Seven down. Five to go, in the 2016 FIM World Supersport Championship. This is round eight at Misano Adriatico on the Adriatic coast of Italy. Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, is the venue. For the past two seasons, Jules Cluzel has been the winner here. His MV Agusta team has struggled. Current top dog in WSSP, Kenan Sofuoglu is actually second on the starting grid. But, on his first career pole, is the Italian, Federico Caricasulo. Forecasters predicted rain today. There were a few drops during the warm up for World Superbike, which you have already read about, surely. For the start of this World Supersport event, the weather conditions look promising.
Current weather conditions are 21 degrees Celsius (69 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature, and 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature. The temperatures have experienced a dramatic drop as we check the forecast and get ready for action here, at Misano. There is a slight northeastern breeze at five miles per hour, nine kilometers per hour. This is a favorite place for WSBK to race, on the Adriatic coast of Italy, just across from Croatia. It was not on the inaugural season calendar in 1988 but joined the championship in 1991. It has been on the schedule for most years (with the exception of a few), since then.
Kenan Sofuoglu leads the championship by 21 points over his Puccetti Kawasaki team mate, Frenchman, Randy Krummenacher. Whatever the outcome of this race, Sofuoglu retains his points lead. Folks, this is the last WSSP race until they return to action in September at the Lausitzring in Germany. So, after we're done here in Italy, the World Supersport riders are officially on summer break. Federico Caricasulo won here at Misano last year in the Superstock 600 class. He's only 20 years old, but already making a name for himself in World Supersport competition. Caricasulo has pole for this race.
Randy Krummenacher is ready to go and so is his crew chief, who is a two-time championship winning rider in WSSP, Andrew Pitt. Randy Krummenacher brought #21 across from the Moto2 World Championship when he made the switch to World Supersport. Randy Krummenacher was born in Switzerland, but lives 15 minutes away from Misano World Circuit in an apartment on the Adriatic coast. So, this is a home race, essentially, for Krummenacher. P.J. Jacobsen is back, ready to race. He also ran at the FIM Endurance World Championship 12 Hours of Portimao in Portugal. But, the race didn't go to plan.
Jacobsen ended up finishing 12th on an FCC TSR Honda. Jacobsen wants a victory in WSSP in 2016 and is still searching for the checkered flag. He did win a couple times in 2015. He starts third on the grid behind Caricasulo and Sofuoglu. Jules Cluzel may have won earlier in the year in Thailand. But he and his team mate Lorenzo Zanetti, both of them have been struggling on the MV Agusta F3 675 since then. The three cylinder engines powering the MV's sound fabulous. It's a lovely, beautiful motorcycle. But, beauty does not win races, nor does it help to balance the technical regulations, and that's why these guys at MV have been behind the eight ball for most of the season.
Some of the bells and whistles, like traction control, they are standard equipment on the road going motorcycle. So, if you walk into your MV dealer and say, "I would like to purchase an F3 675", you can get traction control. But it's not allowed on the racing version per the FIM and Dorna rules. Zulfahmi Khairuddin has also struggled this weekend. He crashed on the Friday of the race weekend here at Misano and the team had to rebuild the whole motorcycle. As pit lane is open, Khairuddin only starts 29th out of a grid of 37 bikes and riders. This field, is gigantic.
On the initial sighting lap, Khairuddin is followed by his team mate, Nacho Calero. You have five minutes to exit pit lane and get on track. If you can't, well, you are SOL (sorry, out of luck), and have to start the race, from the lane. But, once you've left, you can run through the pit lane and do an extra sighting lap, if you like. Illiya Michalchik racing for the David Salom junior team, it's a very poignant weekend for this team. David Salom owns the team and he is a former World Superbike rider who won the Evo class championship two years ago in 2014.
The team is running pink and black on the bike in memory of Luis Salom, who is not David's brother, but rather, his younger cousin, who of course, passed away at the Catalan Grand Prix. Illiya Michalchik had to break the allocation rule for engines. He is on his fifth engine, after four engines were used. Michalchik will be held by a marshal in pit lane, after five seconds, once the field has passed by onto lap one. This is the fifth race for the European Supersport Cup and leading that points championship (a separate one for the European riders in the European races), is Alessandro Zaccone.
