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Puchshop Racing Cup Assen race report
Article and Photos by Motografie.nl
Hugo Satter fastest in Assen, Gijs Huisman crowned first champion of 2026
The fourth of six race days in the 2026 Puchshop Racing Cup was held on Saturday, July 4, at the TT Junior Track in Assen. After this race day, the season would already be past the halfway point.
The championship battle in the Expi class remained wide open. Hugo Satter had taken over the championship lead from Jannick Vos at the previous round in Veldhoven, and the title fight seemed to be developing between those two. However, the Minnen family was still close enough to strike, so none of the front runners could afford a zero score.
In Assen, fast Swiss rider Michel Aregger returned to the grid with his eyes on the overall victory. Robin Mak was absent, while for Florian Wolter the event ended shortly after qualifying. After seeing his engine studs fly past during the session, he decided it was better to properly overhaul the engine at home.
Apart from a little drizzle, the day stayed mostly dry. The riders prepared for two races on the Bennie Streuer layout of the TT Junior Track.
Race 1
Expi class race 1
Michel Aregger set the fastest qualifying time and earned pole position, but when the lights went out it was Hugo Satter who immediately took the lead and opened a gap.
Satter had crashed several times during qualifying and had clearly found the limit of his Puch. In the race, he managed to stay just under that limit. Aregger, meanwhile, went over it early on. While battling with Vos and Jordi Minnen, the Swiss rider made a mistake and dropped back into the midfield.
Satter was already too far ahead for Vos to close the gap and went on to take the win. Vos had a comfortable margin over Jordi Minnen and looked set for second place, until Aregger came charging back through the field.
Aregger set extremely fast lap times, recorded the fastest lap of the day, and with two laps to go even moved into second place. But once again, he made a mistake. Vos ultimately finished second, while Jordi Minnen took third. Aregger had to settle for fourth, just ahead of Thimo Minnen.
Bas Wallet rode a strong race to sixth place, ahead of Jan van Ipenburg.
50cc Expi class race 1
The Standard class and 50cc Expi class started together, and almost the entire field jumped the start. Only Rens Straver, Twan Dekkers, and Eric de Jong avoided the five-second penalty.
For Straver, the penalty situation would not have mattered much anyway. He dominated the 50cc Expi class and took victory ahead of Chris Weenen and Twan Dekkers.
Standard class race 1
In the Standard class, Gijs Huisman disappeared from sight almost immediately after the start. Behind him, Eric de Jong headed into pit lane after clutch problems from qualifying returned during the race.
Mark Hooijmans had already rebuilt an engine and welded a frame just in time for race one, but his luck did not last. This time, a clip-on came loose and forced him out of the race.
Huisman had no such problems and took the victory ahead of Syl Kooistra and Luuk van Riet.
Race 2
Expi class race 2
Disaster struck for Aregger on the warm-up lap when engine problems forced him to retire before the race had even properly begun. Gijs Sterkman’s race also ended immediately.
For Satter, everything looked perfect. Just like in race one, he made an excellent start and led from beginning to end. He controlled the race and secured another victory in Assen.
The battle for second place was much closer. Vos had Jordi and Thimo Minnen right behind him for much of the race. Vos managed to stay at the front of the group, while the two Minnen riders frequently swapped positions behind him.
Vos finished second, while Jordi Minnen narrowly beat Thimo Minnen to take third. Wallet rode a clean race to fifth, with Van Ipenburg finishing sixth.
50cc Expi class race 2
In the 50cc Expi class, the result mirrored race one. Straver was caught and passed by Huisman near the end of the combined race, but he remained the fastest rider in his own class.
Straver took another 50cc Expi victory ahead of Chris Weenen and Twan Dekkers.
Standard class race 2
Huisman was unleashed in the second race. With extremely fast lap times, he rode unchallenged to victory ahead of Hooijmans and De Jong, who this time both reached the finish without further setbacks.
For Huisman, there was an unexpected surprise at the end of the day. Not only did he receive the trophy for the day victory, he was also crowned the first champion of the 2026 Puchshop Racing Cup season.
With a margin of just one point, Huisman had done enough to clinch the Standard class title. The flag could be raised at the end of the day. Congratulations, Gijs!
Overall Assen Results
Expi class
1. Hugo Satter
2. Jannick Vos
3. Jordi Minnen
50cc Expi class
1. Rens Straver
2. Chris Weenen
3. Twan Dekkers
Puch Standard class
1. Gijs Huisman
2. Luuk van Riet
3. Mark Hooijmans
Foto's van de Puchshop Racing Cup in Assen
Bekijk het volledige fotoalbum op Facebook door op de afbeelding hieronder te klikken.
Next Puchshop Racing Cup race
The fifth race day of the 2026 Puchshop Racing Cup will take place on Saturday, August 29, again at the TT Junior Track in Assen.
