FIM Superbike World Championship Assen, Netherlands April 17 Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Carlos Checa, Spain (Duc 1098R), 22 laps, 35:38.693, 104.514 mph 2. Max Biaggi, Italy (Apr RSV4 Factory), -0.524 second 3. Jonathan Rea, Great Britain (Hon CBR1000RR), -3.584 seconds 4. Leon Camier, Great Britain (Apr RSV4 Factory), -5.913 5. Leon Haslam, Great Britain (BMW S1000RR), -16.916 6. Eugene Laverty, Ireland (Yam YZF-R1), -17.375 7. Michel Fabrizio, Italy (Suz GSX-R1000), -17.740 8. Noriyuki Haga, Japan (Apr RSV4 Factory), -18.329 9. Jakub Smrz, Czech Republic (Duc 1098R), -18.378 10. Sylvain Guintoli, France (Duc 1098R), -18.404 11. Tom Sykes, Great Britain (Kaw ZX-10R), -26.284 12. Joan Lascorz, Spain (Kaw ZX-10R), -27.053 13. Maxime Berger, France (Duc 1098R), -38.614 14. Ruben Xaus, Spain (Hon CBR1000RR), -40.824 15. Ayrton Badovini, Italy (BMW S1000RR), -40.953 16. Roberto Rolfo, Italy (Kaw ZX-10R), -40.982 17. Barry Veneman, Netherlands (BMW S1000RR), -45.423 18. Mark Aitchison, Australia (Kaw ZX-10R), -3 laps, pitted 19. Marco Melandri, Italy (Yam YZF-R1), -6 laps, DNF, crash 20. Troy Corser, Australia (BMW S1000RR), -15 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Point Standings (After 6 of 26 races): 1. Checa, 132 points 2. Biaggi, 89 points 3. Melandri, 85 points 4. Rea, 79 points 5. Haslam, 68 points 6. Camier, 50 points 7. Smrz, 49 points 8. Fabrizio, 47 points 9. Laverty, 35 points 10. Haga, 34 points 11. TIE, Lascorz/Corser/Sykes/Xaus, 26 points 15. Badovini, 20 points 16. Guintoli, 16 points 17. Rolfo, 12 points 18. Aitchison, 7 points 19. TIE, Berger/Veneman/Josh Waters, 3 points 22. James Toseland, 2 points 23. Bryan Staring, 1 point More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport: Weather conditions: Sunny with light clouds. Temperature: Air: 15 19 °C, Track: 17 26 °C Number of riders participating: 21 from 12 teams Fastest lap Race 1: Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) 1:36.660 min Fastest lap Race 2: Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) 1:36.476 min Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport concluded the third round of the 2011 FIM Superbike World Championship in Assen (NED). In the riders’ championship British works rider, Leon Haslam, is now fifth (68 points). Troy Corser (AUS) moved up to 12th (26 points). In the manufacturers’ standings BMW is fifth with 74 points. Troy had a very good start in race 1 and was lying third on the first lap. For most of the race he was pushing hard in a close fight with the leading group and finished sixth. Leon also made up positions at the start, but crashed on the third lap. He was able to continue and crossed the finish line in 12th. At the start of race 2 Leon made up a lot of places. He rode a consistent race finishing fifth. Troy’s second race was ended by a crash on lap eight. The races were won by Jonathan Rea and Carlos Checa respectively. The team congratulates the successful riders of BMW S 1000 RRs at the legendary 24 hour race “Bol d’Or” at Magny-Cours, who celebrate two podium finishes. Team BMW Motorrad France 99 with Sébastien Gimbert (FRA), Damian Cudlin (AUS) and Erwan Nigon (FRA) finished 3rd in the EWC Superbike class. In the Superstock class, BMW Team Van Boenig Motorsportschool with riders Michael Filla (CZE), Werner Daemen (BEL) and Matti Seidel (GER) also finished 3rd. Leon Haslam: Result Race 1: 12th, Gap to 1st: 00:45.289 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:37.588 min Result Race 2: 5th, Gap to 1st: 00:16.916 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:36.816 min “It’s been a tough weekend. We have been encountering a few minor issues this weekend which have made lap by lap consistency difficult. The situation obviously wasn’t helped by my crash in race 1. The back of the bike came round on me unexpectedly and I was unable to stop myself from crashing. I also got clipped by one of the other riders when I was on the floor, which meant I was a little sore for race 2. Still I got a good start in the second race and managed to get up with the leaders, but sadly I was unable progress through the pack. But we still managed to secure another top five finish, and I know we will go away from here, work hard back at the workshop and prepare well for Monza.” Troy Corser: Result Race 1: 6th, Gap to 1st: 00:11.120 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:37.135 min Result Race 2: DNF / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:37.229 min “The first race was not so bad, and I was pretty happy with that. For the second race we just made a few adjustments to the rear shock and I think we improved the bike. Then I unfortunately lost the front tyre going into a corner. I am okay with no injuries, but it is a bit disappointing. In the free practice all went okay, but in the race we had some issues with the tyre. But we are now going to analyse that and to improve it for the next race.” Bernhard Gobmeier (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director): “Overall, we learnt a lot this weekend. In the first race Leon tried to win the race in the first couple of laps he simply pushed a little too hard and lost the bike. He fought back bravely, but the race was over for him. Troy started the first race with 1:37 min laps, but unfortunately was not able to go at this pace all race long. His times dropped after five laps. After adjusting the traction control his lap times were good again, and he finally finished sixth. In the second race Troy struggled with grip, while Leon started well and was able to defend the fifth position up to the chequered flag. We now look forward to going to Monza.” More, from a press release