WSBK Assen

There was some bike racing at the beautiful Assen circuit this weekend. I just love those sweeping corners, and the racing is usually great there. I think one day I must go and ride that circuit...

Anyway, back to last weekend's acction. Sykes had again gotten pole, showing how good both he and the ZX10R is getting. I suppose the question as always was how long he would last in the race. He got a great start, and was pulling away in the early laps. Then, the pack behind began creeping back, until suddenly the green bike started spewing smoke. At first it looked like Tommy didon't notice, and I think all the guys behind were worried he was spraying oil on the track. Finally Haslam rode up next to him on a straight, and nudge his arm to tell him something was wrong! At the next passage by the start line he received a black flag and had to stop...

The racing continued though, and it was looking good for the BMWs. Both Haslam and Melandri were up front fighting hard, and with the top ten or so bikes having been suddenly bunched up together it was looking more like the first lap of a Moto2 race! Rea then had a moment, and managed a save which was simply impossible. I suppose the fact that they were all getting bunched up and the lap times dropping was because the track was slippery, and then in one corner some five bikes went off as it suddenly started to rain.

Red flags came out, and the race was then later re-started with 9 laps to go. By then the rain was bucketing down, and they began racing in some of the most difficult conditions I have ever seen. Haslam took off in the distance, but within three or four laps his enthusiasm got the better of him, and he was out. That's when Guintoli began to move gradually up front, and he managed to ride to a very sensible victory in extremely difficult conditions. His first WSBK win, as well as for his team.

For the second race, the rain had stopped but parts of the track were still wet. It seemed nobody really knew what tires to go for, and some like Checa obviously made the wrong decision of going out on full wets. Having slid back to last, he eventually had to go in for a tire change, and came back to get fastest lap after fastest lap. But, it was all too late and the damage was done.

Up front the guys with intermediates took off. However with the drying track, it was clear that they would not last until the end. Mind you, some guys like Haslam and Laverty were heroic in the last few laps in trying to stay with the bikes with slicks. There was then a moment where the front guys were catching a backmarker. The first two managed to get through, but then when Smrz was catching him, he had a moment where he hit the soaked astro turf putting an immediate end to his race. Out front it was finally Johnny Rea who took the win on the Ten Kate Honda, which was fitting as this is their local track. It was also a good sign that Honda is improving, which really now leaves us with Ducati, Aprilia, BMW, Kawasaki and Honda having bikes that can win. Great for the championship!

Great stuff from both races, and lots of WTF! moments throughout!

Here's Johnny's save...

I love racers. Rea saves it, and pins it.

I was bummed Haslam threw it away. I was stunned by Lanzi's SS race.

It was good weekend to watch racing...and not ride. LOL!

Yeah, a good friend of mine was at Assen over the weekend. Cold, rain and wind is not a good mixture for riding motorcycles.

Was good fun watching from the comfort of my home though!

Oh, and Haslam really pissed me off. I was thinking that as a proper Brit rider he would be fine in those conditons (mind you, half the field are brit riders these days...), and then he goes and throws it away letting a frog win!

So much nationalist rancor, it's as bad as F1, the world cup, or the Olympics.

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gueuzeman wrote:So much nationalist rancor, it's as bad as F1, the world cup, or the Olympics.

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ROFL! If it is against the French it is okay no?

Non- J'ai taime le Faracais. Or something to that effect.

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