Valk: "Winning in front of my home crowd was fantastic"
The STK1000 rider now looking forward to the next race
Former IDM Superbike entrant Kevin Valk (MTM Racing Kawasaki) has scored a sensational win in the second STK1000 race of his career, in a rain hampered race at the Assen TT Circuit. The 20 year old from Leystad, the Netherlands, opened up a big gap in the lead in the early stages of the race, eventually crossing the line six seconds ahead of second place Ondrej Jezek (Barni Racing Team).
It was not just a race win for the Dutchman, who was delighted to see the home crowd on their feet whilst crossing the finish line victorious: "Winning in front of my home crowd was the biggest achievement so far in my career" said Kevin Valk. "It felt really great, I saw the crowd on their feet on the grandstands during the last lap. It was my first race in the rain with both Kawasaki and Pirelli tyres so I am also happy with my setup for the race."
"I didn't get a really good start of the race" Valk continued "but I managed to elevate myself to third in the early stages. I got past Savadori and Smith in the first part of the track, I felt really great on the bike and that helped me pushing and pulling away. When I saw the 11 second gap on the board, I knew all I had to do is to stay upright and finish the race. It was a really special day and I would like to thank all my sponsors and most of all Kawasaki. I look forward to the next race, hoping to keep the momentum going."