issued by PATA Racing Team: The PATA Racing Team leaves Assen after an eight place gained by Noriyuki Haga in race 2. The japanese rider didn’t took advantage of the good practice’s results, having chattering and tyre problems during race 2’s second part. In race 1 Noriyuki had bad luck when a stone coming from another competitor hit the Aprilia RSV4R radiator causing a leak of cooling water forcing the rider to end his race. Noriyuki Haga – Aprilia RSV4R #41 – “I feel disappointed for the team and my supporters. I would have close with two better outcome. Unfortunately, I still have few experience on this bike, mainly in race where we got problems with the grip during the final part. I’m sure with all these infos we’ll aim to a better result in Monza.” Marco Borciani – team manager – “I’m sorry, I thought we could have fight for the first places during the race. The championship is hard and we showed during the practices to be protagonist so I’m sure shortly we will even in race.” More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing: FOURTH WIN OF THE SEASON FOR CHECA AND THE ALTHEA RACING TEAM AT THE TT CIRCUIT IN ASSEN Assen (The Netherlands), Sunday 17th April 2011: having enjoyed a third place finish in race 1, Carlos Checa and the Althea Racing team were really ready to celebrate when the Spanish rider was able to take a spectacular win in the second race on the TT Circuit in Assen today. Race 1 Carlos, starting from pole, was able to maintain leadership for a couple of laps before being passed by several riders over the subsequent laps. Having opted for the harder tyre solution, Carlos needed a few laps before he was able to find the necessary pace. From mid-race onwards he really began to push and, from fourth position, began to close in on Laverty in third. Once past the Irish rider, Checa aimed for the two leaders Rea and Biaggi. At this point all three riders were lapping with similar times and for Carlos to close the two second gap that separated him from the frontrunners was a big challenge. He got close but had to settle with the third step of the podium in this first race. Race 2 after two laps Carlos took the lead ahead of Biaggi and Rea and so the three podium finishers from Race 1 were the very same men fighting for the positions that counted in Race 2. In the second half of the race, still lapping with a very quick pace, Carlos was caught by Biaggi who got by him but didn’t stay ahead for long. Checa, making the most of his soft tyre choice (which turned out to be the correct choice) was able to get back in front two laps from the end – the public enjoying one of the best passes seen so far – and hold the lead to the finish line. With today’s win, Carlos consolidated his lead in the championship standings with 132 points and a 43 point advantage over Biaggi in second place. Ducati remains ahead in the manufacturer’s standings with 136 points to Aprilia’s 106. Carlos Checa “The beginning of race 1 was difficult; I didn’t have enough grip and so some of my rivals were able to get past me. Then I really had to push to make up lost ground. I tried to stay clam and maintain my rhythm and was able to get in front of the second group, but to reach Max and Johnny wsa just too difficult. They already had an advantage because I had lost time getting past Laverty. I happily accept the result however, a positive end that gives us important championship points. Then for Race 2 we decided to change tyre and so, with the softer solution, I had more grip and could maintain a strong pace right from the start. I wanted to push at the beginning and try to build a gap between me and Max but he stayed with me, putting me under pressure. When I made a small mistake and he passed me in the final stages, I was able to see that he was having some tyre trouble. I got back past him and took the win, a result that is surprising but fantastic. At Monza we will try to defend our position as best we can, knowing that it will be a very tough track for us.” Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager of Althea Racing “The Race 2 result gives us enormous satisfaction in light of the race 1 outcome, which was nonetheless a good result. We had some doubts regarding tyre choice because the harder solution didn’t perform as we had expected it to. We risked a little, concentrating on the softer tyre that we had tested in yesterday’s long run. The choice turned out to be the right one. Carlos surprised me once again; there are no longer any doubts that he is able to make the most of every opportunity that arises and this gives us great confidence as a team because we see he is able to take advantage of everything we give to him. I thank the team for the incredible work carried out this weekend, as it was also one of the most difficult races in terms of choices. Thanks too to Ducati for providing us with a solid package once again. We’ll continue like this, we’re very happy but we must also keep our eyes open in view of future rounds.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Alstare: 2011 Superbike World Championship Round 3, Assen, NL Sunday 17th April Circuit: 4.542 kms. Crowd: 71,500 (3 day) Conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 15-19C (air), 17-26C (track) MICHEL TAKES SUPERB 5TH IN ASSEN OPENER. