MOTORSPORT – Shortly after the finish of the second sidecar race during the World Superbikes Championship at the TT Circuit of Assen, Bennie Streuer has not forgotten the incident of the day before. The reasonable second race, in which the driver from Grolloo finishes sixth together with his German passenger Kevin Kölsch, cannot soften the anger.
Riding in second place, the Drenthe world champion of 2015 was said to have been deliberately rammed off the track by the reigning classification leader Todd Ellis. “It came over the grass. There was no room, because I was already on the curbstones with the front and rear wheels,” said Streuer. “It was a deliberate action. Look, if it happens by accident, you give someone his place back. He didn’t do that either. Afterwards he looked for me, but that is very easy.”
The disbelief and incomprehension can be read on Streuer’s face. “I’ve never driven anyone off the track in 15 years.”
Ellis’ action caused a lot of damage to the fairing of Streuer’s sidecar, which meant that he could no longer drive at the limit and finished fifth, well ahead of the reigning world champions Schlösser and Fries.
Race 2 went well for Streuer at first, but as the race progressed he lost speed. “At the beginning of the race I demanded a lot from the tires and I had to pay for that in the final phase. Gambled and lost, that’s it.”
“All in all, it was not the weekend I would have wanted, although unlike the first two races at the Le Mans circuit, we did make it twice now,” concludes Streuer.
Ellis and Clement won the final race of the Superbike weekend in Assen. Schlösser and Fries finished second ahead of Reeves and Rousseau.