FIM Superbike World Championship Assen, Netherlands April 27, 2008 Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 1098 F08), 22 laps, 36:46.238 2. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), -0.082 second 3. Carlos CHECA (Hon CBR1000RR), -6.336 seconds 4. Ruben XAUS (Duc 1098 RS08), -7.575 5. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000), -8.011 6. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000), -13.999 7. Gregorio LAVILLA (Hon CBR1000RR), -15.215 8. Jakub SMRZ (Duc 1098 RS08), -16.376 9. Makoto TAMADA (Kaw ZX-10R), -17.269 10. Troy CORSER (Yam YZF-R1), -18.380 11. Fonsi NIETO (Suz GSX-R1000), -18.926 12. Max BIAGGI (Duc 1098 RS08), -21.452 13. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -23.794 14. Roberto ROLFO (Hon CBR1000RR), -29.847 15. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -30.252 16. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -31.249 17. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yam YZF-R1), -31.328 18. Ayrton BADOVINI (Kaw ZX-10R), -39.814 19. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Hon CBR1000RR), -49.956 20. Russell HOLLAND (Hon CBR1000RR), -51.554 21. Shuhei AOYAMA (Hon CBR1000RR), -51.642 22. Loic NAPOLEONE (Yam YZF-R1), -62.682 23. Arie VOS (Duc 1098 RS08), -62.729 24. Michel FABRIZIO (Duc 1098 F08), -12 laps, DNF, retired 25. Ryuichi KIYONARI (Hon CBR1000RR), -14 laps, DNF, retired 26. Luca MORELLI (Hon CBR1000RR), -18 laps, DNF, retired Championship Point Standings (after 8 of 28 races): 1. Bayliss, 178 points 2. Carlos Checa, 108 3. Corser, 89 4. Nieto, 85 5. Xaus, 81 6. Haga, 67 7. Neukirchner, 66 8. Biaggi, 54 9. Lavilla, 48 10. Lanzi, 42 11. Kagayama, 41 12. Kiyonari, 39 13. Fabrizio, 37 14. Smrz, 35 15. Tamada, 28 16. Sofuoglu, 26 17. Muggeridge, 25 18. Laconi, 21 19. Rolfo, 20 20. Holland, 10 More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Racing: Double top for Bayliss Today was a day of celebration for Troy Bayliss, as the Xerox Ducati rider clinched a superb double victory at the fourth round of the HANNspree Superbike World Championship at Assen. The Australian capitalised on his pole position start for the day’s 22-lap races at the Netherlands circuit with a careful and consistent ride. In race one, Bayliss’ advantage of 2.132 seconds at the chequered flag secured him the victory over second-placed HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s Carlos Checa. However, Checa had ridden superbly over race distance making up several places from his third row grid position. Suzuki’s Max Neukirchner was the third placed rider at the chequered flag. It was a case of history repeating itself during the second race, as Bayliss grabbed the holeshot and powered to the front of the pack. The 39-year-old Ducati rider dominated the entire race and held his position, despite a tense battle with Noriyuki Haga, while the riders behind fought for podium honours. Following his final lap challenge for victory, Haga had to settle for second place at the chequered flag, while Checa completed the podium in third. It had been a successful day for HANNspree Ten Kate Honda overall as Checa’s determination to score a good result at Assen the team’s home circuit resulted in a double podium finish. Team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu finished 12th in race one and 19th in race two. Ryuichi Kiyonari couldn’t repeat the solid seventh place he achieved in race one and was forced to retire from race two on the eighth lap. Roberto Rolfo had less luck at Assen, as he appeared to struggle with the technicalities of the Dutch track. The HANNspree Honda Althea rider claimed 22nd position, but improved his position to 14th in race two. Bayliss leads the HANNspree Superbike World Championship with 178 points from Checa and Troy Corser in second and third places respectively. More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: BAYLISS DOES THE DOUBLE ONCE AGAIN! Assen (The Netherlands) Sunday 27th April: Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) celebrated victory once more as he climbed on to the top step of the podium in both of today’s races at Assen. Troy and his Ducati 1098 F08 dominated both races, although the Australian rider faced something of a battle against Yamaha rider Haga in the second outing this afternoon. A perfect finish to a weekend in which Bayliss has been consistently strong, and these wins, his fourth and fifth of the ten races held so far this season, mean that his lead in the riders championship is extended to 70 points. Bayliss now holds 178 points and second-placed Checa has so far accumulated 108. A less fortunate day for team-mate Michel Fabrizio who has been suffering from pain in his right forearm, severe enough to mean that he was unable to finish either race at the Dutch track today. Having lost ground at the start of Race 1 after he and Smrz made contact through