First of all, this will be the first, of two consecutive WSBK races, blogged about, here on 2 Wheelin'. The next round of the championship, will be blogged soon. Stay tuned, for details, at the end of the race report.
Chaz Davies and Ducati warned the rest of the field at Aragon, Spain, a few weeks back, we're coming. Davies dominated, winning both races, and beating the green machines, from Kawasaki. The momentum, is clearly, with Chaz Davies, and Ducati. Ask any diehard motorcycle racer to name a great circuit. Assen, will be the one. For the 25th time, "The Cathedral of Speed" as it is known to motorcycle road racing faithful, hosts the FIM World Superbike Championship. Race one, starts, now!
The Assen circuit was constructed, way back in 1926. So, it has been a fixture of motorcycle racing now, for 90 years. The modern configuration is 4.5 kilometers, 2.8 miles. Jonathan Rea, in winning last year's race here, also set the lap record. The circuit, has 21 corners, and will also be visited, by MotoGP, for the legendary Dutch TT, in June. So, stay tuned, to 2 Wheelin', for that one, too, fans. We have blue skies on the race weekend, for the first time in WSBK in 2016. Races seven and eight, are ready to roll, on Saturday, and Sunday. Let's go to the Saturday event first.
Looking at the weather. Air temp is 11 degrees Celsius (51 degrees Fahrenheit), and the track temp, is warmer at 17 degrees Celsius (62 degrees Fahrenheit). Winds are to the south, at 24 kilometers an hour, or 14 miles an hour. Jonathan Rea, has a points cushion over both Chaz Davies, and his team mate at Kawasaki, Tom Sykes. Rea has 26 points over Chaz Davies, and 29 points over Tom Sykes. Rea had a lot of trouble on Friday, with rain, and tech problems on Friday. He's qualified fourth for race one, starting directly behind Tom Sykes, on his third pole in four rounds.
Sylvain Guintoli and PATA Yamaha, are also really successful. Guintoli finished in a podium place in 250cc racing, and won in WSBK in 2012. Tom Sykes has his fourth pole at Assen in the last five years. It's his 33rd pole. He's ten poles away from the all-time record held by Troy Corser. It's the fifth pole for Kawasaki. The Goethe Timmer chicane, here at Assen, has been modified, and no longer has an astro turf runoff area. It has red painted double curbs, collaborated by the FIM and the FIA for bikes, and cars.
Native son, Michael van der Mark, will be the favorite. He knows his way around this legendary speed palace. Davide Giugliano on the Ducati, had a big wreck in free practice one. But, he, and the Ducati Panigale R were both none the worse for wear. Chaz Davies has qualified sixth for race one. Rea shadows Tom Sykes. Davies shadow Giugliano. Markus Reiterberger, is behind him, on the BMW S1000RR. Reiterberger is familiar with "The Cathedral" because the German IDM Superbike series, races here at Assen, as well. Reiterberger went seventh quickest, going through the first Super Pole session, and has qualified better than Althea BMW team mate, Jordi Torres.
Xavi Fores, you will recall, came fourth in both races at Motorland Aragon. He qualified better than Davide Giugliano on the factory Ducati. Jordi Torres starts ninth in race one. Torres knows this speedway, after racing here in Moto2, and on the Aprilia in Superbike, last year. There was debris on the road at the end of Super Pole 2, because Alex Lowes crashed his Yamaha at the end of the session. Lowes is ten spots behind team mate Sylvain Guintoli. Guintoli is second. Lowes, is twelfth. Nicky Hayden qualified tenth. He won here in MotoGP, a decade ago.
Hayden battled for that victory, with Colin Edwards, who has raced in both World Superbike, and MotoGP. Hayden is trying to find his feet in the dry on a World Superbike. Alex Lowes tucked the front end of his Yamaha, in qualifying, and wrecked. Josh Brookes had a flat tire and had to pit, and Alex de Angelis had to stop his motorcycle because of Brookes' issues. Those two blokes almost ran into each other into the final chicane. Leon Camier saw the fracas, had to slow down, and could not avoid having to go into the second Super Pole session. Karel Abraham had an issue at the start of Super Pole 1 and only had a chance to turn laps at the very end of the session.
Karel Abraham crashed in the rain, and has had tech issues. He is caboose on the field. We are on the sighting lap for race one. Chaz Davies starts sixth. Tom Sykes wants to get the hole shot on the start, and open a gap to Rea and Davies. Will that happen? We are about to find out. Kawasaki has not scored a double podium here at Assen, since 2013. Tom Sykes, and MotoGP racer who used to be in WSBK for Kawasaki, Loris Baz, were the podium finishers. Sykes in second, with Baz, in third.
Another cool factoid is this. Tom Sykes, and Jonathan Rea, are the first team mates, to win consecutive WSBK championships, since Carl Fogarty and Troy Corser did it for Ducati Performance run by inaugural WSBK champ Davide Tardozzi, in 1999. Fogarty's last race win, was here, in that 1999 race and he had twelve race wins at Assen. More race wins, on any circuit, than any other rider in the 28 year history of World Superbike. Troy Corser won at Phillip Island, seven times, and Jonathan Rea, has won here, at Assen, seven times as well. He's won the last three races held here, in 2014 for Honda, and doing the double in 2015, for Kawasaki.
