World Superbike

Kawasaki Racing Team rider Jonathan Rea has completed a double at Misano World Circuit, stalking teammate Tom Sykes until pulling away with 5 laps to go and crossing the line with a 3 second margin in an impressive display from the reigning World Champion. Davide Giugliano made amends for a home crash in Race 1 to complete the podium for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati.

Sunday dawned in Misano with blue skies despite the threat of rain, and the weather held off for another incredible Race on the Riviera di Rimini. Rea got the jump on Sykes off the line as Yamaha’s Alex Lowes tried to muscle through on the inside of the Yorkshireman, before Sykes swooped around the outside to take back P1 and the KRT duo started to pull a gap on those behind.

An early, spectacular incident saw Althea BMW rider Markus Reiterberger highside out of the race on the first lap in a midfield tussle at Turn 8, with the German walking away from the incident unaided. A further fall on Lap 3, this time a lowside for Chaz Davies, then interrupted the midfield rhythm again as Honda rider Michael van der Mark was forced to shut off the gas to try and avoid the fallen Ducati, making contact enough to cause the Dutchman to fall before both were able to get back on their bikes. Van der Mark then faced a fight back through the field, as Davies was forced to pull into the pits. The Dutchman put his head down and pulled back the deficit to the points, then focusing on the top ten and crossing the line in P10.

Davide Giugliano, after having suffered a similar crash in Race 1 to that of his teammate in Race 2, began to pull away from Barni Racing’s Xavi Forés in a bid to add another podium finish to his tally in 2016, keeping a healthy gap to the Panigale R behind to cross the line in P3 for some home glory. Forés followed the Italian home in P4 in an impressive ride, ahead Lorenzo Savadori for IodaRacing.

Savadori, who has won the last two ST1000 races at Misano, was able to show the potential of his Aprilia after having his Race 1 cut short, coming home in P5 for another impressive rookie result, and a great haul of points at the home Round of rider, team and manufacturer. Althea BMW rider Jordi Torres had a solid ride into P7 in the tightly packed mid-field, just losing out to Honda rider Nicky Hayden as the American took the Spaniard with two laps to go.

Alex Lowes came home in P8 for Pata Yamaha at Pata’s home Round despite still suffering the after-effects of his broken collarbone in Sepang, ahead of stand-in teammate Niccolo Canepa, who collected another impressive top ten in P9, ahead of charging van der Mark.

MV Agusta Reparto Corse rider Leon Camier, after an interrupted Race 1 followed by an incredible comeback, was sadly unable to finish Race 2 at the team’s home Round after a technical problem caused his retirement on lap 13. Anthony West got more points for Pedercini in P11, ahead of Roman Ramos for GoEleven in P12 and San Marinese rider Alex De Angelis in thirteenth. Milwaukee BMW pairing Josh Brookes and Karel Abraham completed the points positions in P14 and 15 respectively.

The next Round of WorldSBK will take place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in California, from the 8th-10th July as the paddock prepares to attack the corkscrew.

WorldSBK Race 2:
1. Jonathan Rea Kawasaki Racing Team
3. Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team +2.963
3. Davide Giugliano Aruba.it Racing – Ducati +6.356

Championship Standings after Race 2
Jonathan Rea Kawasaki Racing Team 343
Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team 277
Chaz Davies Aruba.it Racing – Ducati 244

 

World Supersport

Reigning Champion Kenan Sofuoglu has taken another impressive win in 2016 at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, crossing the line ahead of Bardahl Evans Bros. Honda rookie Federico Caricasulo and Honda rider PJ Jacobsen after a three-way fight for the win. Pole sitter Caricasulo took his second podium in his rookie year with the finish, just beating PJ Jacobsen to P2 despite the American having led for much of the Race.

Caricasulo didn’t choke as he started from pole position for the first time in WorldSSP, with the Italian rookie getting away in the lead ahead of fellow front row starters Sofuoglu and Jacobsen. With a clean start then interrupted by a small incident later in lap 1 as Alessandro Zaccone began a chain reaction that saw MV Agusta Reparto Corse rider Jules Cluzel bumped out of the top ten as the Frenchman was forced to sit up, Zaccone got ahead of Randy Krummenacher in the early stages to circulate in P4 as the fastest rider in the FIM Europe Supersport Cup by some margin.

Just under half way through the Race saw Jacobsen take the lead for the first time, with the American pulling out a small margin on Caricasulo as the two started to gap reigning Champion Sofuoglu in P3. Lap 9 saw the winner in the last two WorldSSP Races at Misano – Jules Cluzel – tumble at Turn 6 and lose the chance of taking a third straight victory on the Adriatic as he fought to move back up the board after the Lap 1 incident.

With Sofuoglu behind Caricasulo, the Italian rookie wasn’t for giving up, passing the reigning Champion back and holding him behind for a number of laps before the running slightly wide with 4 laps to go and allowing the Turk past to try and chase down Jacobsen for the victory, with Sofuoglu eventually pulling clear of the American and Caricasulo to take a stunning win at a track that traditionally hasn’t favoured the reigning Champion.

Alessandro Zaccone, after a quick but aggressive start, then started to fall through the order before eventually being forced to pull into the pits with a technical problem. GRT Racing Team rider Gino Rea moved his way through the field to cross the line in an impressive P4 as fastest MV Agsuta, ahead of Randy Krummenacher who completed the top 5 after a difficult day at the office for the title contender.

Lorenzo Zanetti was sixth after a good comeback from a lower qualifying position for MV Agusta Reparto Corse at home, ahead of Alex Baldolini, and Axel Bassani for San Carlo Team Italia – who crossed the line as the fastest FIM Europe Supersport Cup rider. Luke Stapleford brought his Triumph home in P9 with a solid ride into the top ten, with CIA Landlord Insurance Honda rider Christoffer Bergman rounding it out in P10.

WorldSSP will now head into the summer ahead of their next time on track at Lausitzring in Germany, as the intermediate class don’t travel to Laguna Seca for Round 9.

WorldSSP Race
1. Kenan Sofuoglu Kawasaki Puccetti Racing
2. Federico Caricasulo Bardahl Evan Bros Honda +0.545
3. PJ Jacobsen Honda World Supersport Team +0.920

WorldSSP Championship Standings
Kenan Sofuoglu Kawasaki Puccetti Racing 146
Randy Krummenacher Kawasaki Puccetti Racing 106
PJ Jacobsen Honda World Supersport Team 92

 

Source: WorldSBK