A warm welkom from Assen!
Holeshot have now provided motorcycle PR services from each round of the Bennetts British Superbike championship for 15 consecutive years. The most recent round was no exception, although for the first time following a six-year hiatus the whole paddock moved across The Channel…
Holland was the destination for Round 9, specifically TT Circuit Assen, the iconic circuit also known as the ‘Cathedral of Speed’. The British Superbike championship had successfully visited the bike-mad nation up until 2019, when COVID started a pause. But this year as seen the circuit and local race fans welcoming our domestic series back with open arms.
For all attending it’s obviously much more of a commitment in both logistics and resources than the other UK rounds, but as ever for Holeshot it was a case of maximising our opportunity at the round for all our relevant clients.
Having multinational fans attending from Britain, Holland, Belgium, Germany and other nations ‘for sure’ gave us more interesting angles than usual. We set about interviewing fans as soon as we arrived at the circuit, to discover their thoughts and experiences and they certainly all played along.
Epic racing and dramatic weather also weaved its own story into the weekend, with our flexible shooting plan allowing us to get content and report in the best way possible, with a focus on the Presenting Sponsor and Sole Tyre Supplier Pirelli, and motorcycle manufacturer Ducati.
With skilled Holeshot videographer and content creator Tom Higham in his element for both Italian brands it was perfect. As an Assen 'special' we also featured the truly International Northern Talent Cup, a Dorna run academy for young up-and-coming riders running on Pirelli tyres. It was an interesting experience to meet the organisers and riders of the series, the winner of which goes on to MotoGP within the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies cup, quite the prize!
Holeshot owner Harley carried out an extended interview on BSB Radio, although what the local Dutch fans may have made of his interaction with seasoned studio presenter Paul Musselle is anyone's guess! Amongst many other duties he also enjoyed giving some Paddock Tours to some special Pirelli guests from the local area.
Of course, travelling away and taking in the hospitality of the always friendly Dutch locals was an enjoyable sociable experience and it was also a great backdrop for a little paddock networking with time spent with team owners, Dutch and British journalists, and Pirelli senior staff. We gained valuable insights over a few local beers each evening; a win-win!
All in all, it was a very successful trip. It was brilliant to return to Assen and it's a circuit we are looking forward to returning to in 2026, as the date has already been locked in for this event, always popular for both fans and riders alike.
Next step on this year's BSB calendar sees the penultimate round take place at Oulton Park (3rd - 5th October), before the always-dramatic showdown season finale at our local round Brands Hatch (17th - 19th October). And as ever, the Holeshot PR team will be on track to deliver same-day content for our clients.