Swan Yamaha are aiming to make MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship history this weekend (21/22/23 September) as the team head to mainland Europe for the series debut at the legendary Assen circuit.

Defending champion Tommy Hill leads the standings by ten points ahead of the opening round of the Showdown and is determined to maintain his advantage as he bids to build on his seven race wins so far this season. Team-mate Noriyuki Haga is still building his strength following his collarbone injury sustained at Cadwell Park. He fought through the pain barrier last time out at Donington Park in bid to make the cut for the top six, but after missing out is determined to feature strongly at the final three rounds of the season.

Hill said:

“It is exciting to head to Assen this weekend for the first round of the Showdown and it will be a great experience for both us riders and the fans. The wins mean more now than ever and I hope that we can get to Assen and as a team raise our game again and that is what the Showdown is all about now. I am going into this round not thinking about the 10 point lead and treating it like we are starting from scratch as the standings can easily change. You can see from the previous rounds that we are all riding hard and want those wins, but at the same time we need to be consistent. At this point of the season you can’t afford to have any excuses.”

Haga said:

“Assen is one of my favourite tracks and it is also a very difficult track too; I think it is good to go and race there. I still have pain with my collarbone and there is not much time between the races now but I will do my best for the races. I am disappointed about my results at Cadwell Park and Donington Park because of my injury but I am always trying to do the best I can. I am always trying to get podium finishes.”


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