the first curve, Michel was able to make up several positions over the first few laps but then a mistake in his braking, due to pain in his arm, meant that he came off and was unable to rejoin. In Race 2 the pain worsened to such an extent that he could no longer use his right arm to brake and unfortunately this again signalled a DNF result. The young rider will undergo surgery tomorrow. Ducati still leads the manufactures championship with 190 points, and a 64 point lead over closest rival Yamaha. Troy Bayliss (Race 1 – winner, Race 2 – winner) “I’m very happy of course, it’s been an incredible weekend. This is the last time I’ll race Superbikes here at Assen. It’s perfect in that the first time I raced at this track I had a big battle with Nori and now again here this year. That first year he won and so it’s fitting that in my last visit here, this time I was able to beat him. We’ve been going well all weekend and were able to take pole and then I made a really good start in both races. I think I’m riding for the best team in the paddock at the moment so I thank my guys, the Ducati Xerox Team, again for their hard work, and we go to Monza with 50 extra points in the bag.” Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 – DNF, Race 2 – DNF) “I made quite a good start in race 1 but at the very first curve me and Smrz made contact and so I went wide and lost several places. I was able to make up a few places to reach sixteenth but my arm was pretty painful and I made a mistake in my braking and went off. Between the first and second race I went to the medical centre for treatment but unfortunately in Race 2 the pain in my right arm was much worse and I wasn’t able to brake at all, which meant I had to stop. Tomorrow my arm will be operated on, in the hope that doing that immediately will mean I can be back on the bike as soon as possible. I am very disappointed with the outcome of the weekend but I need to fix my arm before I can be competitive again.” RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 2. Checa (Honda); 3. Neukirchner (Suzuki) Race 2 – 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox), 2. Haga (Yamaha); 3. Checa (Honda) CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: Riders – 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 178; 2. Checa (Honda) 108; 3. Corser (Yamaha) 89; Nieto (Suzuki) 85; 5. Xaus (Ducati) 81; 6. Haga (Yamaha) 67…… 13. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 37. Manufacturers – Ducati 190; Yamaha 126; Suzuki 113; Honda 109; Kawasaki 37 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Alstare: 2008 Superbike World Championship Round 4, Assen, NL Sunday 27th April Circuit: 4.555 kms Crowd: 75,000 (3-day) Conditions: Dry, hazy sun 19-22C Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner took a superb third place in the first race in Assen today. The young German was a contender throughout the 22-lapper and finished strongly in third behind series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and Carlos Checa (Honda). Max was also a podium contender in the second race until a small brake problem forced him to slow. But he kept charging hard and finished fifth to record his best weekend of the season. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama took fourth place in race one and then suffered a tyre problem in race two which forced him down the order to sixth. His team mate Fonsi Nieto had a weekend to forget, with a crash and a DNF in race one and an eleventh in race two. Max – Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 5th Race one was a fantastic race and a fantastic result for me. I was always with the front runners and felt very comfortable with them. I had some small problems with two right turns and maybe it was because I was using the rear brake too much that the front was moving round a bit. In race two, I think I overdid the front braking and after ten laps had a lot of problems with grip in the fast corners. So instead of pushing too hard, I decided to ride safely and get as many points as possible. Yukio – Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 6th Race one was better for me then race two because the bike feeling was better. I made a small mistake in the chicane and went into the gravel. I recovered OK but lost two positions and after that it was hard to catch up again. I used the same bike in race two, but the rear tyre feeling was not so good and there was quite a bit of vibration or chattering. If I tried to go any faster the vibration got worse, so I just had to ride as hard as I could and finish the race. Fonsi – Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 11th This was a weekend to forget. I don’t why I highsided and crashed in the first race because it happened without any warning. I hit my left knee pretty badly and had to have a painkilling injection so that I could start