Iveco Dutch TT 2012

SMITH’S CRUSADE TO THE CATHEDRAL

Bradley Smith's crusade continues at the Cathedral of motorcycle sport, the TT circuit at Assen in Holland on Saturday. For the 64th time on the last Saturday of June the world famous circuit stages the Dutch round of the World Championship and this year the Iveco Dutch TT is the seventh round of the 18 round MotoGP™ World Championship.

Twenty one year old Oxfordshire rider Bradley Smith finished third in the Assen Moto2 race last year and the 2009 125cc race. Riding the Tech 3 Mistral machine he led for the first few laps at Silverstone to eventually finish seventh after a tremendous last lap scrap with Tom Luthi. It was his best result of the season and hopes to make further improvements on Saturday while Londoner Gino Rea looks for a points scoring ride on the Federal Oil Gresini machine after a disappointing race at Silverstone.

Gloucestershire teenager Scott Redding shared the headlines with Crutchlow after Silverstone. The Marc VDS rider finished a brilliant second in the Moto2™ race after a titanic last bend fight with Championship leader Marc Marquez. It was his second podium of the season and he needs to continue the podium finishes to close on the leaders from his fifth place in the Championship.

With the outcome of the appeal by Pol Espargaro’s Pons 40 HP Tuenti team against the re-instating of Marc Marquez’s third place in Barcelona still to be heard, the Moto 2™ World Championship is packed with intrigue and great racing. Last year’s Moto2 and the year before 125 cc winner Marquez grabbed the lead in the Championship after finishing third behind Espargaro and Scott Redding in Silverstone. The in form Espargaro shares second place with former leader Tom Luthi, who could only finish eighth at Silverstone, just six points adrift of Marquez with 2010 winner Andrea Iannone fourth in front of the Marc VDS pair of Redding and Mika Kallio.

ASSEN FACTS AND FIGURES
The Assen TT circuit is the only survivor from the original inaugural 1949 World Championship calendar. Motorcycle racing started on the roads surrounding the Dutch City of Assen in northern Holland in 1925 and has continued ever since apart from a break in the Second World War.

The circuit has changed considerably over the last 87 years from the long road circuit to the current 2.82 configuration. However, some of the old bends remain and the circuit is still known as the Cathedral of grand prix motorcycle racing.

TELEVISION TIMES BBC/BRITISH EUROSPORT 2
Friday 29 June
1150 – 1505 BBC Red Button & British Eurosport 2 - Live Qualifying Moto3, MotoGP, Moto2

Sunday 30 June
0950 – 1400 BBC Red Button Live Moto3, Moto2 and MotoGP race
0945 – 1225 British Eurosport 2 Live Moto3 and Moto2 races