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Michel Fabrizio fought his way up from the fourth row of the grid to take a superb fifth place in the opening WSBK race in Assen today. Despite not getting a good start, Michel battled his way through the field and was up to fourth place with just four laps remaining. By then his front tyre was almost completely gone and when Marco Melandri (Yamaha) overtook him in the final chicane, Michel could not push hard enough to re-pass his fellow countryman. Nevertheless fifth was tremendous result considering his grid position. Jonathan Rea (Honda) had taken the lead after three laps and was then never headed on the way to victory. Second was Max Biaggi (Aprilia), with Carlos Checa (Ducati) third. In race two, Michel charged up to seventh place and was in battle for fifth with Eugene Laverty (Yamaha) and Leon Haslam (BMW) but after six laps, his front tyre started moving about. He pushed as hard as he could to pass the duo in front and take what would’ve been another fifth, but had to settle for seventh instead. Checa won the race, after a race-long battle with Biaggi, and Rea took third. Michel – Race 1: 5th, Race 2: 7th Generally I am quite please with our performance today – especially considering that I had to start from the fourth row of the grid. I didn’t make a good start in the first race, but managed to get into fourth by lap twelve. It had taken some time to get past some of the riders, but I was fairly comfortable in fourth until a few laps from the end. My front tyre was already moving about a lot by the time Melandri came past and although I tried to catch him again, the tyre wasn’t up to it, so I had to be satisfied with fifth instead. I used the same tyres (soft front and rear) for race two, but this time, they began to go off after only six laps. From then it was a real struggle to push hard enough to catch and pass Haslam and Laverty, but I kept trying right to end of the race. At the finish, I was just one tenth of a second behind Laverty, so it was pretty close. Although today was quite a good day for us, it would’ve been so much better if I had not have had the problem in Superpole yesterday. I am convinced that if I had been on the first or second row of the grid today, I would’ve got on the podium for sure – and maybe have even won a race! More, from a press release issued by Castrol Honda: Rea tastes victory again at Assen Jonathan Rea won today’s opening race of the third round World Superbike event at Assen in the Netherlands today and followed it up with a podium in race two to kick start his season in style. Assen marked the home race for Rea’s team and his victory was his first of the season and the first for the newly branded Castrol Honda squad, which is based just 50km to the south of the historic 4.452km circuit. Spaniard Carlos Checa took victory in race two, as front tyre problems prevented Rea from pressing for his second win of the day to follow up his double at Assen in 2010. Meanwhile, Rea’s Castrol Honda team-mate Ruben Xaus finished eighth in the first 22-lap race today, but could only manage 14th place in race two. After qualifying in fifth place on the grid, Rea made a good start to race one and passed Checa for the lead on lap four, before powering to victory from second placed Max Biaggi. In race two, the 24-year-old had a slower start and, as he tried to get by fellow Ulsterman, Eugene Laverty, Checa and Biaggi were able to open a gap which Rea was unable to bridge after his tyres went off. Jonathan Rea 1st and 3rd First and foremost, I’m really proud to give the famous Castrol Honda name the first victory on its comeback to this championship. We spent all weekend developing the bike for the races, and that strategy paid off. I got a good start but couldn’t decide whether to let Max past and let him dictate the pace. In the end I made the right decision to stay in front and take the win. We had to dig deep in race two because I got held up for a while and the front guys got away. I was matching their lap times but we ran into some tyre problems later in the race. I’m really happy with the weekend though, and really grateful to everyone who has helped to get me here it’s been a long hard winter coming back from injury. The team has worked really well and that’s exactly the right sort of confidence and momentum that we need to take to the next races. I’m happy to be back where I belong, in the winners’ circle, and I look forward to trying to get more wins for the team. Ruben Xaus 8th and 14th Of course, I can’t be satisfied when my team-mate is first and third and I am eighth and fourteenth. Yes, he won twice last year and has a great rhythm here and knows where the problems arise, but still I can’t be satisfied. Race one was OK and we found a way but almost as soon as race two started the clouds came and the track temperature dropped. We had tyre allocation problems here this weekend and we didn’t have the right set up to make the soft tyre last or the harder tyre work properly. The A tyre was the good option for race one, even though the performance dropped off at the end. In race two, the tyre was like it was at the end of race one, only after five laps. So we fought hard to bring the bike home with a slightly better set-up. Hopefully we will get more consistent track temperatures at Monza and other races. Now I know the bike much better, the team is working well and the gap is closing to the riders at the front. Ronald ten Kate team manager There was some very solid work by the team to get a good set up for Jonathan, with everything focused on the races. Race one was almost inch perfect from him he rode really well and made no mistakes. It would have been great to double up like he did last year but, honestly, with the problems he had with the front tyre in race two, he made the right decision not to push and collect instead some good points. During the weekend we talked about putting momentum into our season and getting the big wheel turning and I’m sure we’ve kick-started the se ason here. Hopefully we can carry this into the next rounds, too. Ruben’s