Milwaukee Aprilia recorded another points finish with Eugene Laverty in Race 2 at Assen.
With the riders starting on the first and second rows for the final race of the weekend, hopes were high for a strong result from Lorenzo and Eugene following their best results of the year in Race 1. A rapid getaway for Eugene saw him move from fifth to second place on the first lap, before he moved past polesitter Xavi Fores to take the lead of the race by lap two.
Eugene was then engaged in a fight for the lead with the Kawasakis of Rea and Sykes, and put up a strong defence against them.
As he managed his front tyre wear Eugene began slipping backwards, racing with the Yamahas of Van der Mark and Lowes before he ultimately came home in a respectable eighth place with eight points.
The team now head to the famed Imola circuit in Italy for Round 5 of the 2017 WorldSBK championship in two weeks’ time, where they will target further gains and finished in the big points positions.
Eugene Laverty #50
Grid: P5 / Race: P8, 8 points
“The new reverse grid rules helped us today, because it gave us chance to show how quick we are in the early laps of a race. I felt comfortable on the bike and I really went for it, and I had a good scrap with Fores and the Kawasakis at the top. The problem came after about 10 laps, because the front tyre again was losing grip and performance and I started dropping back. My pace was consistent but for sure we could have finished higher. This weekend confirmed the areas we need to improve in. We were really strong in some parts but the tyre wear hurt us in others. It’s good for Aprilia to see that we are strong in the first laps, and we will see what Imola brings for us in two weeks.”