Racing

WSBK: Race 2 is Action-Packed in Assen

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With Race 1 seeing a number of worthy riders vying for the victory, there was little doubt that Race 2 would provide similar close-rider racing on the Dutch circuit. With each manufacturer with a horse in the race, Assen proved to be not only a venue where opportunities could be created, but it also seemed destined to shake up the World Superbike Championship Standings.

Taking the double was Johnny Rea on the Ten Kate HANNspree Honda, but the victory didn’t come easily for Johnny. First off the line was the BMW of Troy Corser, who had another great race on the S1000RR, but unfortunately could not go the distance again and make a podium out of it.

Race 2 saw the return of points leader Leon Haslam to the forefront of the race. Haslam finished second in Race 2 and swapped a number of passes with Rea, while James Toseland pursued the pair, butwas nearly two seconds behind Haslam, and four seconds behind Rea at the finish line. Despite the intense action at the beginning and middle of the race, the last remaining laps of Race 2 saw both Rea breaking away from Haslam, and Haslam distancing himself from the rest of the pack.

Picking up the table scraps was James Toseland, who podiumed for the second time this weekend. JT was just out of reach of Max Biaggi, who continues to have a strong season on his Aprilia RSV4. Of course Troy Corser was the surprise finish, with another fifth place spot for the BMW crew. The pack of contenders was rounded out by Checa and Smrz respectively, both having good races, but unable to push further up into the field.

The good new stops there here though, as both Xerox Ducati riders failed to make an impression in Race 2. Fabrizio finished 12th while Haga found himself in DNF land after technical problems sidelined his Ducati 1098R. Race 2 at Assen was also a miserable showing for the Kawasaki Crew, as Team Green made up three of the bottom for spots at the finish.

With the race weekend concluded, Haslam continues to lead in the points standings, with a 20 point gap over Max Biaggi. Johnny Rea was the real winner though, as his double victory launched him into 3rd place overall, 38 points back from Haslam.

World Superbike Highlights from Race 2 at Assen, Netherlands:

Results from Race 2 of World Superbike at Assen, Netherlands:

Pos No. Rider Country Bike Diff
1 65 J. Rea GBR Honda CBR1000RR
2 91 L. Haslam GBR Suzuki GSX-R1000 1.942
3 52 J. Toseland GBR Yamaha YZF R1 3.928
4 3 M. Biaggi ITA Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 4.067
5 11 T. Corser AUS BMW S1000 RR 4.176
6 7 C. Checa ESP Ducati 1098R 4.525
7 96 J. Smrz CZE Ducati 1098R 4.682
8 67 S. Byrne GBR Ducati 1098R 7.698
9 76 M. Neukirchner GER Honda CBR1000RR 9.903
10 111 R. Xaus ESP BMW S1000 RR 11.465
11 99 L. Scassa ITA Ducati 1098R 15.489
12 84 M. Fabrizio ITA Ducati 1098R 23.604
13 50 S. Guintoli FRA Suzuki GSX-R1000 29.085
14 77 C. Vermeulen AUS Kawasaki ZX 10R 35.401
15 15 M. Baiocco ITA Kawasaki ZX 10R 44.330
16 95 R. Hayden USA Kawasaki ZX 10R 50.830
17 23 B. Parkes AUS Honda CBR1000RR 58.819
RET 2 L. Camier GBR Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 2 Laps
RET 35 C. Crutchlow GBR Yamaha YZF R1 11 Laps
RET 41 N. Haga JPN Ducati 1098R 16 Laps
RET 57 L. Lanzi ITA Ducati 1098R
RET 66 T. Sykes GBR Kawasaki ZX 10R

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