The historic venue of Assen is the venue for round ten of the 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship and the Rapid Solicitors Racing Team are heading over to Holland in confident mood.
Having missed the last couple of rounds due to sustaining a shoulder injury, Shane 'Shakey' Byrne will start the first of the three 'Showdown' meetings with all to play for as he holds third place in the standings just 12 points down on series leader Tommy Hill.
The former double BSB champion from the Isle of Sheppey tested at Snetterton yesterday and was happy enough with his progress so is looking to add to his four wins so far this season in his quest to add to his British Superbike titles of 2003 and 2008.
Shakey is one of the most experienced riders around the Dutch track having ridden in four World Superbike Championship races there during 2009 and 2010 for Sterilgarda Ducati, scoring two eighths, a ninth and an 11th place finish, and previous to that, in 2004, rode for the MS Aprilia MotoGP Team but retired in the race after a strong showing in practice.
Also with good Assen experience is team-mate Stuart Easton who bounced back from his mid season injury problems with a superb pair of results at Donington Park in the last round. The former British Supersport Champion claimed a seventh in race one with a fourth in race two and is looking to end the season on a high for the Penrith-based team.
The Scotsman from Hawick scored a tenth place finish aboard a 749cc Ducati for the SC Manila Grace in the World Supersport Championship race back in 2006 and more recently has World Superbike Championship experience around Assen when he deputised for the injured Broc Parkes on the factory Kawasaki in 2009 and was placed 18th in the opening race.
Whereas Byrne will be looking towards the British Superbike Championship as one of the six designated 'Title Fighters', whereby he had qualified for the Showdown stage prior to his accident at Cadwell Park, Easton has his eyes firmly set on the BSB Rider's Cup which will go to the rider who finishes as best of the rest and currently, he holds fifth position, just 27 points off the top spot.
Shane Byrne: "I love Assen and have plenty of experience in both MotoGP and WSB so for me it's the ideal place to start the Showdown. My shoulder is getting better all the time and I had a good run out around Snetterton yesterday so hopefully it will be OK once we get out on track. Assen is a very physically demanding track and it won't be easy but I'll be doing my best. My initial aim is to do the best job I possibly can this weekend and by Silverstone and Brands Hatch, I should be a lot stronger in those final two rounds. I'm really looking forward to racing at Assen as I think it will be one of the best meetings of the year so I can't wait to get started."
Stuart Easton: "It was good to get back to some decent results at Donington and I'm hoping we can continue that momentum into Assen. It's a track I've ridden at a couple of times before and I really enjoy the flowing nature so I'm looking forward to it. No one has lots of track time around there so it could spring a few surprises and it's good to race somewhere a bit different. I'll be doing my best to get a pair of good results for my Rider's Cup aspirations and hopefully I can take a few points off Shakey's rivals to help him in the Showdown."