set-up and riding style seemed only to work with the soft tyre, which gave him grip. Unfortunately, that tyre didn’t work the whole race distance. We hope track conditions will be a bit more normal in the next couple of rounds to give him that grip with other tyres because, for sure, he’s not in the position that we would like him to be. More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Rea and Checa score wins at Assen as WSBK series hots up Assen (Netherlands), Sunday 17 April 2011 Jonathan Rea and Carlos Checa scored a win apiece at Assen today, in races held in dry and occasionally sunny conditions at this classic Dutch track. Rea was particularly happy to see his first victory arrive at his team’s home circuit, after some tough times early in the season. It is Checa, however, who can leave with the greatest satisfaction as he now has a clear points lead over Max Biaggi, 132 – 89. Max, the reigning champion, recovered from all his dramas at Donington last month with two assured second place finishes today and he got the reward of second in the championship overall, with his home race of Monza next up. Donington race winner Marco Melandri just missed out on a podium finish in race one at Assen but fell in race two and is now in third place overall, four points behind Biaggi. Rea is now fourth, on 79 points, as he and Checa swapped wins and third places, with Checa taking the final spot in race one and Rea third in race two. Leon Haslam had two hard fights on his hands today, but he scored good points in race two for fifth place, the same position he holds in the championship fight with his new total of 68 points. Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) set the fastest lap in race two to help him go fourth and he is now sixth in the championship. Race 1 Rea overcame the early battles at Assen to record his and Honda’s first win of the 2011 season, beating Biaggi by 0.7 seconds and championship leader Checa by 3.5 seconds in race one. Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike) overcame a slow start to claw his way back to fourth, just ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare). With Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) behind Fabrizio there were six different machines inside the top six places. Top Kawasaki runner was Mark Aitchison (Pedercini Team Kawasaki) in tenth. Leon Haslam, Corser’s team-mate, survived a fast early crash to recover to a top-12 finish. Race one saw many falls and retirements, and only 14 riders finished the race, but in race two only two riders failed to finish. Jonathan Rea: “First and foremost I’m proud to give Castrol Honda their first podium in the world championship this year. My crew worked really hard all weekend and we really made the right decision to develop a specific bike for the race because it paid off. I lead from the start, was wondering whether to let Max pass, but made the right decision and won the race.” Max Biaggi: “I have to be happy with this result because of the way I finished free practice on Saturday afternoon. I had to use bike number 2 so it’s a good result. We changed something in the warm-up but for the race we came back to a set-up we thought was correct for me and I could do nice lap times and be consistent.” Carlos Checa: “It was quite tough for me to keep the position at the beginning but finally I was able to pass the people from the second group and then I was trying to follow Laverty, overtook. Max and Johnny were too strong and it was difficult for me to catch them at the end. For us it’s a very positive result.” Results: 1. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 35’46.486 (167,589 kph); 2. Biaggi M. (ITA)Aprilia RSV4 Factory 0.739; 3. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 3.572; 4. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 9.508; 5. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 9.892; 6. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 11.120; 7. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 15.235; 8. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 30.081; 9. 86 Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 32.071; 10. Aitchison M. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 35.000; 11. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 43.287; 12. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 45.289; 13. Veneman B. (NED) BMW S1000 RR 45.298; 14. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 50.764; etc. Race 2 A delayed start to the second Assen race made no difference to the outcome as Checa and Biaggi played a high-speed game of cat-and-mouse. Biaggi looking to have it wrapped up as he passed long time leader Checa, only for the Spanish rider to reassert himself on the final lap and win his fourth race of the year. A battle between Rea and Melandri ended when the Italian star fell, leaving Rea on the podium in third. Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) was fourth, while a multiple rider fight for fifth went to Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport), from Laverty, Fabrizio, Haga, Smrz and Guintoli. In the points standings Checa now leads by 132 to Biaggi’s 89. Melandri is third on 85, Rea jumping to fourth with his new total of 79 points. Carlos Checa: “It’s a fantastic result, the win was amazing. I put a soft tyre in for the second to get that that extra grip and at the end the tyre was good and responsive, this was the question mark. I was trying to put some gap between me and Max, but he was strong. I made a mistake and he passed me but then I overtook him again for the win.” Max Biaggi: “Good performance for us, we made a very good set-up for the race after my crash yesterday. We tried to adapt, it wasn’t perfect, couldn’t find the tyre to match. I was fast enough to make a good race but not enough to win the race. Too much movement, it’s the maximum we could do.” Jonathan Rea: “We had to dig deep in that last race but it’s been a good weekend for me and my team. I’m not sure but one of the Yamaha riders slowed me up at the start and the front guys got away. Then I was matching them for lap times but I ran into some tyre problems during the latter stages of the race. But the team worked well, I’m really satisfied and that’s exactly the confidence and momentum we need to take to the next races.” Results: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 35’38.693 (168,199 kph); 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 0.524; 3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 3.584; 4. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 5.913; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 16.916; 6. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 17.375; 7. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 17.740; 8. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 18.329; 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 18.378; 10. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 18.404; 11. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 26.284; 12. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 27.053; 3. Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 38.614; 14. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 40.824; 15. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 40.953; 16. Rolfo R. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 40.982; etc. Points (after 3 rounds of 13): 1. Checa 132; 2. Biaggi 89; 3. Melandri 85; 4. Rea 79; 5. Haslam 68; 6. Camier 50; 7. Smrz 49; 8. Fabrizio 47; 9. Laverty 35; 10. Haga 34; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 136; 2. Aprilia 106; 3. Yamaha 97; 4. Honda 79; BMW 74; 5. 38; 6. Suzuki 47; 7. Kawasaki 43. World Supersport Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO) took his first win in the WSS category after heading up a 16-lap race that was restarted twice after red flag incidents. Second was Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) some seven seconds back, with third closely place contested but eventually taken by Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com). Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Honda) went fourth, David Salom, Parkes’ team-mate, was fifth, and Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki rider Massimo Roccoli ended up a fine sixth. James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) pushed himself to seventh. Only 19 riders crossed the line from a field of 30, with three riders injured in two separate accidents that brought out the red flags. Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) suffered concussion and an injured shoulder, while Alex Lundh (Cresto Guide Honda) broke his wrist in a fall involving Marko Jerman (MD Team Jerman), who suffered many contusions and abrasions. In the championship standings, crashes from some of the leading contenders also closed up the points totals, with Davies’ team-mate Luca Scassa still leading on 50, Parkes on 47, and Davies on 45. Results: 1. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 26’37.029 (163,816 kph); 2. Foret F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 7.236; 3. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 8.084; 4. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 8.191; 5. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 9.122; 6. Roccoli M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 9.222; 7. Ellison J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 14.616; 8. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR6000RR 32.623; etc. Points (after 3 rounds of 12): 1. Scassa 50; 2. Parkes 47; 3. Davies 45; 4. Harms 37; Salom 34; Foret 20; Roccoli 19; Ellison 19; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Yamaha 75; Honda 52; Kawasaki 47; Triumph 9. Superstock 1000 FIM Cup In the opening race of the Superstock season Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) held off a strong challenge from Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Team Ducati) to secure the win at Assen. Pole man Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock) slid back from his early challenge to go third. Lorenzo Baroni”ƒ(Althea Racing Ducati) had an eventual clear fourth but Bryan Staring (Pedercini Team Kawasaki) had an impressive ride through from 12th on lap one to give the new Kawasaki Ninja a fifth in its race debut. Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini Honda) was the top Honda rider, sixth, having been passed by Staring late on. Results: 1. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 26’37.029 (163,816 kph); 2. Foret F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 7.236; 3. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 8.084; 4. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 8.191; 5. