Speaking to Assen track builder Greg Atkins earlier in the week, we talked about the preperation for next years MXoN at the Assen circuit. Several American riders have already mentioned they would prepare for a month before the event at the Lommel circuit in Belgium, a comment Atkins thinks isn’t going to help them once they come to Assen.
“It’s a different type of sand to Lommel,” Atkins said. “And it isn’t even like Lierop. You have to go and find the type of track that is like the sand we get from the military zone. I can drive 46-ton trucks on there and it isn’t a problem. It isn’t like Lommel that gets really deep, it gets short and choppy. It is also a slippery sand and the riders have comments that they slide a lot on it. Emmen has a motocross track like Assen, and that is close to Assen.
So when Team USA come over, they need to train at Emmen is the advice Atkins gives to the Team USA riders, with Zach Osborne and Justin Barcia both talking about training for the MXoN at Lommel.
“Yes, that is a similar sand. The sand in Lommel is totally different. I have an idea what I want to do there and I will be going up in November and having a look at what we need to do for that event.
Motocross of Nations in Assen. That place will be awesome, but Atkins is going to need to make the track a lot longer for the expected crowd numbers or not, maybe extend it out to the car park.
“I have an idea and now its for me to produce it and talk to Youthstream and the people from Assen. In my mind, it will have to be pushed out more, for more space, also increase the safety aspect of the circuit. There is space behind the paddock, also on the MotoGP track, I just need to get the okay to build there.”