It is windy and cold at the cathedral, and fans, and crews alike, are bundled up in jackets. The wind is strong, but it isn't as cold as it was after qualifying. The speedway's surface is bone dry. The track is very narrow. Watch the bikes, particularly into turn one, called the Haarbocht. It was shortened in distance between 2005 and 2006. Turn five, called Strubben, is another corner to watch for. Strubben, used to have banking. But, that is no longer the case. You can never rule out weather, here at Assen.
A tailwind could push the riders down the front straightaway. It is too early in the season to think about team orders. Fans in Holland will pull for the #60 Honda, Michael van der Mark. His dad was a racer, who won the endurance motorcycle races like the Suzuka 8 Hours and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which his dad won, in 1994. Chaz Davies has set three fastest laps in six races. Chaz Davies will have to fly into the lead group off the start. Sykes has to make a quick start and break away from Sylvain Guintoli on the Yamaha. Yamaha is still finding their feet. Can Davide Giugliano stay with the front running riders? He did in Phillip Island. But, he slipped away in the previous two races.
Some other names to look out for are Nicky Hayden, Lorenzo Savadori, (who won the Superstock 1000 race here last year, a race you will hear about, in it's current guise, later on, in another post). Alex Lowes is 12th. He was on a good lap, pushed too hard, lost the front, and went through the gravel, and the motorbike was repaired. Leon Camier on the MV Agusta will start 13th. Camier will have a lack of top speed on the MV Agusta. Watch out for Matteo Baiocco, too. Again, Fabio Menghi, the regular rider (for his family's team), was hurt in testing at Phillip Island, and is still recuperating from his injuries. Baiocco ran the Althea Ducati last year and finished 12th in race one and 11th in race two.
Alex De Angelis is 16th in his Assen WSBK debut. Lucas Mahias starts 17th. The Frenchman, riding bike #44, (a Kawasaki), makes his World Superbike debut, today. He was the French national Supersport champ in 2014. Of the dozen races in the championship, he broke out the broom, sweeping the season, and winning all of them. Mahias ran in World Supersport in 2015 and had several podiums. Roman Ramos was held up in Super Pole 1. We are five minutes away from the start of race one as the Alfa Romeo 4C safety car, speeds away on it's last sighting lap.
In 19th on the grid, is Matthieu Lussiana of France. He is back, after racing in Aragon, on the #94 BMW S1000RR. Another wildcard, is one of the oldest riders in the field. Polish rider, Pawel Szkopek. Szkopek, debuted in Italy, in 2004. He raced last year in the penultimate event in France. Josh Hook, has had a hard season. He missed the opening two rounds of the season after recuperating from a Phillip Island testing wreck. Karel Abraham is right at the back, with no time. He is on his own on row eight.
Davide Giugliano is third, Sylvain Guintoli is second, and Tom Sykes, is on pole. Incidentally, Lucas Mahias is subbing, for Sylvain Barrier in this race. Lots of variety in the tire selection for this race. Xavi Fores has an issue, and is pushed to the side of the track. Will it be game over for Fores even before the race begins? For the first time this year (as the bikes are on their warmup lap), Rea and Sykes are using different tires. Sykes has the soft C tire on the front and harder B rear tire, while Rea is using C tires on both ends of the motorcycle. Giugliano and Davies for Ducati, both have the B compound front tire and the C compound rear tire.
Hayden and van der Mark both could be using the B compound rear tires on their Honda's. No less than eight riders in the current field have finished on the podium here in Holland, at least once. This should be quite the race as the bikes form up. Here we go. Race one for World Superbike at The Cathedral. Fores starts in pit lane. Here come the lights. When they go out, we are racing, World Superbike style, in Holland! Go! Jonathan Rea launches into second place in front of Davide Giugliano.
Giugliano slides ahead of Sylvain Guintoli through Haarbocht. Alex Lowes is pushing from 12th on the grid. A couple riders nearly touch into the Ossebroeken complex, turns three and four. Sykes leads as they hit the Strubben for the first time. For now, it's Kawasaki 1-2, with Giugliano third on the Ducati, followed by Sylvain Guintoli. Already, Chaz Davies is pressuring hometown hero, Michael van der Mark. Through the right hand corner at turn six, the Ruskenhoek they go. Chaz Davies, leads the local hero, and the one all the fans will cheer for.
Alex Lowes and Luca Savadori scrap for position as Sylvain Guintoli is under massive pressure from Davies and van der Mark, as we have just begun this 21 lap contest. Davies wants by Guintoli. He does not want the green machines from Kawasaki to get away. Davies has to pass Giugliano if he wants to race Rea and Sykes. Giugliano runs wide and almost makes contact with Guintoli and van der Mark through the Geert Timmer Bocht. Close racing up front so far, in the early laps here at Assen.
Giugliano has lost another spot to Davies. Lowes and Hayden are both moving up. Chaz Davies stays with the Kawasaki's as they fight for the lead. It was not expected we'd see Jonathan Rea at the front of this field in race one at Assen for WSBK. Rea, Sykes, Davies, Guintoli, and van der Mark, the top five. The crowd, pulling, for van der Mark, to win at his home track. In replay, we watch, starting lap two as Sykes runs wide, sailing off the racing line, allowing Rea to make a clean pass. Can Michael van der Mark move up to challenge Chaz Davies? Davies is booking it, setting fastest lap of the race thus far at 1:36.486.
