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If the Aragon opener was anything to go by, the 2018 season of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship will be one to remember for a long time. With an electrifying race under the Spanish sun setting the stage for an epic season, the 300 class now moves north to the Netherlands. It will be the first experience for many at the TT Assen circuit, a legendary track with the infamous Geert Timmer chicane becoming a true baptism of fire for the WorldSSP300 rookies.

Koen Meuffels (KTM Fortron Racing Team) was one of many fresh faces in the WorldSSP300 re-start eager to leave a mark early on –  and get himself noticed he did, taking the lead on the penultimate straight before stealing the win on his debut. The first WorldSSP300 leader of the year heads home for the second round, and will be willing to prove his worth once again in front of his home fans.

Meuffels will find stiff competition at Assen however, with the rest of the Dutch contingent also making an impressive start at Aragon. Leading the fight will be Scott Deroue (Motosport Kawasaki), beaten to the punch on Sunday but with plenty of Assen experience. The Dutchman won here last year but has been unable to climb back to the top of the podium. Barely an hour away from his hometown of Nijkerkerveen, the stage is set for Deroue to quell his hunger at TT Assen. His teammate Robert Schotman (Motosport Kawasaki), fifth in Spain, should also be in contention for the Cathedral crown.

Taking the Superpole last Saturday, Mika Pérez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) led more laps than anyone at MotorLand Aragon but could only finish third. Still, the Spaniard was one of only two riders to win consecutive races last season (the other being Deroue), and will be a clear championship contender if he can add consistency to his undoubtable pace. At Assen last year a slip left him out of the points – a mistake he’ll be desperate to not repeat.

Mykyta Kalinin (GP Project Team) is another WorldSSP300 sophomore striving for a win at Assen, with the Ukrainian stepping up his game this season. Starting 15^th on the grid in Spain, his climb to the top was one of the highlights of the round.

The DS Junior Team were poised for a triumphant start to their season, with Ana Carrasco (DS Junior Team) adding to the talents of Dorren Loureiro (DS Junior Team). In the leading pack for the entire race, their slightly disappointing sixth and eighth-place finishes, respectively, should not disguise the speed both showed the entire weekend.

Meanwhile, Glenn Van Straalen (KTM Fortron Racing Team) made his one appearance in WorldSSP300 last year at Assen as a wildcard, but still managed to cross the finish line in second. He will look to go one further this weekend, and make it two in two for KTM.

Catch all the build up to the Assen race thanks to the WorldSBK VideoPass.