23/24/25 mei 2008
Because the Ducati Clubrace would be my first race this year on Assen with the Skorpion I also booked the trackday on friday. So for me there were "Three days of thunder".
The Skorpion, my weapon of choice for the clubrace.
Friday, Track day
For the trackday I used a standard muffler on the Remus link pipe. This because of the lower noise limit s in the trackday (Arlan, thanks for welding up the muffler!).
Not a big problem apperently because in the first session did a 2:13.263 (compared to last years fastest 2:11.290).
In the second session the stopwatch stopped at 2:13.856.
The third session was red flagged in lap 2. After the restart only a couple of laps could be done. Best time was 2:18.
Saturday, qualifying practices
On Saturday the weather was great, the same as Friday by the way.
I rode in the class "Ducati Open B". That class consists of the slower 2 and 4 valve Ducati's and modern single cilinder bikes.
In first practice I was riding in some traffic and was held up by slower riders a bit. Despite that I managed a 2:12.413, 17th overall.
Noise control.
Scruteneering
At last we were let loose.
Ossebroeken
The men on the classic bike are really fast.
I started the second practice as one of the first on track but ended up behind a slower 916 anyway. I passed him on the outside in Ossebroeken but he repassed me on the fast Veenslang. Apparently all went a bit too fast for him because he missed the next turn, Ruskenhoek. I never saw him again. De rest of the practice went well and the fastest lap was done in 2:11.380, good for position 18 in a 44 men/women field (last year I was 20th in tthe same class).
Duikersloot
Sunday, race
The weather took a turn, it could start raining any moment.
I had a good start this year. There weren't that many fast bikes passing me. My plan to pass a lot of riders in Madijk and Ossebroeken didn't go very well but I managed to pass at least some riders on the outside of Ossebroeken. Full speed to Ruskenhoek and I loose a couple of places again. Because of a crash in Ruskenhoek there is a little bit of panic but I concentrate on the turn and get through it very well. First time over start/finish I am in 17th position, 1 place better than at the start, a first for me! I had a fight with a rider that passes me 4 or 5 times (on the straights). Finally he gave up and I had a clear track in front of me. Then the first rain drops appear! I decided to ignore those (and the red/yellow flags as well). I could pass some riders that were really struggling in some places and I was in 14th place. The group of 3 that I see in front of me isn't getting closer si 14th is al I get. In the last but 1 lap I do my fastest lap on Assen ever in 2:10.470. I was very plaesed with that.
At the end of the day there also was a ranking for the SAM. The SAM riders were scattered over different classes and the ohter classes all rode their races on a wet track. After a lot of calculations it tutned out that I was the best SAM rider!
End of the warmup lap
I must be able to outbrake that 159 bike in the GT-corner ...
... see :-)
All photo's by Sjaak. Sjaak, thanks for that!
(c) MR Racing - software version 2.14 - 05 January 2019.