Davies almost dives inside Sykes in the second half of Ruskenhoek. He still can't pass into the next corner, Stekkenwal, (turn eight). van der Mark and Hayden, are the sharks, chasing after Guintoli's Yamaha, the little fish. They want to swallow up Guintoli, and push towards the front. Davies will pass Sykes between De Bult (turn nine) and Mandeveen (turn ten). Rea is gapping Tom Sykes, forcing Sykes to fall into the clutches of Chaz Davies, once we get to the Duikersloot chicane. van der Mark finally passes Guintoli into the last chicane at Geert Timmer Bocht.
Sykes runs wide allowing Davies to move inside. Jonathan Rea cannot shake Chaz Davies right now. He's trying to back Davies and Sykes into Michael van der Mark's territory. But, it's not working. Davies has pounced and flown past the two Kawasaki's. Jonathan Rea is in a more upright position on the motorcycle, whereas Davies is leaning into it. Rea has to sit up and can't get the lean angle on his bike. This is four way fight. Here comes van der Mark! He's without doubt the Flying Dutchman, and to quote the late, great public address announcer at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tom Carnegie... "and, he's on it!" 1.5 seconds covers the top seven riders.
In order:
1. Davies
2. Rea
3. Sykes
4. van der Mark
5. Guintoli
6. Hayden
7. Lowes
Lowes, at the back, is the fastest bloke in this group. Oh dear! Game over in race one, for Sylvain Guintoli, on the Yamaha. He's wrecked in Ossebroeken, (turn three). The top six riders are just flying, going at it hammer and tongs here. Let's look at the back half of the top dozen or so.
8. Giugliano
9. Brookes
10. Reiterberger
11. Torres
12. Camier
13. Ramos
14. Mahias
15. De Angelis
Alex De Angelis, for the moment, is on for the final championship point, for Ioda Aprilia. They sweep through the double painted red curbs at Ramshoek (turn 15). Rea goes inside Davies, but runs wide, as he finds his body position on the motorcycle. Rea tried forcing the issue on Davies, and van der Mark, in the meantime, sweeps right around him. Nicky Hayden is alongside Jonathan Rea through Veenslang. Apart from Super Pole, we have had little to no dry weather running before the race.
van der Mark is applying the blowtorch to Tom Sykes. He's going for second spot. Rea has to pressure van der Mark, now. Davide Giugliano on the sister Ducati has had an issue, and has dropped from eighth to 13th. He's still on the road. But, he may have run wide. The new exhaust system Ducati debuted at Aragon, has helped them, and Davies needs that extra punch to defend from the Kawasaki's. Sykes closes on Davies, especially through turn nine (De Bult). Game over for Davide Giugliano at the end of lap seven. Lucas Mahias moves to 13th, followed by Alex De Angelis and Matteo Baiocco.
Alex Lowes in sixth, on the sole remaining Yamaha, needs to set consistent lap times through the rest of this first race. van der Mark is pushing through the fast turns as we work lap seven. van der Mark has passed Tom Sykes, and tries his best, to run down Chaz Davies. Davies runs wide and van der Mark is really pushing the envelope here. Nicky Hayden brings the second Honda into the picture as the top five are all in a fair fight. Will there be a pass at Ruskenhoek? That's brave. Giugliano brings the #34 Ducati back on track. Giugliano tested along with MotoGP riders at the Mugello circuit in Italy, the week before this race.
Alex Lowes, Luca Savadori, Jordi Torres, Leon Camier, and Markus Reiterberger, complete the top ten. Rea dives inside Tom Sykes. Oh dear! Tom Sykes loses it, and is down and out of race one in WSBK in Holland! The polesitter is out, and the front row for this race, is disintegrated. Giugliano is in pit lane, Guintoli, out, and now, Sykes, out. Sykes, on the right side of the road, comes into the left hand corner, hot, and comes across the front of another rider, doesn't have braking space, and is forced to ditch the motorcycle. Working lap ten, Davies leads, with Rea second. van der Mark is now third.
Nicky Hayden is also up there. Sykes would fall 49 points behind team mate Rea, if results from this first race, stand. Davies leads over Rea, van der Mark, and Hayden. Xavi Fores is now inside the points. Leon Camier is now running faster than Luca Savadori and Alex Lowes. Camier could come to sixth, or, perhaps, fifth place, as the race winds down. Hayden has ridden a smart race. He's got a slightly harder front Pirelli tire than his team mate Michael van der Mark does. Whatever happens for the rest of the lap, when the last lap comes around, it will come around to the final triple apex chicane, the Geert Timmer Bocht. That's where all the action will be. Alex Lowes is 6.6 seconds behind the top four.
Davies, Rea, van der Mark, Hayden, those are your leaders right now, ladies and gentlemen. The front runners tires are easy to remember. C compound for the top two, and B compound for positions three and four. Those are the rear tires. The fronts have to do with rider feel. Will Nicky Hayden have more stability under braking with a harder front tire? Maybe. But, again, it's about rider feel with the tire compounds. Harder tires help with stability under braking. Luca Savadori is closing up on Alex Lowes right now. Watch out for Leon Camier as well. He is coming, and fast, on the MV Agusta 1000 F4. Camier also has the BMW's of Markus Reiterberger and Jordi Torres, right behind him.
