Leon Haslam tightened his grip on the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship this weekend by securing the double at Assen.
The championship leader had to battle hard for both victories, overcoming the challenge of Jake Dixon in the opening race (by just +0.086s), and then Josh Brookes in race two. The JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider came out on top and now has 14 victories this season.
Haslam was fortunate to escape any damage early-on in the second race after being clipped by the Honda of Dan Linfoot coming out of the final chicane.
Haslam’s main title rival, Dixon, suffered from a mechanical problem in the second race and was forced to retire. This means that Haslam now has a 61-point advantage over the RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki rider.
The 35-year-old’s focus has already shifted to the season finale, where he hopes to secure the title as quickly as possible. Haslam commented:
“I’m over the moon with the wins in both races. It was two really good battles. We planned a lot over the weekend with the tyres and set-up. I can’t thank the JG Speedfit team enough for all the effort and hard work they have put in all year.
“To have 14 race wins this season has been great and I will be riding hard at Brands to try and wrap up the championship as soon as I can. It’s been a really good season so far, I’ve never won at Brands and that is something I would like to achieve before leaving the series next year. I am looking forward to getting there and seeing what happens!”
The final round of the 2018 season takes place at the Brands Hatch Grand Prix Circuit between October 12-14. It’s a triple header weekend, which means that Haslam could wrap up the title in the opening race on the Saturday afternoon.