the second race. But the problem was that there was not enough strength in my legs to move the bike around and I had to use my upper body instead – and that wasn’t so easy. Results Race 1: Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 2 Checa (E-Honda), 3 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki), 4 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare), 5 Corser (Aus-Yamaha), 6 Smrz (CZ-Ducati), Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare) DNF, Race 2: Bayliss, 2 Haga (J-Yamaha), 3 Checa, 4 Xaus (E-Ducati), 5 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki), 6 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare), 11 fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare), More, from a press release issued by Honda: Netherlands World Superbike Championship round at Assen Sunday 27 April, 2008, World Superbike and World Supersport race report Crowd: 75,000 claimed weekend attendance. Temperature Air: 19 to 22 Temperature Ground: 23 to 31 CHECA SECOND AND THIRD AFTER STRONG ASSEN RACES Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) took second and third place finishes at Assen today to become Troy Bayliss’ closest challenger in the overall championship fight. Bayliss won both races at Assen and is now on a total of 178 points, with Checa on 108. The 35-year-old Spaniard was top Honda qualifier in sixth place after Superpole, and the first Honda race finisher in race one, taking second place. In the first 22-lap race Checa rode patiently behind Max Neukirchner before passing in the latter stages and taking his second runner-up position of the season. He was unable to get past Neukirchner early enough to match the late push that saw Bayliss lead by three seconds at one stage, but he still finished only 2.1 seconds from his first World Superbike win. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR100RR) earned a seventh place finish in race one, after qualifying 13th in Superpole, riding on his own for the last part of the race, eventually finishing three seconds down on Jakub Smrz and three seconds up on Makoto Tamada. Privateer Gregorio Lavilla (Vent Axia VK Honda CBR1000RR) made a strong push throughout the race to go from 15th on the grid to an eventual ninth place finish. Qualifying struggler Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Althea Ten Kate Honda Jr CBR1000RR) was an impressive 12th after lining up only 21st on the grid. Karl Muggeridge (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) was the last Honda points scorer in race one, in 14th place. He went on to go one better in race two, ending up one place ahead of Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR) who had earlier finished race one two laps down, after experiencing severe vibration that caused him to pit for some time. In race two Checa slowly worked his way up from seventh to snatch third place from Ruben Xaus at the last corner. This time he was six seconds from his first WSB race win. A brilliant ride from Lavilla placed him seventh, equalling his season best and pushing him into the overall top ten. He is now ninth, on 48 points. Kiyonari failed to finish race two with a technical problem and left Assen with 39 points in total, putting him 12th overall. In the championship rankings, after eight points scoring races, Sofuoglu is 16th on 26 points, Muggeridge 17th on 25, Rolfo 19th on 20 and Russell Holland (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) 20th, on 10 points. Holland finished his raceday 18th and 21st, after qualifying 24th. Alto Evolution Honda CBR100RR Team riders Shuhei Aoyama and Luca Morelli had tough racedays again and have still to score points. Morelli retired twice while Aoyama took 19th place in race one and 21st in race two. Checa said: “In the first race second was the best we could do because Troy had it all under control and because I knew I could not catch him I took my time to pass Neukirchner. It was nice we ended up on the podium together this weekend. I changed rear tyres for the second race and made adjustments to the rear that made me feel uncomfortable for the first part. When the tyres started to wear down I could go at a good pace and take a second podium.” Kiyonari said: “The clamp of my steering damper broke and I was unable to continue in the second race. I don’t know why it happened, but its just very unfortunate having to end the race prematurely. With my riding style I’m still using the front tyre too much and wear it out quickly; it makes it difficult for me to keep my lap times low. I changed the front tyre for the second race, it felt better and I tried to push harder and even set one of the quickest lap times, but then had to retire early. I’m happy about the fast lap times I managed to set in race two, it gives me confidence on this new track for me.” Rolfo said: “Race one was really very difficult for us. A