A bunch of riders between fifth and ninth, will be locked together in the next few laps. Chaz Davies has had a great race. Chaz Davies has never won at Assen, and Ducati, is looking for their first Assen triumph, since 2012, when Sylvain Guintoli was their rider. Michael van der Mark takes second spot away from Jonathan Rea. Eight laps to go and with van der Mark moving up, the crowd goes berserk! Savadori has passed Alex Lowes, and as we approach the end of this race, Karel Abraham, parks his motorcycle, #17. Game over for the German rider. Jonathan Rea passes for second spot into Ruskenhoek.
Davies is eking out an advantage and is fastest of the top four at 1:37.395. Compare that to a 1:37.430 for van der Mark, 1:37.560 for Hayden, and 1:37.598 for Rea. Only seven laps to go now as Rea passes van der Mark. Six laps to go. Start making your moves, now. Tom Sykes is now out. If it stays this way, the championship lead would decrease slightly. 26 points currently, and it would shrink to 21. Through the Ramshoek they come, with six laps left. Davies has been running deep into some of the turns. Thankfully there's no rain, as the riders can now use the curbs at their leisure. van der Mark wants to pass Rea on the outside, but thinks better of it into De Bult.
van der Mark is not trying a pass, or a kamikaze move on Rea. He is merely following him. Davies has led this whole race, for the most part. Hayden is dropping away from the top three. van der Mark passes Rea for second. The fifth place battle is still steaming. Leon Camier leads this group as Alex Lowes has sunk to ninth spot. Rea passes van der Mark back. They battle into turn five, Veenslang. Wildcard rider Pawel Szkopek is passed. He's technically not a wildcard. He is subbing on the Team Toth Yamaha YZF R1 for regular rider, Imre Toth. Toth, is sick. Hopefully, he recovers for the next race at Imola in Italy.
Roman Ramos is 10.6 seconds in-arrears of Alex Lowes, in tenth place. Davies wobbles on the curbs, and Rea passes. Rea runs wide through Ramshoek. Davies retakes the lead and van der Mark has a grandstand seat for this little scrum. Davies makes a move straight away, if he's passed. Very similar in style, to how Valentino Rossi, in MotoGP, does it. Fast laps analysis again, among the top four. Hayden is fastest at 1:37.380. Davies, 1:37.387. Rea, 1:37.409. van der Mark, 1:37.418. Four laps to go as Davies defends and tries for the lead. He is doing his best to hold off Rea at the present time.
Markus Reiterberger has a brief off course excursion. van der Mark forces the issue on Davies, Davies runs wide, and Hayden is very close now to Chaz Davies. It will be a Ducati vs. Honda fight. Three laps remain. van der Mark chases Rea. Jordi Torres has made a pass on Luca Savadori. Leon Camier is now inside the top five on the MV Agusta as well. Dark clouds loom on the horizon here at Assen. Let us hope they don't deposit their contents of rain, on this awesome motorcycle race. Two and a half laps to go, in race one. van der Mark, is coming. van der Mark passes Rea for the lead, and the crowd will go bonkers!
Turn nine, De Bult, and the battle still rages. van der Mark passes for the lead, and runs a bit wide. van der Mark gets out of shape through the right hand turn and just barely holds onto the motorcycle. The riders are changing their lines, through every corner. We see the dark clouds, but, there's more drama! van der Mark loses it! The hometown crowd will be stunned! van der Mark throws it away with two laps remaining in race one! He's absolutely gutted! Rea leads Davies and Hayden, who will score a podium place. He slid through the third turn, and on the corner angle, trying to brake, the front end folds under the bike, and van der Mark tumbles off into the gravel trap, with the bike, cartwheeling, shedding bodywork.
van der Mark, pushes the limit, while Hayden, rides more coolly and consistently. Hayden won't have enough time to catch the top two. Rea and Davies will fight for the win. Two motorcycles that work well in opposite and different areas on this speedway. Davies shines under braking into Geert Timmer Bocht. Rea is stronger in the earlier stages of the lap around Haarbocht, Madijk, Ossebroeken, etc. Hayden has dropped back having to avoid Michael van der Mark's wreck. Hayden has to settle for third and not push like his team mate, risking a wreck. Final lap. Jonathan Rea has to be chuckling all the way to the bank.
Jonathan Rea slides the bike, but, he will win, and score points over Davies in second, and team mate Tom Sykes, who crashed out. Jonathan Rea scores his eighth Assen win!
WSBK Race 1: #1 Jonathan Rea GBR. Kawasaki ZX10R
Hayden on the podium, just behind Chaz Davies, and Leon Camier scores an awesome fourth place result for MV Agusta, with Jordi Torres fifth on the BMW, Luca Savadori sixth, Markus Reiterberger on the BMW, the Yamaha of Alex Lowes, Roman Ramos (on the Go11 Kawasaki), coming from eighteenth to ninth (passing half the field from his grid spot), and Lucas Mahias inside the top ten, subbing for the injured Sylvain Barrier. Jonathan Rea has won four in a row at Assen, and eight times at Assen as a circuit. He is second only to Carl Fogarty on this track.
