DOUBLE TOP FIVE FOR SCHOUTEN AT ASSEN
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24 - September - 2012 |
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DOUBLE TOP FIVE FOR SCHOUTEN AT ASSEN
The former Dutch Supersport champion was making his debut onboard the Seton Tuning Yamaha, and the 27 year old was on the pace from the first session with the Colchester-based team. Posting the quickest lap time around the 2.8 mile circuit in FP1, Raymond was second in FP2, before qualifying in a respectable tenth in tricky wet conditions ahead of the first 12 lap Sprint. Making a solid start from the lights, Raymond maintained his position over the opening exchanges, before rapidly moving through the field up to fifth as he looked to hunt down the leaders. As the race progressed, Raymond's lap times tumbled as he clawed back the five second gap to the leaders. As the chequered flag signalled the end of the Sprint, Raymond had closed to within 0.9s of race winner Iddon. Raymond's fastest lap of the race, 1:40.808s was quick enough to place the Dutch rider second on the grid for the Main Event. Sunday's 15-lap Main Supersport event would prove to be one of the highlights of a busy weekend of racing on both the domestic and World fronts. Raymond made a fantastic start, propelling his Seton Tuning Yamaha YZF-R6 second into turn one, subsequently taking the lead from fellow Yamaha protagonist Kennedy before the close of the opening lap. Kennedy fought back, leading for the next four laps before crashing out on lap 6, blowing the championship wide open once again. It was then Richards' turn to briefly lead, before Raymond asserted his dominance over the race by pushing through to lead for the next six laps. The breakaway leading trio would soon be joined by Jacobsen and Cooper as the race headed towards a nail-biting climax synonymous with Assen. Jacobsen moved through for the lead on the run into the Gert Timmer chicane as the field closed out lap 13. With his tyres beginning to fade over the final quarter of the race, Raymond held fast proving that both he and the Seton Tuning Yamaha had the pace to maintain a serious challenge at the sharp end, narrowly missing out on a podium as he took the flag in fourth for his second top five finish of the weekend. The penultimate round of the 2012 MCE British Superbike Championship takes place at Silverstone next weekend, 28-30 September. Raymond Schouten: “I am very happy with P4. I wanted to make the podium, especially in Holland, but halfway through the race I pushed too hard and used too much of my rear tyre. I had a small crash in warmup and twisted my knee a little so that was hard for the last few laps. However, I had a great weekend and was really happy with the bike and team!” Phil Seton, Team Owner: “This weekend has been an absolute pleasure. Raymond has been a breath of fresh air and the whole team has enjoyed working with him. Raymond made steady progress throughout the weekend culminating in two great results. He gave excellent feedback to the team that helped to set the bike up just how he wanted. Although he was riding at a circuit he knows, people shouldn't underestimate the enormity of the task Raymond faced this weekend, riding for a new team in a new championship against unknown riders. The performances that he put in were fantastic, it's disappointing that he won't be available for Silverstone but we will be welcoming him back for the final round at Brands Hatch.” Images © Ian Ward, www.bikesportpics.com
Results - TT Circuit Assen Motorpoint British Supersport Result - Main Event: Championship Points
Follow Seton Tuning Yamaha in 2012
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