawasaki works well around there so we’re in a good position to kick-start our Showdown challenge. We’re 31 points behind Josh in the series, and everyone will be stepping up for the final seven races, but I believe we have the package to win the Championship so we’ll be taking each race as it comes and will keep chipping away.”
Looking forward to returning to Holland, James Westmoreland added, “Although Assen is still a relatively new circuit for me compared to the rest of the calendar, it’s a fantastic circuit and one I look forward to going to. The long range forecasts are looking good, but if previous years are anything to go by then we need to be prepared for any kind of weather!
Oulton was a bit of a mixed weekend for us, I struggled on the opening day which really put us on the back foot for the qualifying and the races. That said, the guys were brilliant and we were able to turn it around but we need to make sure we hit the ground running from opening practice this weekend. The bike should work well around Assen, so I believe we’ll be pushing further up the leader board than we were the past few rounds.”
JG Speedfit Kawasaki Team Manager Mike Kane added, “Our goal at Oulton was to secure our position in the Showdown, which we succeeded in doing. It means James Ellison and the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team can now challenge for the 2015 MCE British Superbike Championship title and although we’re 31 points behind, we’ve seen how competitive James is when he’s fit so I’m confident we can reduce that gap this weekend at Assen.
Westy had a good showing at Oulton and we’re now heading into three circuits which suit the Kawasaki ZX-10R so I’m confident we can see him back towards the front and hopefully challenging for another podium.”
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