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 9.122; 6. Roccoli M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 9.222; 7. Ellison J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 14.616; 8. Tamburini R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 14.658; etc. Points (after 1 round of 10): Giugliano 25; Petrucci 20; Barrier 16; Baroni 13; Staring 11; Antonelli 10; La Marra 9; 10 Ten Napel 8; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 25 ; 2. BMW 16; 3. Kawasaki 11; 4. Honda 10; 5. Yamaha 4. The Assen weekend also saw the debut of the European Junior Cup which saw 12 riders line up at the start on identical Kawasaki Ninja 250 machines. The first race win went to German Tom Busch ahead of New Zealand’s Daniel Mettam and American Brandon Kyee. More, from a press release issued by Effenbert Liberty Racing Team: The long day of the Effenbert Liberty Racing Team begins early in the morning in Assen. In fact, the warm up session is scheduled at 9.20 am and forces drivers and mechanics to wake up early. Our drivers, confident of having found a good setting during the previous days, dedicated the short time at their disposal (15 minutes) to improve the confidence with the bike with the race setting, using tires already used in the days before and getting lap times very close to eachother, positioning themselves in the middle of the group. RACE 1: First unlucky race for the two Effenbert Liberty Racing riders. Smrz in the early laps, while he was just behind the head the first riders, was forced off the track to avoid Leon Haslam , who slipped in front of him and dropped many positions. He then began a major comeback that brought him close to the top five, when, in an attempt to overcome Laverty, he made a mistake at the chicane, falling and becoming an insurmountable obstacle to his team-mate Guintoli who was following him closely. Guintoli on the other hand, has been showing an interesting race pace and recovered few positions compared with his starting one untill ,unfortunately, he became the unlucky innocent victim of the crash of his team mate while he was getting near to the head of the race. Race 1 was won by Jonathan Rea on Honda ahead of the world champion Max Biaggi on Aprilia and the championship leader Carlos Checa on Ducati: This is the official classification of race 1: …. Round 2: Race two has been copying the script of the morning heat, in fact Smrz, author of a bad start and a little “off track” as a result of a contact with Camier dropped in fifteenth position at the end of the first lap, immediately in front of his teammate. Our two riders immediately started a great comeback and recovered up to ninth and tenth position ,fighting until the end of the race to enter the top five positions. At the end ,Jakub finished in ninth place and Guintoli in tenth ,the fifth position was only a little more than one second away and the eighth only 4 hundredths of a second. The second leg was won by Carlos Checa on Ducati – ahead once again of Max Biaggi on Aprilia and Honda’s Jonathan Rea. This is the official classification of race 2 The results unfortunately were not up to the expectations of the team, because we believed that the feeling of the riders with this circuit and the technical material available could bring significant results, unfortunately various misfortunes have heavily influenced all the race weekend, especially in Race 1 and partially in race 2. We certainly appreciate the results obtained by Sylvain Guintoli whom, despite the physical problems , held a fast race pace. These statements of the riders at the end of the day: Jakub Smrz: “Unfortunately the bad luck has affected my day, in race 1, after a slow start, I was still in close contact with the group of the head of the race, when unfortunately Haslam slipped in front me, forcing me to go off -track to avoid him. This did not affected the behaviour of the bike and tires, that kept working well, but I found myself with delay. I started a comeback that , thanks to my fast pace, could bring me close to the leaders , unfortunately in the rush to recover I made a mistake at the chicane undermining the work done, and unfortunately I also inadvertently caused the fall of my team-mate that was following me in this comeback . During the fall I hurt my elbow, which anyway did not affected much in Game 2. Unfortunately I made a bad start and during the first lap I was touched by Camier, leaving the best line and losing valuable positions. I started a comeback that brought me up to ninth place, only a few tenths from the fifth position. In race 2 I had to use the second bike and I needed a few laps to buy a good feeling because the settings were slightly different” Sylvain Guintoli “I have to honestly say that I did not expect these results, not so much in terms of final position, but especially with regard to lap times. Despite the physical problems, I shot in both races at times very close to those of the leaders. Unfortunately, I didn ´t manage to qualify for a start in the front rows and then I was always in the middle of the group, but I’m sure that starting in a better position I would have been fighting for a top five placement. Tomorrow I will go to check how does it look with my ankle and decide if surgery will be necessary to fix the problem, in any case I will work at my best and am sure that I will soon be fighting for the podium positions ” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Laverty and Melandri put on a strong battle in Assen The Dutch track proved challenging for Yamaha World Superbike riders; Melandri and Laverty this afternoon in Assen. Marco Melandri got off to a less than perfect start off the grid in race one falling from eighth back to eleventh in the first lap. He put his head down, working his way through the pack and pushed up to fifth place by lap ten. Aiming for a podium he closed in on the leading gang before crossing the chequered flag in fourth position. Team-mate Laverty initially fell back a few places before regaining third position on lap seven and creating a significant gap ahead of Checa in fourth. Unfortunately mid race he began to struggle with the rear of the bike and found himself fighting hard to maintain the pace before crossing the finish line in seventh. The determined Irishman put on a strong and