PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
From second on the grid Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jonathan Rea took the early lead from teammate Tom Sykes and Aprilia Red Devils Roma’s Leon Haslam, and would run out the winner in a busy race, but one in which he was in full control of.
Aruba.it Ducati’s Chaz Davies went second on lap two and with the front-runners forming a top four – Rea, Davies, Sykes and Haslam. Local rider Michael van der Mark on the Pata Honda was left leading the second bunch, 1.6 seconds back after three laps.
At the start of lap six van der Mark was through to fourth, with the top six covered by less than one second.
Van der Mark’s teammate Guintoli was also on the march upwards, faster than the top six at that point, with Aprilia Red Devils Roma rider Jordi Torres right on his pace.
Van der Mark pounced on Davies at the final hairpin of lap seven, taking third place, only for Davies to take it back on lap eight.
Both Suzukis crashed on lap nine, on turn one, with Alex Lowes running off and then falling while Randy De Puniet had already crashed on the brakes, at high speed, his bike just hitting the tire barrier a long way from the regular track surface.
Van der Mark block-passed Sykes on lap 13, and in doing so Haslam also got past, putting Sykes fifth.
With Sykes cut adrift in fifth place with five laps to go, the top four were separated by only 0.420 seconds at that stage.
Haslam went third on lap 16, making it two groups of two up front, with Sykes 2.2 behind leader Rea.
Van Der Mark made his move on lap 19 and he kept his third place to the flag to become the first ever Dutch rider to make it to the podium of a World Superbike race.
Rea set the best lap on lap 20, a 1’35.889 which was a new lap record, just to make sure he could steer clear of the chasing Davies.
2015 Assen World Superbike
Race One Results
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki)
2. Chaz Davies (Ducati)
3. Michael van der Mark (Honda)
4. Leon Haslam (Aprilia)
5. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki)
6. Jordi Torres (Aprilia)
7. Xavi Fores (Ducati)
8. Sylvain Guintoli (Honda)
9. Nico Terol (Ducati)
10. Leandro Mercado (Ducati)