few laps after the start I felt a lot of chatter coming from the rear wheel and it started shifting to the front wheel. The problem only got worse as the race continued. I went back to the box to change the tyres, but the race was nearly finished. Before the second race my technicians worked on the rear suspension and during the first ten laps of the race the bike performed very well. I was able to ride the bike better. For sure we’ll be more competitive in the next race.” Sofuoglu said: “What a disappointing weekend. My first race was acceptable, but my second race was just disappointing. I was expecting to achieve a lot more on this track, but I didn’t manage to succeed. There is no problem with the bike; everything seems to be fine. I just don’t have an answer as to why I am riding like this.” Lavilla said: “We don’t know this track as a team so until Saturday afternoon we were still changing the transmission and so on. Race two was good and the bike was pretty much the same as race one, but maybe the rear tyre worked a bit better in the higher temperatures. I saw that many riders were fast in the beginning but I was able to keep my pace even when the bike started sliding a lot.” Muggeridge said: “We had the wrong tyre on the front in the first race and it was not good, so we changed the fork setting and the tyre and it was a lot better. It is hard here when you qualify 19th and start so far back, because the first part of this track is really tight and hard to pass on.” More, from a press release issued by Brendan Roberts’ publicist: Difficult Weekend for Roberts It was a difficult weekend for Brendan Roberts and the Ducati Xerox Junior team at round two of the European FIM 1000 Cup Championship at Assen TT Circuit. After suffering a number of technical problems throughout the weekend on the Ducati 1098 R, Roberts crashed out of the race whilst in a dice for the lead. After winning the opening round at Valencia a couple of weeks ago, Roberts and the team were in high spirits as they headed for the Dutch circuit and were eager to back up the race win that they secured. Sadly that was not to be the case; he only managed one full dry session without having bike gremlins, which caused issues during both qualifying sessions. After altering the bike and changing all possible options he managed to get some decent time on track during the second qualifying session and took himself from 16th, gained in the first qualifying session, to fifth for the 13-lap race. He gained a good start and held his position at the end of the opening lap. He was soon making progress through the pack and by lap three he was through to third, for a brief moment he got second but made a mistake forcing him wide across the dusty chicane putting him back to sixth. In a fight to try and regain his position he hit the throttle too hard too soon and high-sided and crashed out of the race on lap five. A frustrated and sore Roberts commented “It was a nightmare weekend for me really from start to finish. We had a number of problems with the bike throughout the weekend and the mechanics couldn’t quite place the main problem and therefore they had to change as much as they could to try and solve it. As a result I didn’t get as much track time as I would have normally got and it put me on a little bit of a back foot. After my win the other week I was really keen to back that up with another good result and perhaps I was pushing that little bit too hard in the race. I had a brief lapse of concentration and that’s all it took, I was over the bars and sliding through the gravel trap. I was lucky as I knew the bike was near to me and thought it was going to collect me and cause me more injuries. I’ve got two very sore ankles, a damaged calf muscle and I also took a nasty knock to the wrist I broke last year. It’s certainly not ideal and not what I needed in the Championship, thankfully a lot of my main competitors also seemed to struggle in the race so I’m still lying in sixth in the Championship and there is still a long way to go. Hopefully things will be better for us in Monza in a couple of weeks time and I’ll be fully fit by then.” More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsport: SOLID POINTS AT ASSEN FOR LAVILLA Paul Bird Motorsport rider Gregorio Lavilla moved inside the top ten of the World Superbike Championship following a pair of great results in rounds seven and eight held at Assen in Holland today. Riding the Vent Axia and Kick Energy drink-backed Honda Fireblade, the 34 year old Spaniard posted fifteenth fastest time during the Superpole qualifying session and in the opening race, he battled against a poor start to come from twentieth on the opening lap to record a ninth position. Race two saw the ex British Superbike Champion make a repeat of his poor start and again had to fight his way through the field which he did to end up in seventh