Twan Smits is well prepared for the Assen / IDM Supersport 600 World Championship

Just a few weeks ago, the Dutch Apreco team and its pilot Twan Smits had to deal with the death of team owner Evert Blom. Now the first attraction of the still young season will follow next weekend. The Apreco team usually races at the top of the German IDM Supersport Championship, but now they are looking forward to an instructive and exciting home race in the FIM Supersport World Championship.

The team from Culemborg and its 19-year-old driver Twan Smits have already completed a productive test program early on. “It was a promising test at the Valencia circuit, where Smits was able to make solid progress and fine-tune the Yamaha YZF-R6 machine,” the team said. With his time of 1:36.093, Smits was the best sports driver in a packed test field.

Before the start of the IDM Supersport Championship at Sachsenring, Twan Smits received a wild card for the World Superbike event in Assen. “He will start at World Cup Supersport level,” explains the team. “For the driver from Steenwijk, a childhood dream is coming true: he is racing in the world championship in front of his own audience.”

“After a great 2023 season in the IDM, Twan has shown that his level has reached the World Cup arena,” team manager Kevin van Leuven is convinced. “After his wild card in Portimão, he has already shown his ability on an unfamiliar track. Now it’s time to compete with the best in the world in our familiar Assen. As Team Apreco, we look forward to making this World Cup event possible to him and be alive at the World Cup stage for the first time. Our special thanks go to Kate Kumi Racing Products and everyone else who makes this event possible.”

“After competing in World Supersport for the first time in Portimão last year, I am looking forward to the race in Assen,” confirms Twan Smits. “It’s great to do this with our Apreco team and in front of our home crowd. We completed the test successfully in Valencia, which gives us every reason to be optimistic.”

At the beginning of April, Smits was able to do a few laps in Assen as part of KNMV training. The goal of the trip was to find a good environment to start the World Cup weekend.