Zaccone is aboard the #61 San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki ZX6R.
Axel Basani and Illiya Michalchik are second and third in those standings. We have a 19 lap race coming up, and Randy Krummenacher is confident he can beat his Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team mate, in this race. No question of it. Krummenacher has no choice. He has to beat Sofuoglu this weekend. What can Federico Caricasulo do, from pole? This is Caricasulo's home track. Kenan Sofuoglu is second. P.J. Jacobsen is third. Kenan Sofuoglu will try to break a speed record aboard the new Kawasaki H2 prototype motorcycle of 400 kilometers per hour (250 miles an hour)! Now, that, is fast! He is going to do it, while opening a new bridge, and has the blessing of the Turkish government for the record attempt.
Christian Gammarino qualifies fifth, and had a birthday the Saturday before this race, turning 22 years old. Ayrton Badovini starts sixth on the Honda for Team Lorini. Badovini is a former champion in Super Stock 1000 and has also raced multiple times in World Superbike. Badovini didn't race for the opening three races of the season, but, he has already amassed 49 points in the championship. He is ninth in points. Jules Cluzel starts eighth on the grid. He's stuck in the middle of row three. That's the danger zone, coming to the first chicane. Cluzel could try to make up positions, but, he's had real problems with the MV Agusta F3 675. The factory MV team has just not gotten as much as they could out of the bike.
Meanwhile, Gino Rea on the customer version, he has gone far better, so far this season. This is troubling, because usually, the factory team is supposed to be faster and more competitive than a privateer outfit. The reverse is happening with MV Agusta in WSSP right now. Twelfth on the grid is Alex Baldolini on his family run Race Department ATK #25 MV Agusta. Baldolini has Dalmatian inspired graphics on his motorcycle, to promote the idea of people loving and taking care of their dogs and/or adopt one. Good gesture. Five minutes to race start as the Alfa Romeo safety car pulls away for one final lap around Misano.
Lorenzo Zanetti will roll off 14th on another of the MV Agusta bikes. We look at the front row, one more time. P.J. Jacobsen, on the Honda, he starts third. Second is Kenan Sofuoglu, and the pole man, is Federico Caricasulo. Can he handle the pressure of leading the charge into the first turn, Variante del Parco, at his home race? Ondrej Jezek is not in this race. He has a problem with his eye, something to do with the optic nerve and is having vision trouble. So, a substitute rider will fill in for him. Luigi Morciano of Italy is that rider.
Kyle Smith is racing, but, he has an injury to his ankle to contend with. The bikes are on their warmup lap. Track conditions haven't changed. We are seeing that Italian wildcard Luigi Brignoli is under investigation by the stewards. He is on bike #127, the Broncos Racing Team Kawasaki ZX6R. He should start 25th on the grid, but is under investigation at present. Looking at points, these guys are going to have a huge break in the action, after this race and won't race again until September (so in a couple months). Sofuoglu leads Krummenacher in the championship by 26 points. Illiya Michalchik slides his bike, but will now wait to be released from pit lane to join the fray.
The bikes form up for the start. Kenan Sofuoglu is the first rider in history to start on the front row of a World Supersport grid for 20 consecutive races! What an accomplishment! How will Federico Caricasulo deal with leading the field at the start? We're about to find out. A long hold, with no yellow flags. Now, the revs come up on these 600cc motors. We are under starter's order. Red lights switched on. Red lights switched off! Federico Caricasulo leads the field as we are underway in World Supersport! P.J. Jacobsen and Randy Krummenacher run side by side, and Jules Cluzel is also coming, and fast! Caricasulo is right with the Kawasaki.
Into Rio for the first time, Federico Caricasulo leads, ahead of Kenan Sofuoglu, followed by P.J. Jacobsen, and Randy Krummenacher. Jules Cluzel runs ahead of Christian Gammarino, and Alex Baldolini is also going for it. Into Quercia for the first time, Jules Cluzel is right behind Randy Krummenacher. This is a very clean start for everyone. All 37 riders got away cleanly. Ooh! Contact! Not so clean now, as Jules Cluzel gets bumped by Gammarino. Alessandro Zaccone has made a pass on Randy Krummenacher, too.