steady performance in race two. Experiencing trouble with the front of the bike he initially fell back to ninth but put in a series of consistent laps to push back up to sixth. Race two proved unfortunate for Melandri who shot off from eighth position on the grid and worked his way up to fourth before losing the front of the bike and crashing out on turn seven of the 16th lap. The Italian put in the top speed in race one and two with his YZF-R1 reaching a high of 298.7 km/h. Melandri heads to round four of the 2011 championship in Monza third in the championship with 85 points, 47 behind the current championship leader. Team-mate Laverty sits in ninth place in the standings with 35 points. Marco Melandri Yamaha World Superbike Team – 4th, DNF “I got a bad start in race one and seemed to be losing feeling in the rear of the bike. By the time I had regained feeling and a good race pace it was too late to push for the podium. In Race two the bike seemed to have a better set up and I managed to get a good start off the grid. I closed in on the leading pack but after the first ten laps I started losing grip in the rear tyre. I was keeping an eye on Rea and was planning to close in on him in the last laps but unfortunately without even realizing it, I lost the front and crashed out. I’m very disappointed with this and hope it doesn’t happen again.” Eugene Laverty Yamaha World Superbike Team – 7th, 6th “I was doing really well until mid way through race one when I started suffering from chatter and losing balance due to displacement in the rear tyre. I struggled for the second half of the race and managed to finish in seventh position. Race two was more consistent even if a little slower. We made the wrong choice of tyres on the front but I’m still getting used to Superbike tyres and knowing what I need to use as the temperatures change. This weekend has been productive, I’ve learned more in this round than I have so far this season.” Andrea Dosoli – Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager It’s a pity how race two concluded for Marco. He got off to a good start and held faster race pace than in race one. Putting in a series of fast laps on a hard race tyre was stressing the front tyre on entering turns and consequently he lost the front of the bike. The lack of results on this track will make him more motivated before his home round in Monza. Eugene made great progress this weekend and is definitely more prepared for the upcoming races. He didn’t just gain points but also valuable experience. The technical input from the problems encountered here will help improve on the set up in preparation for the next round. We need to increase the bike stability exiting turns and find a better setting to be used with soft tyres.We aren’t using the bike to its full potential.” More, from a press release issued by Alitalia Aprilia: MAX BIAGGI PASSES THE ASSEN EXAM WITH TWO SECOND PLACES, EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR THE STANDINGS. A RACE 1 TO FORGET FOR LEON CAMIER AND A NICE FOURTH PLACE IN RACE 2 Assen, 17 April 2011 A heated Sunday on the Assen track for the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team. After an extremely close Superpole the five time world champion Max Biaggi took two second places which move him into second place in the overall standings. The Corsair battled with Rea in Race 1, using his RSV4 to its fullest in the first part of the race after starting from the sixth box on the grid. The script was the same for the second race with Carlos Checa playing Rea’s part in the battle for first place. In the third last lap of Race 2, after a series of fast laps, Max successfully attacked the Spanish rider only to suffer the response which confirmed the final result. Leon Camier, on the other hand, had to start Race 1 from the pit due to problems with the bike shutting off just a few seconds before the start. A mechanical problem then forced him to leave the track in a race which, at that point, was already compromised. The good pace he had demonstrated during warm-up came out in Race 2 where the young Englishman fought his way back to fifth place. Melandri’s crash then opened the way for a well deserved fourth place. He also held the fast lap of the race. “We reaped the maximum immediately comments Max Biaggi especially considering what we went through on Saturday. Unfortunately we had to make a forced choice of tyres with our RSV4. I would not have been able to use the softer tyres that Checa chose. When I overtook him in Race 2 I pushed to the limit, but I just didn’t have the grip to hold onto first place. The advantage of the two cylinders in being able to use softer tyres is important on a track like this one, besides the fact that I had a technical problem for the last 5 or 6 laps in Race 2. In any case I have to thank my Team. After the crash and at the end of Race 1 the work they did allowed me to use the first bike which I liked a lot better. I’m happy with second place. We still need to make up a lot of points, but we won’t let up. Monza could be an important race from this point of view”. Leon Camier has a debt to collect from luck after this race: “This is the classic weekend where anything that can go wrong does! Some problems with the tyres, two breakdowns, the bike switching off and, above all, my two mistakes in Superpole ruined what could have been an important race. In any case I’m happy with the fourth place in Race 2 where I was also able to make the fast lap. I knew I had a good pace, I showed that in practice and warm-up. I’m leaving Assen convinced that I can do well if I keep improving and luck stays on my side!”