He has definitely pulled a rabbit out of the hat here. Race two, is on deck, on Sunday afternoon.
Round four of Superbike, is race two at Assen. We've come here, every year, since 1992. Can Jonathan Rea do the double at Assen for the third time? The track is tricky, in the wet. We will see that, in the World Supersport race, later on. Stay tuned for that one, in a seperate blog entry, coming your way, soon. This track is clockwise. Watch out, again, for the FIM/FIA double curbs. Will Tom Sykes and Michael van der Mark, bounce back, after wrecks in the Saturday race, that you can read about in the above paragraphs? Leon Camier is a man on a mission, finishing fourth on Saturday, and giving MV Agusta their best WSBK result.
Nicky Hayden, behind Chaz Davies, scored his first WSBK podium place. Jonathan Rea has won the last four races at Assen, and can he win the double for the third time? He's done it in 2010 and 2015. More dark clouds coming. This is World Superbike race two. Don't forget, you will also hear about the great World Supersport race here at Assen. Weather, has changed, many times, this Sunday. Seven degrees Celsius air temp, and 13 degrees Celsius, track temp, equals 44 degrees Fahrenheit air temp, and 55 degrees Fahrenheit, track temp. These readings, could change, very quickly.
Wind speed is two kilometers per hour (four miles per hour), blowing to the south. It's calm wind, and dry. No actual rain. Just damp patches on the road. Jordi Torres matches BMW's best result so far. France's Matthieu Lussiana, scored his first ever WSBK points in race one on Saturday. Dark clouds loom on the horizon. Rain is not far away from Assen. Jonathan Rea has 31 points in hand over Chaz Davies.
Now, here's a statistic for you. In 1995, Carl Fogarty won his 34th career Superbike race in race two at Assen at 29 years, 2 months of age. If Rea wins, he will have won his 34th race, in race two, at Assen, at 29 years, 2 months. Just as Fogarty did, 21 years ago. Can Michael van der Mark be the first Dutchman to win in WSBK, in his home race? Nicky Hayden's last podium was in the 2011 Spanish Grand Prix in MotoGP, when Valentino Rossi, and Casey Stoner, took each other out of the race at Jerez. A wet track, will be a huge challenge for the WSBK riders on Sunday.
Tom Sykes has scored his 33rd pole spot. He is ten away from the record set by Troy Corser, as mentioned earlier. Jeremy McWilliams is here, and he was the first Brit (he is actually from Northern Ireland), to win a 500cc Grand Prix race, at Assen, in a long while, and that happened, in 2001, 15 years ago. Leon Camier could also spring a surprise, because he's used to racing in the wet, in British Superbike. The pit lane is open. Xavi Fores has done well, winning titles in Spain and Germany. The conditions will be treacherous. Jonathan Rea will do an additional sighting lap. The track continues to change.
If there are pit stops, no flag to flag like in MotoGP. But, they have to take at least a minute in the lane, while they change tires. Rain will bring the track temperature down, and the ambient temperature is not high either. Jonathan Rea starts fourth for race two. The grid girls have to be absolutely freezing. This race, will be a wet race. Everyone starts on wets, and there may not even be a dry line. The difference between the slick tire and the wet tire, is 15 seconds. It's somewhere in between wet and dry. Four of the top five in points, failed to finish the Saturday race. Chaz Davies wins another Pirelli Best Lap Award. Davies has finished second three races in a row, here at Assen.
If we did get a podium finish for British riders, they would have 500 podiums. Markus Reiterberger has done very well here, and in the wet, you race this speedway differently, than other motorcycle racing tracks. This is the 50th WSBK race at Assen. So many great memories. 1998, Pierfrancesco Chili and Carl Fogarty raced each other. In 2013, Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty had an epic WSBK duel. Sam Lowes and Kenan Sofuoglu had a great Supersport race. Pierfrancesco Chili and Carl Fogarty, had a ding dong battle, at the WSBK race in 1998. Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty had a great race in race two. Chris Walker came through to win his only WSBK race win on a Kawasaki. Not sure what year that was.
Noriyuki Haga, Troy Corser, Troy Bayliss, Colin Edwards, Carl Fogarty. It's been a huge race, and is back to that time. World Superbike first came here in 1992, and of course, the Dutch TT has been here for MotoGP for much longer. We'll get to that, as it comes in June of course. Matteo Baiocco is 15th. Lucas Mahias is 16th. Roman Ramos, 17th. Matthieu Lussiana, 18th. Pawel Szkopek starts 19th. Karel Abraham is 21st. He is concerned, because Milwaukee BMW has had five separate issues with the throttle body on their S1000RR motorcycle.
Peter Sebestyen starts 22nd. He is on the Team Toth Yamaha. Team boss and regular rider, Imre Toth, is the umbrella man for his replacement rider this weekend, and again, that's Pawel Szkopek. Five minutes to go, and we'll be underway, for race two. Stand by, ladies and gentlemen. There was an incident in the morning warmup we should discuss. Josh Hook and Alex De Angelis both crashed. They did so in turn ten, (Mandeveen corner). Josh Hook has been scratched, from the field for race two, because of tech issues with his motorcycle.
