Local WSS race for Van der Mark

FIM Supersport World Championship rider Michael van Der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) enters the third round of the championship wanting to put on a good show in front of the enthusiastic Dutch race fans.

Since he arrived in WSS full time at the start of this year, 20-year-old Dutch rider van Der Mark has scored a podium each time out, opening with a third place in Australia followed by a runner-up spot in Motorland Aragon. He now sits second in the points, only two behind Fabien Foret. As a local rider Van Der Mark knows Assen intimately, if not yet on his full WSS spec machine. Given his rate of progress and the strong team backup he enjoys, he is intent on being up with the leaders from the outset on his CBR600RR.

As the championship table illustrates, lack of full-on WSS experience has not held back the most effective Honda riders so far in 2013. Rookie, Jack Kennedy (Rivamoto Honda) is now eighth overall, early in his first season. Unusually for a rider in his first full international season, he has raced at Assen before, when running in the British Supersport Championship last year, albeit not on a Honda.

Sheridan Morais (PTR Honda) is a potential race-winning rider who has also had terrible luck so far with a technical issue in the first round and then being knocked off in Spain last time. He is now more than keen to show what he can do on the potent PTR Honda if he is allowed a clear run by the fates at the Assen race.

Michael van Der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport Team)

“It is always special to do your home race especially after two really good opening results. I am hoping to have another one in Assen. The team and I know the track very well and I think to be realistic we can go for a top five because it is my first year. But we are in a good position now and I think we can do maybe a little bit more if it is possible. The riders in this class are so good that maybe you can have a little early advantage as it is your home track but to be honest after one practice everybody is at the same speed. Maybe there are some little things that you know from your own track but I do not think we have a big advantage.”

Jack Kennedy (Rivamoto Honda)

“I am in a positive mindset going into Assen because I know the track well from my time riding there last year. I am looking forward to riding the Honda at Assen and the traction control should really help compared to last year as well because you are so much on the side of the tyre at Assen. It is a really fast place and I enjoy riding the track, so I love it. We are maybe a little bit on the same level as most people going in there now, which is a lot better for me. I just need to get used to the Honda round there, that’s all. So far WSS is going as well as I hoped and I am moving in the right direction, which is what I like to do. We are chipping away, little bits and little bits. The most important thing for me is to finish races as well. Come the end of the year points are important.”

Sheridan Morais (PTR Honda)

"I am looking forward to Assen and getting our first finish of the season. The Aragon race went well in qualifying so I need that kind of performance again this weekend then to have a good race to make it count. I like the circuit at Assen and now we can just hope to have good weather."