. More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: Warm spring weather and a dry track surface greeted the Superbike riders in Assen today for their two races. Team Pedercini riders Roberto Rolfo and Mark Aitchison started respectively from the fifth and the sixth row of the grid, which was primarily due to yesterday’s set up problems with their bikes. In race one, after a good start, Rolfo crashed during the fourth lap ending his race on the gravel, but fortunately without any physical consequences for the Italian rider. Mark Aitchison made a pretty good start and in the space of a few laps he found a very good race pace and made up a lot of positions. By the end of the race Mark had reached an excellent tenth position. He was the first Kawasaki to cross the line and obtained six points for the championship standing. In race two after only a few laps Aitchison was forced to end his race due to a speed sensor problem while Rolfo, after a good start, found himself part of a small group of three riders fighting for the points zone, but due to a lack of grip in the last two laps, Roberto reached the sixteenth position missing out on the points zone by just one place. Superbike Race one : 1) Rea (Honda) 2) Biaggi (Aprilia) 3) Checa (Ducati) 4) Melandri (Yamaha) 5) Fabrizio (Suzuki).”¦..10) Aitchison (Kawasaki)”¦”¦. RET. Rolfo (Kawasaki) Superbike Race two :1) Checa (Ducati) 2) Biaggi (Aprilia) 3) Rea (Honda) 4) Camier (Aprilia) “¦”¦. 16) Rolfo (Kawasaki) “¦”¦. RET. Aitchison (Kawasaki) Roberto Rolfo :”Two difficult races for me today. In race one my start was pretty good and I was trying to find a fast race pace, but I lost the front wheel and crashed. I missed out on a good opportunity to take a nice result. For race two we decided to modify my bike’s set up and the bike was working better. Unfortunately once the tyres began to lose grip I was unable to ride as I wanted and so I had to settle for sixteenth place”. Mark Aitchison: “In our first race today I really enjoyed myself on the bike and managed to enter inside the top ten for the first time. The bike felt good, like other times during the qualifying and practice, so I knew we can make a good result. My team was very happy also for the result which has made all our hard work worthwhile. In the second race during the first laps I experienced a problem with the bike and had to stop as a result. We found that we had a speed sensor problem on the front of the bike and this causing the bike not to run correctly. In any case I have enjoyed my weekend in Assen and I thank my team for all their hard work”. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Points For Sykes And Lascorz Joan Lascorz and Tom Sykes secured valuable championship points in both the Assen Superbike races as recuperating rider Chris Vermeulen started the opening race but had to pull in to retire. Results in qualifying and practice had indicated that the official Kawasaki riders could use the softest rear race tyres available but in race one this did not prove to be the case, meaning that Lascorz went 11th and Sykes 14th, struggling to maintain lap times in the second half of the race. Race two was not any easier for the duo after a tyre choice change, as Sykes finished 11th and Lascorz 12th in race two. Chris Vermeulen found that his leg muscles had still not recovered enough to compete over full race distance but he was in a good points scoring position until he was forced to withdraw with cramp in his leg on lap nine. He did not start race two. Pedercini Team Kawasaki rider Mark Aitchison had the honour of taking the best single Kawasaki result of the weekend, tenth in race one, but his team-mate Roberto Rolfo fell in that race and just missed out on a point in race two. Lacorz and Sykes share 26 points in the championship and are just outside the top ten. Tom Sykes: “Race one was unfortunate because we went for a soft A rear tyre which we thought was going to work. That did not pay off but in race two we chose the C tyre, a harder one, and probably the one that the majority of the field was on. It is still early days yet for us and we know what we can do when we find the right settings. I feel it is a question of getting better balance on the bike and having a bit more speed, but I think we will get both of them pretty soon.” Joan Lascorz: “In the first race the bike was good at the start but then very quickly, lap six or seven maybe, I lost the best grip and I could not get it back. In the first part of the second race I felt very low grip on a different tyre choice at the start but then it started to come in. Things improved and there was a better balance of the bike at that time. At least I could ride it better, so I picked up my pace and overtook a few people.” Chris Vermeulen: “I stopped just because of a lack of strength in my leg but we went out to try and complete the full races. We still got some useful data in any case. My leg just cramped up and I had to stop after a few laps. My pace was not so bad and I was holding down a points scoring position but I just could not get to the end. This is the first time I have been able to feel the bike really working, and I made some set-up changes because I was pushing at a decent level sometimes this weekend. I am happy with what the team has done but we have a lot of work still to do, just because I am a long way behind my team-mates in learning the bike at present. I think I should be ready for a full weekend of racing at Monza.” Mark Aitchison: “Race one was good for us and I am stoked to be inside the top ten for the first time. I really started to enjoy myself. A few guys crashed in race one but we will take the results while they are there. I feel we are getting there with the bike settings now.”