After a six-year hiatus the Bennetts British Superbike Championship heads across the North Sea to the Netherlands and to the World famous TT Circuit Assen, which plays host to the ninth round of the series with Fraser Rogers and home town hero Jaimie Van Sikkelerus aiming for strong weekends.
Following a difficult home round for the team at Donington Park just ten days ago, the Swadlincote based outfit head to Holland in a confident mood as they both aim to avenge the results achieved in Leicestershire, with the series’ ‘Showdown’ getting underway.
Fraser Rogers travels to the North of Holland in a confident mood with the Dutch track set to suit his style, he’s confident that his Honda Fireblade will also suit its fast and flowing nature. The Gloucestershire-man has endured a challenging time recently on track, but he has a fresh mindset as he heads to Europe.
Dutchman Jaimie Van Sikkelerus enters his home round with a positive outlook after also having a testing time recently, which saw him suffer a shoulder injury at Cadwell Park that forced him to withdraw mid-weekend last time out at at Donington Park. However, after a string of successful physio sessions he is hoping to be back to full fitness in order to put on a show for his home crowd.
The legendary TT Circuit Assen celebrates its 100th birthday in 2025, and the Bennetts British Superbike Championship returns to the venue for the first time since an enforced break due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Its fast and flowing nature provides exciting racing with the tight and twisty final chicane often leading to last lap frantic moves, it’s certainly a fans favourite track.
The teams’ Superstock riders of Matt Truelove and Shaun Winfield will not be in action this weekend, due to their class not being part of the programme at Assen. The pair will return to racing at the penultimate round on October 3/4/5 at Oulton Park.
Fraser Rogers: “I’m looking forward to Assen, its a track that should suit my style so I’m curious to see how we get on there with the TAG Racing Honda. Its been a rough few rounds for me, but it’s not for the lack of trying on either mine or the teams part, so we’ll be doing our best to try turn it around and enjoy the weekend.”
Jaimie Van Sikkelerus: “I’m looking forward to the Assen round, we have been busy the last few weeks and I am very thankful to get so much support. My shoulder is still giving me some issues at the moment to be really honest, which looks like nerve and tendon issues. But you will find me on the bike racing that is for sure, and will give everything I have for the team, my sponsors and my home fans.”
Team manager Gary Winfield: “As a team we’re really excited to get out to Assen, it’s fantastic to be heading out to such an iconic circuit and one where we feel it should suit our bike well. On the whole we have put the last round behind us and we’re feeling confident travelling to Holland. Fraser is determined to get back to where we all know he can be, and as team we’re giving him everything possible to get back to the sharp end.
“For Jaimie it’s his home round and we’re excited to be a part of that, he’s been working incredibly hard behind the scenes to be as fit as possible for this weekend and we’ll be behind him all the way ahead of first practice on Friday.”
