Big Audience for Euro Superkarts At Assen
press release
A kart race before over 50,000 spectators? Only Superkarts can achieve such a feat because they perform on automobile circuits capable of hosting as many spectators.
A Mecca for motorcycle sport, the TT Circuit of Assen in the Netherlands welcomes a vast crowd three or four times every year. The Moto Grand Prix and the Superbike event are the most popular meetings, just ahead of the Rizla Racing Day, which fills the grandstands of the circuit every year in August thanks to a clever cocktail of motorbikes, single-seaters, cars… and Superkarts.
The 2010 edition of this prestigious meeting will take place on 6, 7 and 8 August. For Superkarts, Assen will be the second stage of a European tour comprising three events. The first one was held in April in Great Britain on the Silverstone circuit, and the third is scheduled for 24 October in France on the Bugatti circuit at Le Mans.
Ideally programmed in midsummer and unanimously appreciated for its atmosphere, the Assen event is the most popular of all Superkart races. It will gather no fewer than 57 Drivers from various different countries, including the United States, represented by Andy Kiker.
Last year, the Briton Gavin Bennett (Anderson-DEA) had proved the fastest man on the track, achieving an outstanding pole-position in practice at the average speed of 169.5 km/h and landing the first race with a comfortable lead. And as a matter of fact this win had earned him the European Champion title.
This year again, Bennett is on top form. However, he will not arrive at Assen in the lead of the Championship as at Silverstone he did not make the right choice of tyres for Race 1, which was held on a partially damp track – at any rate damper than he had thought. The provisional lead of the Championship classification is occupied by the Frenchman Damien Payart (PVP-FPE), winner of this Race 1 and 5th in Race 2.
Had his equipment not betrayed him in Silverstone’s Race 1 (which he led until his retirement) the Northern Irishman Trevor Roberts (Anderson-BRC) would have come to Assen as leader since he landed the English Race 2. Despite his retirement, Roberts occupies the provisional second place of the Championship ahead of Bennett and of the Norwegian Erik Martin Gjertsen (PVP-PVP).
To match the four-some composed of Payart-Roberts-Bennett-Gjertsen, the best placed should be Britain’s Malcolm Crowe (Anderson-DEA), John Riley (Anderson-FPE) and Carl Hulme (Anderson-FPE), the Germans Peter Elkmann (MS Kart-VM) and Daniel Hentschel (Anderson-DEA), the Czech Adam Kout (MS Kart-VM) and the Swedish revelation of Silverstone, Tony Ahlgren (PVP-PVP).
The Dutchmen Arjan Kievitsbosch (MS Kart-VM), Marcel Maasmann (MS Kart-VM), Roy Panman (Anderson-FPE) and the female Driver of the field, Priscilla Spelman (MS Kart-VM), will be very keen to pull it off in front of their public.
On Saturday 7 August, the Superkarts will be twice on the track (at 11h00 and 16h40) for their qualifying practice. On Sunday 8 August, their two races of 50 km each are scheduled for 10h10 and 17h50.
The ongoing classifications of practice and the Assen races will be published in real time via www.cikfia.com.