Alex De Angelis is another scratched rider, because in the wreck with Hook, he hurt a finger on his left hand, hurting the tendon in it. De Angelis, is checking with doctors at the hospital, to heal those injuries. Dominic Schmitter on a Grillini Kawasaki is 23rd on the grid. We actually have 22 bikes out there for WSBK race two in Holland. The three riders on the front row, none scored points in race one. Davide Giugliano, Sylvain Guintoli, and Tom Sykes. Ducati, Yamaha, and Kawasaki, respectively, if you are keeping score at home.
Stand by for drama as we get ready for the 50th WSBK race at Assen. The bikes are away on their warmup lap. Six different manufacturers finished in the top six places, in race one. Guintoli and Reiterberger, these guys are using the intermediate compound rear Pirelli tire. If it is windy, the track dries quickly. Yamaha has good mechanical grip. The riders in 600 Supersport, they had a hard time getting on the throttle. You will hear about SSP racing, later. No spoilers, for now. We focus on SBK race two.
Don't burn up the intermediate tires. Look for water, so they don't begin to chunk and fall apart. No matter the outcome of this race, Jonathan Rea, will maintain his points lead. He will have a 31 point cushion over Chaz Davies. Tom Sykes, is now 54 points in-arrears of his team mate. There was a situation here at Assen, during the Dutch TT weekend, in Moto2, where Dominique Aegerter, started on an intermediate tire, and got swamped by the field. Lets hope that does not happen now, as we look for the start, of World Superbike race two at The Cathedral. The tires for the top three riders = intermediate rear.
Here we go. World Superbike race two, at Assen, is, now! At the start, Jonathan Rea gets a hole shot, and whistles off into the distance ahead of the pack! Chaz Davies and also, Karel Abraham, had awesome starts! Ah. Check that. It's Josh Brookes who got the great start on the second Milwaukee BMW. Nicky Hayden and Davide Giugliano are going for it. Rea goes after Sykes as we run into Strubben for the first time. Davies and Rea are side by side and so are the Honda's of Hayden and Michael van der Mark. Down through the Veenslang, we are watching for Markus Reiterberger and Sylvain Guintoli. Where are those two chaps?
Guintoli and Reiterberger, have both sunk like stones, on intermediate tires. Michael van der Mark has his hands full with Xavi Fores. The Kawasaki's have an advantage in the wet. Rea and Sykes can keep the bikes more upright, while other bikes like the Ducati, Honda, Yamaha etc. have to be ridden, using more lean angle. Find the grip. Where does the bike work best on the road? Jonathan Rea has fallen to fifth place. Fores is steaming to the front of the field at the moment. Xavi Fores eats up Jonathan Rea and Nicky Hayden and has made it to a podium spot in third! Same can not be said for Jordi Torres. The Althea BMW rider has dropped way down to 17th place.
Another man on the move, on the Toth Yamaha, is Pawel Szkopek. He's booked it from 20th to 11th in the space of a lap! Jonathan Rea wants around the Honda's. These boys are tiptoeing, and it's always risky, because if you make a wrong move in the wet, you're done. It's truly, game over. The top ten is covered by a mere two seconds! Holy cow! Sykes has the advantage as they hit the Ruskenhoek for the first time. Davide Giugliano has lost a lot of places, going from third on the grid, way down to seventh. Hayden, meanwhile, wants to challenge his Honda team mate, van der Mark, into Stekkenwal.
Pawel Szkopek is not finished yet! He's up the inside and says "Grazi" to Lorenzo Savadori, on the Aprilia. Will the Toth Yamaha pass the Aprilia? Not yet. Josh Brookes and Alex Lowes have latched onto the front running group. Jonathan Rea easily passes Davide Giugliano. Giugliano can't find the grip on the Ducati. Xavi Fores is up to second now. Here comes Nicky Hayden as well, inside Chaz Davies. Michael van der Mark is following them. What has happened to Guintoli and Reiterberger? They are 20 seconds behind the leader, and seven seconds behind Peter Sebestyen. They cannot pit, because it's not worth it.
Fores is up to second on the customer Ducati, while the factory bike ridden by Davies is falling behind both of the works Honda's. This is the yo yo effect that happens in wet races. Tom Sykes continues to lead. The more weight within his own body weight that he puts over the front of the motorcycle, will help the tires generate heat. The same is true, in a qualifying situation. The nature of the Pirelli tires is, they have to be run at a smoother pace in the wet, to generate decent grip. Chaz Davies and Josh Brookes have both gotten around Jonathan Rea. Guintoli and Reiterberger are praying for rain, to take advantage of having intermediate tires.
If rain came, they can pit, but have about a minute window (61 seconds) to actually fly into the pit lane and get the tires changed. Xavi Fores has been eaten up, again, by the two Honda's. Sykes ekes out a gap on lap four. Jonathan Rea takes fifth place, from Josh Brookes. With a breeze blowing, a dry line is now emerging on the road. Brookes passes Chaz Davies and has set fastest lap so far at 1:54.616. Brookes actually is trying to pass Davies, and now Davide Giugliano is being hounded by Luca Savadori. Alex Lowes has passed Pawel Szkopek. But Szkopek is still in the fight. Savadori passes Davies as well.