place at the chequered flag. The result moves Lavilla up from eleventh to ninth in the standings having scored in all rounds to date and with the FW Developments-tuned machine again fastest through the speed traps all weekend, the forthcoming race at the high-speed Monza track is one the team is looking forward to. Gregorio Lavilla: “With not knowing the track, we were still working on set up right up to Saturday afternoon so qualifying was not as good as we hoped. The bike was set up the same for both races except maybe the rear tyre worked a bit better in the higher temperature of race two. I saw that many riders were fast to start with but I was able to keep my pace even when the bike started sliding a lot. I learned that trick in the UK and now it’s paying off. We found a good combination on the rear that makes the bike work well and the engine is very fast. We have to work on the power delivery and I’m hoping to improve my results at Monza and Miller in those races next month.” Paul Bird: “The results were great and if we could just get Greg sorted out in qualifying and the opening laps of the race, we really would be up there and challenging for the podium. Whilst it’s a little frustrating, we have to remember this is all new to us what with the bike, the tracks, the tyres and everything so to be in the top ten of the World Championship at this stage in the season is fantastic. Greg is riding well, the bike is awesome and we can only get stronger.” The next round of the series takes place at Monza in Italy on May 11th. More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: 27th April 2008, Assen (The Netherlands) After a weekend of records at Valencia, thanks to the Pirelli tyres which used to improved the lap records in all the classes, Assen delivered another great performance from the Pirelli tyres. In the SBK class the riders use a qualifing tyre and Bayliss set the new record in Superpole with the incredible time of 1’38.420, having set an even better one in final free practice, 1’38.355. No qualifying tyres were needed for a new pre-race record from the Diablo SUPERCORSA tyre, and Broc Parkes. In the two Stock classes DIABLO SUPERCORSA produced records, with Corti in the 1000 class (a time of 1’41.576 which could let him race in the SBK class) and Petrucci in the 600cc class. In SBK the first row was Bayliss, Haga, Xaus and Corser. Race One: After Pole and a new record, Bayliss took the holeshot on his Ducati. The race pace was impressive, with Troy trying to escape from Kagayama and Neukirchner. The race ended too soon for Xaus and Haga, touching each other and then crashing. Almost all riders went for a hard rear and front tyre and only Bayliss and Checa tried a soft front. This granted Checa a good race, recovering many places, and allowed both leading riders to have a really strong pace for all the race distance. Bayliss took the win and the 25 points, starting to enjoy a greater gap over the other main title hopes, who still put on a good show at Assen. Second place went to Checa followed by Suzuki riders Neukirchner and Kagayama. There was a new race lap record for the Pirelli DIABLO SUPERBIKE tyres thanks to Neukirchner’s third lap, overtaking Haga’s previous record. Race Two: A great race ended an impressive weekend for SBK in general. With weather and temperature situations similar to race one, almost every rider replicated their race one tyre choices but Checa (a harder front), Smrz (a softer front), and Biaggi (a softer front) changed. At the rear everyone used race one’s hard solution. At the green light the fastest starter was once again Troy Bayliss,, followed by Xaus and Haga, who soon caught him, and started to follow closely on his tail. Behind the two leading guys, and battling with Xaus, were Neukirchner, Kagayama and Checa – again performing a great comeback after not starting from the front row. Bayliss and Haga raced at an impressive pace: Bayliss set his fastest lap at the 17th time of asking but most of all they went the whole race with impressive laptimes. Haga never gave an inch to Troy, who finished the 22 laps race with a last lap of 1’40.144 and won the race despite his and determined Haga’s bikes being right with each other. Pirelli DIABLO SUPERBIKE tyres collected an impressive sequence of records again but the most impressive result was the great show put on in all the races. On the podium, Bayliss preceded Haga and Checa, who passed Xaus on the last lap. Fifth place for Neukirchner after a race one podium cancelled out his unlucky weekend in Valencia. The next race will be at Monza but before that there will be a press conference, organized at the Pirelli headquarters in Milan, which will be broadcast on www.pirellityre.com on Wednesday 8 May. It will feature many riders, representing all the different classes. More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Checa claims