Broc Parkes and David Salom overcame several obstacles at Assen to record strong finishes on raceday in the World Supersport race, with Parkes third and Salom fifth in a twice re-started and eventually shortened race.
Broc eventually took his second podium of the year on the factory Ninja ZX-6R and he is now only three points from the top, in second place overall as points leader Luca Scassa crashed out of a race won by his team-mate Chaz Davies.
Salom is now fifth overall in the points, only 16 from the leader, as he continues his push to take his first podium placing of 2011.
Massimo Roccoli, from the Kawasaki Lorenzini by Leoni Team, was sixth on the day and moved to seventh in the standings. His team-mate Vittorio Iannuzzo fell but is still inside the top 12 championship positions.
Broc Parkes: "I was a little bit fortunate that some other riders went out but I was unlucky to be bumped wide in the first turn, so it was just luck coming back my way. I am second in the championship and only three points from first, so it is like the season just started again."
David Salom: "A very confusing day but a good race. My start was good the first time but it did not count and in the second and third starts it was no good. I had some work to do to. I think I was in about 14th place in the first lap of the real race but when I got behind Broc he passed rider after rider and I got up to fifth place. My lap times were good and a top five was not so bad."
Meanwhile, in WSB, two of the three factory Kawasaki riders scored points and the recovering Vermeulen made it all the way through qualifying and onto the World Superbike grid.
Results in qualifying and practice had indicated that the official Kawasaki riders could use the softest rear race tyres available, but in race one this did not prove to be the case, meaning that Lascorz ended 11th and Sykes 14th, struggling to maintain lap times in the second half of the race. Race two was not any easier for the duo after a tyre choice change, as Sykes finished 11th and Lascorz 12th.
On the third Ninja ZX-10R, Chris Vermeulen found that his leg muscles had still not recovered enough to compete over full race distance. That' said, he was still in a good points scoring position until he was forced to withdraw with cramp in his leg on lap nine. He did not start race two.
Pedercini Team Kawasaki rider Mark Aitchison had the honour of taking the best single Kawasaki result of the weekend pushing into the top ten in race one, but his team-mate Roberto Rolfo fell and just missed out on a point in race two.
Lacorz and Sykes share 26 points in the championship both just outside the top ten.
Tom Sykes: "Race one was unfortunate because we went for a soft A compound rear tyre which we thought was going to work. That did not pay off but in race two we chose the C compound tyre, a harder one, and probably the one that the majority of the field was on. I feel it is a question of getting better balance on the bike and having a bit more speed, but I think we will get both of them pretty soon."
Joan Lascorz: "In the first race the bike was good at the start but then very quickly, lap six or seven maybe, I lost the best grip and I could not get it back. In the first part of the second race I felt very low grip on a different tyre choice at the start but then it started to come in. Things improved and there was a better balance of the bike at that time."
Chris Vermeulen: "I stopped just because of a lack of strength in my leg. It just cramped up and I had to stop after a few laps. My pace was not so bad and I was holding down a points scoring position but I just could not get to the end. This is the first time I have been able to feel the bike really working, and I made some set-up changes because I was pushing at a decent level sometimes this weekend."
Mark Aitchison: "Race one was good for us and I am stoked to be inside the top ten for the first time. I really started to enjoy myself. A few guys crashed in race one but we will take the results while they are there. "
Even more Assen WSS and WSB pictures plus the chance to add your own comments on the Kawasaki News UK Facebook site.
Broc eventually took his second podium of the year on the factory Ninja ZX-6R and he is now only three points from the top, in second place overall as points leader Luca Scassa crashed out of a race won by his team-mate Chaz Davies.
Salom is now fifth overall in the points, only 16 from the leader, as he continues his push to take his first podium placing of 2011.
Massimo Roccoli, from the Kawasaki Lorenzini by Leoni Team, was sixth on the day and moved to seventh in the standings. His team-mate Vittorio Iannuzzo fell but is still inside the top 12 championship positions.
Broc Parkes: "I was a little bit fortunate that some other riders went out but I was unlucky to be bumped wide in the first turn, so it was just luck coming back my way. I am second in the championship and only three points from first, so it is like the season just started again."
David Salom: "A very confusing day but a good race. My start was good the first time but it did not count and in the second and third starts it was no good. I had some work to do to. I think I was in about 14th place in the first lap of the real race but when I got behind Broc he passed rider after rider and I got up to fifth place. My lap times were good and a top five was not so bad."
Meanwhile, in WSB, two of the three factory Kawasaki riders scored points and the recovering Vermeulen made it all the way through qualifying and onto the World Superbike grid.
Results in qualifying and practice had indicated that the official Kawasaki riders could use the softest rear race tyres available, but in race one this did not prove to be the case, meaning that Lascorz ended 11th and Sykes 14th, struggling to maintain lap times in the second half of the race. Race two was not any easier for the duo after a tyre choice change, as Sykes finished 11th and Lascorz 12th.
On the third Ninja ZX-10R, Chris Vermeulen found that his leg muscles had still not recovered enough to compete over full race distance. That' said, he was still in a good points scoring position until he was forced to withdraw with cramp in his leg on lap nine. He did not start race two.
Pedercini Team Kawasaki rider Mark Aitchison had the honour of taking the best single Kawasaki result of the weekend pushing into the top ten in race one, but his team-mate Roberto Rolfo fell and just missed out on a point in race two.
Lacorz and Sykes share 26 points in the championship both just outside the top ten.
Tom Sykes: "Race one was unfortunate because we went for a soft A compound rear tyre which we thought was going to work. That did not pay off but in race two we chose the C compound tyre, a harder one, and probably the one that the majority of the field was on. I feel it is a question of getting better balance on the bike and having a bit more speed, but I think we will get both of them pretty soon."
Joan Lascorz: "In the first race the bike was good at the start but then very quickly, lap six or seven maybe, I lost the best grip and I could not get it back. In the first part of the second race I felt very low grip on a different tyre choice at the start but then it started to come in. Things improved and there was a better balance of the bike at that time."
Chris Vermeulen: "I stopped just because of a lack of strength in my leg. It just cramped up and I had to stop after a few laps. My pace was not so bad and I was holding down a points scoring position but I just could not get to the end. This is the first time I have been able to feel the bike really working, and I made some set-up changes because I was pushing at a decent level sometimes this weekend."
Mark Aitchison: "Race one was good for us and I am stoked to be inside the top ten for the first time. I really started to enjoy myself. A few guys crashed in race one but we will take the results while they are there. "
Even more Assen WSS and WSB pictures plus the chance to add your own comments on the Kawasaki News UK Facebook site.
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