Savadori and Davies are a bit too close for comfort! How close do you like it? Xavi Fores, meanwhile, is outperforming both factory Ducati riders. Sykes leads van der Mark with Hayden third and Rea fourth. van der Mark sets fastest race lap and the crowd goes nuts! Josh Brookes is opening a margin on Jonathan Rea! van der Mark will hopefully go through on Sykes, and then, this crowd is going to explode in jubilation! van der Mark, wants it, and is already out front as we run into Strubben. They shoot down the Veenslang, and this is what the crowd wanted yesterday, but didn't get.
van der Mark resets fastest lap at 1:52.703. Dark clouds loom in the background. But, it's bright sunshine for the fans. Look out for Josh Brookes, though. He's scything through the field on the Milwaukee Racing BMW S1000RR, having just passed Nicky Hayden and also getting around Jonathan Rea. Brookes, the reigning British Superbike champ, making his return to WSBK, slots into third at De Bult (corner number nine). Jonathan Rea is now right on his team mate's tail. Is Sykes going to fall from the lead, to fifth? It appears so. van der Mark and Brookes are wheel to wheel! Josh Brookes, takes the lead! The Dutch crowd, wonders, as the Aussie has stolen the thunder, for a brief moment.
Sixteen laps still remain as Brookes runs fastest lap of the race at 1:50.902. Two Honda's are on the podium at this time. Sykes is fifth, Savadori sixth, Giugliano seventh, Fores eighth, Davies ninth, and Alex Lowes, tenth. Szkopek is eleventh, from Leon Camier, Matteo Baiocco, Lucas Mahias, and Matteo Lussiana. Roman Ramos is in the lane, from 16th spot. He will surely swap to slick Pirelli tires. Xavi Fores is starting to sink down the field. An intermediate front tire for Roman Ramos. Possibly, a slick rear tire will go on that bike. Let's hope Ramos does not go a lap down with the 61 second maximum pit time limit.
That may be a waste, because with the track drying, you won't go 15 seconds faster, on the intermediate, like you would on the slick Pirelli tire. So, all you are doing, is trashing your tires. Tom Sykes is losing spots hand over fist to Davide Giugliano and Luca Savadori. Brookes leads and Xavi Fores is headed for the lane. Sykes is a guy who needs to stop, ASAP. More like, now. Nicky Hayden passes team mate Michael van der Mark into Strubben (turn five). When will you time your tire switch? Not too much moisture coming off the rear wheel.
We are working lap seven of 21. Three or four laps, to halfway. It was a deluge during the World Supersport race (again, no spoilers). Then, the track began to dry, coming towards the second WSBK race you are reading about now. Everyone was on wet tires, with the exception of Sylvain Guintoli, and Markus Reiterberger. The intermediate tires are not working, and beginning to be shredded up. The Milwaukee BMW mechanics are in the lane, waiting to see if they'll make a tire change. van der Mark and Rea are in a dust up for position. These two blokes almost touch! Correction. Brookes did not enter the lane. So, maybe Milwaukee BMW was looking for his team mate, Karel Abraham.
Sykes in ninth, signals to his crew, that he'll pit, for new tires. Boys, it's time to gamble. Get off the intermediates and onto slicks, now. Nicky Hayden passes Josh Brookes on the run to turn seven, between Ruskenhoek and Stekkenwal. With a dry line coming, the riders will have to run slightly off line, to cool their rain tires and try to find moisture. Ramos and Reiterberger have both been lapped, on intermediate tires. This is the tale. You must switch tires, to go faster. No pits to bike radios in motorcycle racing. So, the riders have to make the call, and follow their pit boards.
Jonathan Rea hits the pits, now. Oh deary me! Sykes is also in! Kawasaki is rolling the dice, and they need to. New tires on the Kawasaki, as other riders make the jump for pit lane, to get new rubber. Jordi Torres is in on the Althea BMW. Rea and Sykes are using intermediate rear tires. Brookes sets fastest lap at 1:50.582 on the other end of the Assen circuit. Rea and Sykes are leaving pit lane, going back on the speedway. Brookes is at turns ten and eleven, Mandeveen and Duikersloot. Will they pile into pit lane? Will a rider stay on the road and take advantage to gain track position?
Here's your running order.
1. Josh Brookes
2. Nicky Hayden
3. Michael van der Mark
4. Chaz Davies
5. Luca Savadori
6. Alex Lowes
7. Davide Giugliano
8. Matteo Baiocco
9. Pawel Szkopek
10. Leon Camier
Brookes is not coming in on this lap. He'll hold P1. Miwaukee BMW brings out the slicks. We don't know yet, if it's for Karel Abraham, or Josh Brookes. van der Mark and Giugliano pit. Nicky Hayden stays on track. This is the big moment, because next lap around, is halfway. Chaz Davies and Luca Savadori stay out. Alex Lowes will also keep racing. Leon Camier pits the MV Agusta. van der Mark, box, box, box. Davies stays out, and sets fastest lap at 1:49.9! Giugliano pits. Karel Abraham pits. Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea, are close on track.
Abraham is on slicks. Abraham changes and adjusts the rear shock and the front forks. Brookes is continuing as Jonathan Rea passes Michael van der Mark. Leon Camier and Matteo Baiocco have both pitted. Jonathan Rea is less than a minute from taking the lead from Josh Brookes. Savadori pits. Chaz Davies will stay out. Davies is going to be in a pickle, and lose places compared to where he should be. Tom Sykes now sets fastest lap at 1:43.264. Hayden is going after Brookes on the road, and neither has pitted. Chaz Davies and Alex Lowes have also chosen to stay on track here.
