With the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock heading to the Netherlands and the iconic TT Circuit Assen for the 2023 Pirelli Dutch Round, there will be several home heroes looking to celebrate glory in style. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) leads the charge in WorldSBK but there are several riders in WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 who will represent the Netherland on home soil and look to entertain the Dutch crowd and give them something to celebrate across the weekend.
FLYING THE FLAG: van Straalen aiming to repeat home podium, Ten Kate aiming high
There is only one Dutch rider in WorldSSP in 2023 with Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) flying the flag for the Netherlands at Assen. The Hoogkarspel-born rider claimed two podiums in 2022 including one at Assen where he was fighting with double Champion Dominique Aegerter for victory. He finished second in Race 1 when a red flag was shown just seconds after Aegerter had overtaken the home hero, denying him an emotional victory at Assen. Could van Straalen repeat his podium performance in 2023 or go one better and claim his first World Championship victory?
Aegerter was with the Ten Kate Racing Yamaha team in 2021 and 2022 when he won the Championship in each year and that included success for the team at their home round. He won four races out of four across the two years he was with them but, with Aegerter now in WorldSBK, it falls to Stefano Manzi and Jorge Navarro to aim for victories for Ten Kate Racing. The pair completed a test at the circuit recently and will be hoping this puts them in good stead for the team’s home round.
FIVE REPRESENTATIVES: a mix of experience across the grid
The WorldSSP300 field features five Dutch riders for the Dutch Round with a wide range of experience between the four. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) returns to the Championship as he goes in search of a second WorldSSP300 title and he is back with the team that he won the Championship with in 2020. He has one podium at Assen and he will be aiming to repeat that in 2023 while his teammate, Loris Veneman, will make his WorldSSP300 debut at the circuit. He did race on home soil last year in the Northern Talent Cup, finishing fifth in Race 2 after a retirement in Race 1. The MTM Kawasaki riders will be joined by Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) who changes teams for 2023 and, with four races at Assen to his name, will be aiming to fight for a first WorldSSP300 podium on home soil.
The two MTM Kawasaki riders and Bijman are joined by two wildcard riders for the Dutch Round as Sven Doornebal (Molenaar Racing Team) is joined by teammate Thom Molenaar. Both have raced in WorldSSP300 in the past, as wildcard riders, and both Doornebal and Molenaar have recorded a best finish of 20th at Assen. Could their first points finish in WorldSSP300 await as they make their third wildcard appearance in the Championship?
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Source: WorldSBK.com