double podium at Assen HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s Carlos Checa concluded a strong weekend of racing with a second and third place place at the team’s home track in Assen today. The double podium rounds off a successful day of racing for the team, after collecting the number one and two spots in the World Supersport race earlier. Carlos Checa encountered some technical issues with his bike in the qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday’s, but the issues were soon a distant memory as he set about to carve his way forward through the field and concluded the first Superbike race with a second place behind Troy Bayliss. In the second Superbike race, Checa stayed put in 5th place for a while but his consistent pace enabled him to close the gap with Neukirchner and Haga and he found the place to overtake them in the final rounds and claimed a third place behind Troy Bayliss and Noriyuki Haga. The Spanish rider now holds a second place in the World Superbike Championship standings. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager; “Carlos has been riding very well here today. The biggest problems still seems to lie in the first quarter of the race where we have a lack of speed. Towards the end of the race we are able to increase our pace and make up some ground again.” “Kiyonari was showing a good performance throughout the weekend, but hasn’t had the best of luck. I thought he could be on the podium in the second race, where on certain times he was the fastest man on the track, but unfortunately the clamp of his steering damper broke and he had to return to the pit garage.” “It looked like Sofuoglu was picking up the pace this weekend in practice and first race but in the second race he clearly wasn’t able to hold on to his progression. ” “I am a very happy man after the great results we achieved here today. We didn’t only claim success in the Supersport and Superbike races, but also in the Superstock 1000 race where Maxim Berger claimed the first victory on his CBR1000RR Fireblade. It is good to see him adapting to the new class so quickly.” Carlos Checa, Honda CBR1000RR; “I am very satisfied with the podiums I achieved today in both races. The first race was special riding so close to Neurkirchner, when I tried to overtake him, it sure brought back some thoughts of the Valencia race.” “I took attention while overtaking him (Neukirchner) and moved into second place, but Troy had already secured a firm lead and it was impossible to catch him, he had a better pace throughout the first race.” “My target today was to be closer to Troy, but he was just too strong on this track and there was no way for me to fight and overtake him here.” Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda CBR1000RR; “The clamp of my steering damper broke and I as unable to continue the race. I don’t know why it happened, but it was just very unfortunate having to end the race prematurely.” “With my riding style I’m still using the front tire too much and wear it out quickly, it makes it difficult for me to keep my lap times. I’ve changed the front tire for the second race, it felt better and I tried to push harder and even set one of the quickest lap times, but then had to retreat early. “I am excited about the fast lap time I managed to set in race two, it gives me the confidence and direction on this new track.” I’m understanding the machine’s potential better every time out. The setting was good today, for which I want to thank my mechanics, I just hope I’ll have a bit more luck next time.” Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda CBR1000RR; “What a disappointing weekend. My first race was acceptable, but my last race was just a disaster. I was expecting to achieve a lot more on this track, but I didn’t manage to succeed.” “My mechanics have worked hard for which I want to thank them. There is no problem with the bike, everything seems to be fine. I just don’t have an answer as to why I am riding like this.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Haga Takes Second At Assen Noriyuki Haga secured a second place for his Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team after another unsettled race day for the Japanese star, with a crash in race one preventing him from a potential double points score at one his favourite tracks. In the first race Haga fell on lap two, after colliding with Ruben Xaus at the slow De Strubben left hand corner, while Corser went on to fight in the leading group for most of the race, only dropping back to fifth in the later stages and finishing 11 seconds from the win after 22 laps. The second race of the day was run in warmer conditions than the first, with a track temperature of 31 degrees, and it offered Haga a real chance to make up for his first race disappointments. He ran eventual race winner Troy Bayliss close, taking second place