2008 World Superbike Championship - Assen

2008 World Superbike Round 4 - Assen Race Circuit

Circuit van Drenthe - Assen Race Circuit

2008 World Superbike, Round 4 - Assen

Text and Photos Courtesy Kawasaki Racing, Suzuki Racing, Yamaha Racing and World Superbike. Edited by webBikeWorld.

Race Results
Ducati has done it again with Troy Bayliss taking the double win, while 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 favorite 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 tire 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."

2008 World Superbike Chapmionship - Assen, Netherlands Results

Track length: 4555m. Circuit Length: 4555. Temp: 19. Weather: Dry

Fastest Superbike Lap: 1:38.355 (Troy Bayliss, Ducati, 2008)

Lap record: 1'39.395 (Max Neukirchner, Suzuki)

Last year's winners: Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and James Toseland (Honda)

Race 1 - 22 Laps

1 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 36'50.907

2 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 0'2.132

3 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 0'2.179

4 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 0'10.919

5 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 0'11.051

6 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0'11.979

7 Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 0'15.184

8 Makoto Tamada Kawasaki JPN 0'18.395

9 Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 0'18.634

10 Max Biaggi Ducati ITA 0'20.699

11 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 0'25.759

12 Kenan Sofuoglu Honda TUR 0'26.064

13 Ayrton Badovini Kawasaki ITA 0'35.582

14 Karl Muggeridge Honda AUS 0'36.266

15 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 0'37.215

17 Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 0'39.037

Race 2 - 22 Laps

1 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 36'46.238

2 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 0'0.082

3 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 0'6.336

4 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 0'7.575

5 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 0'8.011

6 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 0'13.999

7 Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 0'15.215

8 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0'16.376

9 Makoto Tamada Kawasaki JPN 0'17.269

10 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 0'18.380

11 Fonsi Nieto Suzuki ESP 0'18.926

12 Max Biaggi Ducati ITA 0'21.452

13 Karl Muggeridge Honda AUS 0'23.794

14 Roberto Rolfo Honda ITA 0'29.847

15 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 0'30.252

17 Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 0'31.328

Best Lap

Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 1'39.395

Rider Standings as of April 27, 2008

1. Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 178

2. Carlos Checa Honda ESP 108

3. Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 89

4. Fonsi Nieto Suzuki ESP 85

5. Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 81

6. Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 67

7. Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 66

8. Max Biaggi Ducati ITA 54

9. Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 48

10. Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 42

11. Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 41

12. Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 39

13. Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 37

14. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 35

15. Makoto Tamada Kawasaki JPN 28

21. Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 9

22. David Checa Yamaha ESP 5

23. Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 3

Manufacturer Standings as of April 27, 2008

1. Ducati 190

2. Yamaha 126

3. Suzuki 113

4. Honda 109

5. Kawasaki 37

Race Preview
The fourth round of the 2008 World Superbike Championship takes place at Assen on Sunday and for the second year in succession this popular race meeting occupies an early season position on the calendar.

The legendary Circuit van Drenthe has been much revised over its long lifespan and the last reduction in its overall length took place in 2006, forming what is now a 4.555km ribbon of asphalt. It still features many unique aspects in its design and layout, including a few trademark positive cambers in some of its untouched corners.

The track is now, however, much more like a purpose-built venue than the open road circuit it once was, even if the recent work was entirely necessary to provide much-needed space for spectators and parking areas.

2008 World Superbike - Assen Qualifying
Circuit Length: 4555
Temp: 14
Weather: Dry

Superpole
1 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 1'38.428
2 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 1'38.546
3 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 1'38.587
4 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 1'38.761
5 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 1'38.840
6 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 1'38.864
7 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 1'39.029
8 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'39.058
9 Fonsi Nieto Suzuki ESP 1'39.189
10 Makoto Tamada Kawasaki JPN 1'39.307
11 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 1'39.613
12 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 1'39.859
13 Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 1'40.000
14 David Checa Yamaha ESP 1'40.189
15 Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 1'40.377

Yamaha Team Report
After a podium for Troy Corser, and then a stunning win for Noriyuki Haga in race two at the previous round in Valencia the Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team is determined to secure even more points and podiums, to help Corser move on from fourth in the championship and get Haga back on the same points level as his main championship rivals.

