Gamma Race Day preview, from BigWally

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FIM Sidecar World Championship.
Round eight, Gamma race day, Assen.

“Welcome to the Cathedral”.

The World famous 4.542km circuit of Assen in the Netherlands, known as the “Cathedral” will host round eight of the Fim Sidecar World Championship. This will be running with the ever popular “Gamma Race Day”. Last year nearly 90,000, sun soaked spectators watched this great event at a great race circuit.
With only two weeks since the last round at Brands Hatch, the Championship is now getting very tight at the top. The last round saw the two top teams in the championship crashing out of the race. First was Tim Reeves and Gregory Cluze who were scuttled into the gravel trap after a coming together with the British Championship regular team of Garry Bryan and Jamie Winn. Bryan and Winn’s machine developed a fault resulting in the rear locking and with this the machine slid sideways, with Reeves and Cluze starting an overtake manoeuvre they had nowhere to go but the gravel trap. The second was Pekka Paivarinta and Kirsi Kainulainen who were pushing hard for a podium place; they lost control of their machine and spun on track as they were spinning towards the gravel trap the machine flipped upside down. Passenger Kainulainen was thrown from the sidecar and had to receive medical treatment, resulting in her staying overnight in hospital for observation. Kainulainen will be fit for the race in Assen and the team will be desperate for a good result.
With the two top teams out, this let Bennie Streuer and Geert Koerts stand on the top spot of the podium. With this result, it took them to only five points off second place Paivarinta /Kainulainen, who are only five points off Championship leaders Reeves/Cluze. Streuer/Koerts will be looking for glory in Assen as it being their home GP, and the home crowed will be cheering for this too.
Fourth in the championship Uwe Gurk and Manfred Wechselberger were not present at the last round and possibly will not be in Assen. They are trailing Streuer/Koerts by 47 points going into this round. If not present in Assen it will be hard for them to keep their fourth place in the championship.
Sitting fifth in the championship going into this race in Assen is Mike Roscher and Anna Burkard. They have 61 points, and a good result would possibly take them to fourth place in the championship. They had a great result in Brands Hatch; standing on the podium in second place was a great result for the team. Passenger Burkard like Kainulainen, another woman on the podium in 2015, a great achievement.
Like Roscher/Burkard, another new team standing on the podium was Milan Spendal and Freddy Lelubez. They took the third spot in Brands Hatch. This result really boosted their championship position and they are now sitting in sixth place with 59 points.
Like the top three in the championship, only 10 points separate fourth place through to seventh. If Gurk is not present in Assen, the next three teams after him will be going at it hammer and tongs to try and get the advantage and possibly lift them to that fourth spot in the championship standings.
Possibly the most unlucky teams this year has to be John Holden, he has only finished one race this season so far. In Brands Hatch, he and passenger, former World Champion Ashley Hawes were looking at a podium place, when lady luck struck again for another DNF. A good race, and result in Assen would do the team no ends of confidence, and certainly boost their moral.
All these teams, as well as the top three, will need to be on top form though, as there could be a team here, who stood on the podium at this meeting last year, the French pairing of Sebastien Delannoy and Kevin Rousseau. They like this track in Assen and a good result could take valuable points from the regular championship runners.
As too could some Dutch one event teams, they will be out to put on a good show in their home GP and entertain the spectators.
Colin Nicholson and Ilse de Haas on their “RCN” Yamaha, Ilse raced at this meeting last year but was passenger for Hilbert Talens.
John Smits and Gunter Verbrugge, also racing an “RCN”, Yamaha.
Hilbert Talens who will have Remco Moes in the chair this year, they will race an “LCR”, Yamaha.
Wiggert Kranenburg and Jermaine Van Middegaal with their “LCR” Yamaha.
Jarno Keppel and Freek Dirksen racing an “LCR” Suzuki.
Kees Kentrop and Jeffrey Verhagen on their “LCR” Yamaha.
Also Kees Endeveld and Jeroen Remme with their “RSR” Yamaha, This will be the first world championship race for Endeveld and Remme.
Sunday 2nd August will see a 17 lap Gold race, starting at 11.25 local time.