by a margin of 0.082 seconds. Corser experienced a drop in front tyre performance and slipped back from a possible podium finish to tenth. Bayliss won both races to extend his championship lead. Corser remains third in the championship standings, thanks to his Assen scores, on a total of 89 points. Haga holds on to sixth position, with 67 points, as thoughts now turn to the team’s home race in Monza. Team YZF Yamaha rider Shinichi Nakatomi was 15th in each Assen race, scoring points both times as he battled hard in the midfield, finding a better race two set-up than he had in the opener. David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) dislocated his hip after a heavy fall in race one. It is very likely he will need to sit out Monza race weekend and perhaps even the American round. His team-mate Sebastien Gimbert was close to two points scores, but missed out by placing 17th in each event. Noriyuki Haga (DNF and 2nd – Yamaha Italy WSB Team) “When I overtook Ruben I touched with him and then we fell. In race two I pushed hard all through the race and when I was following Bayliss he tried to get away near the end. But I could stay with him and even caught back up with him. I was following, waiting to see where I could pass but in the last few laps he rode the corners on a tight line and had good acceleration. I am disappointed with the first race and satisfied with the second, but not satisfied enough.” Troy Corser (5th and 10th – Yamaha Italy WSB Team) “Towards the end of race one the rear tyre, maybe after two-thirds distance, lost grip on the right hand side. On the long rights, onto the back straight, it was spinning but not pushing. In race two I struggled with the front tyre a bit and used it up. I had no front left at the end. It was a bit rough with a couple of riders at one point, but that’s normal, just racing.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “After yesterday we were expecting really good results, but we did not have good fortune on raceday. Nori did a fantastic second race and he showed his true desire and ability to go for the win – and he was only 0.082 seconds away. Troy worked hard to find good settings all weekend, and he had issues with grip on race two. Now we go home and race at Monza next time. We would like to do what we did last year, take a double win.” Shinichi Nakatomi (15th and 15th – Team YZF Yamaha) “I had a front tyre problem after ten laps and it became impossible to push. For race two we fitted a different front tyre, and it was better, but some riders were difficult to overtake. Overall, not so good, but we took points in both races. Next event we will change the settings and go for a better position.” Christophe Guyot (Team Manager Yamaha GMT94 Team) ” A difficult weekend for us on balance after some high points. Davide Checa has dislocated his hip after his crash and we will have to see how he is before the next race at Monza. Sebastien rode as hard as he could but he just missed out on points.” More, from a press release issued by Sterilgarda Go Eleven: Ruben Xaus comes close to the podium at Assen. The Spanish rider powered to a fantastic race-2 where he fought up to the last corner against his fellow countryman Checa who finally passed him. Thanks to a great sprint Xaus was in second position, just behind Bayliss, at the end of the first lap. After having been passed by Neukirchner and Haga he kept the position until the seventieth lap when he decided to bring his attack to the German rider, getting the third provisional place. At the last lap, Checa came across and the Spanish rider could not avoid the passing due to damaged tyres. He could run a good race-1 too, but Haga made him fall to the ground. He got back his motorbike and took to the track without a footpeg, finishing in 16th position. On the other hand, bad week-end for Max Biaggi, finished in 10th and 12th position. Those kind of results don’t show all the worth of the Italian champion. He referred of lack of feeling with the motorbike since the beginning of the round. The team will try to sort out the problems analyzing the data collected during the 3 days at Assen. Forth place for Alex Polita in Superstock1000. The Italian rider passed under the chequered flag just few seconds after the three best riders. The young rider paid for the unfavourable starting position. He could not recover from the gap gathered during the first lap. Thanks to this result now he is just 8 points far from the top of the ranking, leaded by Berger. RUBEN XAUS | Ducati 1098 RS | 16th e 4th classified: “What a pity. I feel to be in my best form and I could run also a great race-1, but Haga made me tumble. I tried to take to the track again in order to get few points but I would have needed a couple of laps more to complete my recovery. In race-2 I defended my position in the first part of the race and then I moved my attack