Having weathered some early season issues Haga was back to his old best in the second race in Spain, and to add to his pre-race confidence this weekend he already has experience of standing on the top step of the podium at Assen, after winning race two there in the 2000 season.

Both Corser and Haga can be lifted further by the fact that four-cylinder power in general has had great recent success at Assen, with 1000cc fours of some kind winning five of the last seven individual legs.

The entire team arrives in Assen fresh from a test at another high-speed circuit, Monza, although weather conditions in Italy were so wet that little real high-speed testing could be done.

Haga said, in the run-up to the Assen meeting, "At the previous race in Valencia we changed our machine settings on Saturday night and I got a lot better feel for the bike. Even though I fell in race one we got our first win of the 2008 season right after, and that has given me real confidence to take to Assen. We always try to win the races and Assen will be no exception. Last year we were second in race one and then retired from race two so we would like to get two strong results this year. Anyway, I like Assen and I will try my best to win the races."

Corser, who has never quite won a race at Assen, said "It was a pity that we lost so much testing time at Monza because of the rain but Assen is a different kind of track from most anyway. The circuit is not the same as it was in the past but I feel we can go there with confidence. We are learning more all the time because it's our second year with the bike."

Technically speaking - Assen according to Dave Marton (Crew chief Troy Corser): "Although the tracks are very different in some ways, I think we will arrive in Assen with settings close to those we ran at Valencia in the last round. We will also look at the race setting from Assen last year, and see what the differences are in what we intend to run this year. The easiest way to do that is to change the settings in one bike to the specification of Assen 2007, then have the other one pretty close to the base setting we run at the moment. In general, the chassis setting of the bike should be more like the one we had for testing in Monza than the one we had at the races in Valencia.

The track has changed a lot over the years and the previously flowing early section is now basically just a slow double right, but from them you have a curving back 'straight' which is fast and flowing and there are still a few fast corners. On the last sector the pace is pretty fast and the riders would use different lines around there. The first sector is pretty much one-line.

We have the same bikes as last year, but they have had a lot of development and updates, specifically using the variable air intakes of the road model. In terms of the basic chassis geometry, rake, trail, and so on we are using the same basic settings as last year, there has not been the same degree of change in that area.

Because of the low altitude of the Assen track and the cool weather conditions we expect to have on race weekend, the engine response will be sharp. That means we will need to work really well on the engine mapping and have a good traction control set-up. Both our guys like Assen, and we know from previous experience that they can go fast there on this bike, so we're hopeful."

Suzuki Team Report
The dramatic events and disappointment of the last round in Valencia has been firmly put aside for Team Alstare Suzuki and Fonsi Nieto, Yukio Kagayama and Max Neukirchner's thoughts are focused on Assen this coming weekend.

Neukirchner's collarbone is healing very well and, although he will not be at 100% in Assen, he expects to be competitive right from the start of first practice. Seeing his maiden WSBK win disappear within sight of the checkered flag was a big blow, but the young German has erased that memory and is looking forward instead. Kagayama was not 100% fit himself in Valencia but the three week break from the last round means that he is now ready for Assen.

Fonsi Nieto: "Valencia did not work out the way I would've liked but that's gone now and I am thinking about Assen. Like most riders, I still prefer the 'old circuit' but we have to deal with what we've got now. Last year I was on a different bike, so I will have to spend some time learning how to go round Assen on my Suzuki before I can push hard. Also, I know that I have to do better in Superpole and give myself a better grid position for the races."

Yukio Kagayama: "This season has already been a bit of a mixture for me, but I am hoping for much better results in Assen - I need them! I was not fully fit at Valencia, but I am in better condition now and hungry for the podium. Last year in Assen I finished seventh in the first race and 11th in the second, so this year I need a big improvement."

Max Neukirchner: "Valencia is forgotten and all I am thinking about now is the future - and that starts with Assen. My injury gets better every day and I hope that I will be able to give 100% at Assen. I managed two top-10 places in last year's races, so this year I am chasing podiums for sure -as long as my collarbone is up to it!"

Assen Race Circuit
Track length: 4555m
Track opened: 1955
2007 winner: James Toseland (Honda), Troy Bayliss (Ducati)
2007 fastest lap: 1'39.770 (Noriyuki Haga - Yamaha)
WSB best lap: 1'38.603 (James Toseland - Honda)
Circuit tel: +31 592 321 321
Circuit website: www.tt-assen.com