2009 Hannspree World SuperBike Championship Round 4, Assen, Holland, April 26th Race Report
SPIES AND HAGA SHARE WINS AT ASSEN
In front of 76,000 spectators Yamaha World Superbike's Ben Spies and Ducati Xerox's Nori Haga continued their battle at the Assen TT circuit by taking a race win a piece. In the opening race Ben Spies trailed Nori Haga for most of the 22-lap race when the Yamaha rider out braked the Ducati star to take the win by 0.08 seconds. In race two Ben Spies crashed out on the second lap, leaving Nori Haga to take his first win at Assen since 2000. Britain's Leon Haslam gave the Stiggy Racing Honda Team cause for celebrations by pulling off a third in race one, then taking the runner-up to Haga in race two. Guandalini Racing's Jakub Smrz scored his best ever result with a third in race two. Nori Haga now leads the championship with 180 points, Ben Spies 120 and Leon Haslam 94.
Race One. Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies took victory over Ducati Xerox's Nori Haga by pulling off a thrilling move on the final lap to secure his fourth win of the season. Britain's Leon Haslam gave the Stiggy Racing Honda Team their second podium finish of the year by taking third ahead of his fellow countryman Yamaha World Superbike's Tom Sykes. Max Biaggi was proving that his new Aprilia machine was up to the job by finishing in fifth ahead of Guandalini Racing Ducati's Jakub Smrz and Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Johnny Rea. DFX Corse Ducati's Regis Laconi managed to beat the factory Ducati machine of Michel Fabrizio into eighth while the all new BMW machine of Troy Corser was making fantastic gains in it's development by securing tenth.
Race Two. While trying to secure his fifth win of the year Yamaha World Superbike's Ben Spies slid off while leading the race on lap two. This left Ducati Xerox's Nori Haga with a clear run to the chequred flag and his first win at the Dutch circuit in nine year. Stiggy Racing Honda's Leon Haslam took his best ever finish in second while Guandalini Racing Ducati's Jakub Smrz took third from Xerox Ducati's Michel Fabrizio on the last lap as the italian managed to hold onto to fourth as his machine developed gearbox problems. Hannspree Ten Kate Honda's Johnny Rea took fifth ahead of fellow countryman Yamaha World Superbikes Tom Sykes with Rea's team-mate Carlos Checa in seventh. Sterilgarda Ducati's Shane Bryne had he best result of the season so far in eighth, ninth Alstare Brux Suzuki's Max Neukirchner with another consistant finish for Troy Corser on the BMW.
WORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP.
Ireland's Eugene Laverty took his second win of the season ahead of Britain's Yamaha World Supersport's rider Cal Crutchlow with Spain's Kawasaki Motocard.com's Joan Lascorz taking third ahead of Crutchlow's team-mate Fabien Foret who finished fourth. Cal Crutchlow nows lead the championship with 74 points, 2nd. Eugene Laverty 68 points, 3rd Kenan Sofuoglu on 65 points.