when I though that my rivals was slowing down. Unfortunately we paid a power gap compared to the 4-cylinders motorbikes and I could not get clear once passed Neukirchner. So Checa came across and passed me just some corners to the end”. MAX BIAGGI | Ducati 1098 RS | 10th e 12th classified: “In this week-end we have been unable to improve the performance of the motorbike. We can not explain why we could not reach the levels of the best ones, both in the race and in the qualifying. We must immediately work to reverse the trend before Monza”. ALEX POLITA | Ducati 1098R | 4th classified: “I must work more on Saturday. Like in Valencia, I could fight for the victory if only I had had the opportunity to start from a better position and being among the leading pack since the start. Anyway I got some satisfaction, I did a good sprint and I kept the position. In the first lap I gained some place, then I recovered lap by lap. Unfortunately I could not complete my recovery up to my goal: the third place, taken by Simeon”. More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: The team Pedercini gets back into the points thanks to Ayrton Badovini’s race-1. The rider from Biella kept the position at first and afterwards powered to a recovery up to the thirteenth final position. In race two Badovini tried to play the same game but the recovery ended with the 18th final place. Vittorio Iannuzzo didn’t entered either of the two race due to the pain to his hand which forbids him to ride as he wished. Few satisfactions from the Superstock Cup where Alessio Aldrovandi have been forced to retire by an electronics hitch , while Yoann Tiberio closed 15th due to problems with the front of his machine. VITTORIO IANNUZZO | Kawasaki ZX-10R | Retired: “I’m pretty happy about my return. My goal was testing the hand conditions and get back some felling with the motorbike, with a view to the Italian round at Monza 15 days from now. It went beyond my expectations, I lapped a lot and I recorded good times in consideration of my physical conditions. Now I will carry on the therapies and the training in order to aim for a good result on the Italian track”. AYRTON BADOVINI | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 13th and 18th classified: “Today I had a lot of fun. In race-1 I started from the back lines and I recovered several positions thanks to my race pace. If I had started forward I would have the opportunity to battle into the pack of the riders placed just behind the podium. After the first 5 laps, I run as my rivals 7-8 position ahead. In race 2 I tried to do the same but I could not succeed due to the pain caused by the cervical arthrosis when I push too much. The next week I will have to go to a doctor to check this problem. Anyhow the results of this week-end raised our mood and it will be helpful to face the race at Monza, where all the team want to reach a great result” More, from a press release issued by PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse: Assen, Netherlands, 27 April 2008 PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse rider Makoto Tamada moved up to 15th in the championship standings today after two strong points scoring rides. Tamada Takes Two Assen Points Hauls Tamada finished race one in a strong eighth place and followed that up with ninth in the second 22-lap contest, passing riders off the start each time. Régis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) went 11th in race one but chatter from his machine meant it was difficult for him to post a better result in race two and he slid down from a top ten place on lap one to 16th, missing out on any points for race two. Laconi is now 18th overall in the rankings, with 21 points. Tamada made real improvements in his machine set-up this weekend and despite needing to improve some more aspects in the near future, these were his first two top ten finishes in one event since joining the team this year. The next races will be at Monza, on May 11. Makoto Tamada: “The real satisfaction was to finish two races after two good starts and I gained positions right from the beginning. It was extremely difficult to maintain the pace because of some problems with rear traction, but we did it. We are heading in a better way with set up and we are now seeing the results. This round has been confirmation that the basic set-up we tested in Jerez is the right one. Now we can go step-by-step to make things better.” Regis Laconi: “I feel like I am saying it over and over but I couldn’t make more than this today. At the moment the bike is difficult to ride with my riding style and when the track conditions start to change the chatter comes back. I’m really disappointed because I could have done better in race one because I made a good start. We will try different solutions for the Monza race and I’ll do my best to deliver some important points to the team.”