Matteo Baiocco on the VFT Racing Ducati, will be lapped.
The Kawasaki's are going to only get quicker while the Ducati's and Honda's are going to have a harder time. Davies wants by Nicky Hayden as Brookes will pit this lap. It will be slick tires for Brookes. Wait! Brookes stays out, and Davies steals second from Hayden! Lowes shoots to the lead and then pits. Brookes stays in P1. Davies shoots by Hayden in the Ramshoek and through the Geert Timmer chicane (or GT chicane, for short). One bloke might just try and stay out for the final ten laps of this absolutely shootout of a WSBK race! These guys will have to pit. Ten more laps on these wet tires could be an issue. Pirelli makes a durable tire. But the performance just won't be there.
Chaz Davies chases Josh Brookes. But, Tom Sykes, is coming. He's the man we have to watch. He is gaining on team mate Jonathan Rea. Brookes and Davies, in the lane. Will Hayden follow? Spot on. He does. Lucas Mahias on the Pedercini Kawasaki, could inherit the lead. Kawasaki will inherit the top two after these pit stops. Rea followed by Sykes. Oh dear! This is getting dicey. Sykes and Rea are mixed in with lapped traffic. The lapped riders are Dominic Schmitter and Jordi Torres. Torres on the #81 Althea BMW and Schmitter on the Grillini Racing Kawasaki ZX10R. Hayden, Brookes, and Davies exit the pits.
Chaz Davies has lost loads of time. Tom Sykes passes Pawel Szkopek's Team Toth Yamaha for position. Momentarily, Szkopek was actually second! Yikes! Lucas Mahias is leading on the #44 Pedercini Kawasaki. Mahias is super sub for Sylvain Barrier, and he dominated French Superbike in 2014 winning all the races. Markus Reiterberger is way down in 18th and is a lap down. Matteo Baiocco is out. What a shame! Josh Brookes has crashed out of race two! Rea sets new fastest lap at 1:40.568. Rea and Sykes have now passed Lucas Mahias for the lead. So, order, in a way, has been restored, with KRT out in front.
Pawel Szkopek is now in the lane. His wet weather tires are surely eaten alive. For now the sun is out. But, rain might still be a possibility. Sykes has to push and make up points. Sykes resets fastest lap at 1:40 flat. 1:40.036. These two are 54 points apart, and if it stays this way, 59 points would be the margin. Michael van der Mark will be third. Mahias is fourth. Rea is balked by the lapped bike of Markus Reiterberger. Matteo Lussiana is next to be lapped. Markus Reiterberger will take the final point from Matteo Lussiana, who was a Superstock 1000 rider, last year.
Karel Abraham on the #17 Milwaukee BMW will be lapped. Lucas Mahias pits at the end of lap 15, as the wet tires on the Pedercini Kawasaki, are toast. Sykes is fractionally quicker than Rea, and Sykes uses Abraham on the lapped bike, as a pick. Five laps now remain. Mahias may rejoin, ahead of Roman Ramos. Rea is more comfortable than Sykes, after Sykes was held up. Lorenzo Savadori finished sixth in race one (his best SBK finish). Well, he will better that, and finish fourth. Chaz Davies was second in race one, but only fifth in this race. He'll stay in second in the championship, but be 45 points behind. Will the Kawasaki's tires hold for the last five laps?
This track is bone dry. Nicky Hayden lost out on pit stops, and runs seventh, behind Alex Lowes on the Yamaha. Hayden easily passes Lowes. Davide Giugliano will finish eighth. Xavi Fores is ninth, with Sylvain Guintoli ninth. After that, it's Sylvain Guintoli, Leon Camier, Roman Ramos, Lucas Mahias, Karel Abraham, and Jordi Torres. Rea is sliding around, but he's making things work. Sykes is, too. But, he needs to pick up the pace on Rea. Michael van der Mark, will finish on the podium, and Lorenzo Savadori on the Aprilia, has gone very well. Sykes is building his pace on Rea.
Will we see a last turn battle again here at Assen? If he does not shove the bike down the inside, he won't gain points, and might be out of contention for the championship. Rea runs deep into Strubben as Sykes sets fastest lap of the race at 1:38.213. A lap and a half to go here at Assen. The gap is one second. Sykes is losing rear grip as he pressures Rea. Rea is one lap away from a ninth win at Assen. Rea looks to be cruising to a win, here at The Cathedral. Rea is up by 1.4 seconds. Lorenzo Savadori will hold fourth, with Chaz Davies fifth. Davies will have a huge points deficit to Rea.
Jonathan Rea will win his eighth Assen race, his fifth in a row, and his third double win here. It's a Kawsaki 1-2, and Rea wins his eighth race at Assen! He's crushed it, this weekend!
World Superbike Race 2: #1 Jonathan Rea GBR. Kawasaki ZX10R
Irony of ironies, it starts raining, right at the end of WSBK race two at Assen. Jonathan Rea has done the same as the great Carl Fogarty, winning at Assen, at 29 years, two months, of age. The next race for World Superbike is this weekend, in Imola, Italy, at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Stay tuned, for a full race report, to be posted, soon.
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