It's game over in Rio, for two riders. #82 (a wildcard), Lorenzo Cippiciani, on the Team Vueffe Corse Honda CBR600RR and, #83, (a regular), Lachlan Epis, on the Response RE Racing Kawasaki ZX6R. Jules Cluzel stays in the saddle. Lachlan Epis is back in the fight. But, it is surely game over for Lorenzo Cippiciani. P.J. Jacobsen is running hard and may have carried too much speed into La Quercia. Christian Gammarino is having handling issues with his bike, and is all over the track. Ayrton Badovini will catch him, in a scrap between Honda and Kawasaki. Gino Rea, meanwhile, runs eight. Ninth is Alex Baldolini.
P.J. Jacobsen takes a different line. Cluzel is right up behind Gammarino. Luke Stapleford on the Triumph Daytona 675 has lost a bunch of places as Federico Caricasulo sets fastest lap of this race so far, at 1:39.206. Jules Cluzel is challenging Gino Rea at the moment. Alessandro Zaccone on the #61 bike, is fourth, and that's great for a bike and rider in the European Supersport Cup, that, as the title suggests, only races the European rounds of the championship. Robbie Rolfo is another rider who seems to be having problems. Gammarino and Cluzel resume their battle, but, as we work lap four, Christian Gammarino runs wide.
The ESS machines are the exact same bikes that everyone in the championship has, but, they do not contest the flyaway races, and only run in Europe, as mentioned before. Alex Baldolini is running well too, after having issues with the bike in the morning. Randy Krummenacher in fifth, if he is going to win the WSSP championship, he must beat team mate Kenan Sofuoglu. Alessandro Zaccone at Imola and Motorland Aragon, has scored the best finish for an ESS rider, at Imola, and Aragon. We work lap five, and look down the order for some other riders.
Christoffer Bergman remains 11th. Lorenzo Zanetti, 12th. In thirteenth, it's Hikari Okubo. Axel Bassani is 14th and Davide Stirpe is 15th. Two more ESS riders. Illiya Michalchik is making his way through the field and is up to 31st place. P.J. Jacobsen looks like he will soon challenge Federico Caricasulo. We talked about the late, great Fabrizio Pirovano, who won the World Supersport Championship in 1998. He passed away last weekend, but, he would be really enjoying this race, and is smiling from above on the competitors in this event. A guardian angel indeed. P.J. Jacobsen is now right behind Federico Caricasulo.
Kenan Sofuoglu is third, and Randy Krummenacher is fifth. Sofuoglu's points advantage over his team mate, would increase to 31 with only four races left after this one, in Germany, France, Spain, and Qatar. Randy Krummancher passes Alessandro Zaccone for fourth into La Quercia. Ayrton Badovini has lost two places to Gino Rea and Jules Cluzel. The top three are breaking away, putting daylight between themselves and the rest of the field. The back half of the top ten could be ready to challenge though. Riders include Gino Rea, Jules Cluzel, Ayrton Badovini, Christian Gammarino, and Alex Baldolini.
Puccetti Kawasaki, has said they want to run a World Superbike team next year with Marco Melandri and Randy Krummenacher as the riders. Depending on who finishes higher in the points, Kenan Sofuoglu could have a new team mate in World Supersport for Puccetti, and it could be either Axel Basani or Alessandro Zaccone. Two riders are having issues, and ducking for pit lane. Stefan Hill is one, and Javier Orellana is the other. Stefan Hill is on the #35 CIA Landlord Insurance Honda CBR600RR and Javier Orellana is on the #96 Wilsport Racedays Honda. Robbie Rolfo also has crashed out.
Game over for the #44 Team Factory VAMAG MV Agusta F3 675. P.J. Jacobsen pushes past Federico Caricasulo for the lead. He has to break away from Caricasulo and build a lead. Jacobsen has not won in WSSP for about nine months, since doing so in September of 2015 at Jerez. Sofuoglu has run fastest lap in the top three at 1:39.544 with Jacobsen next at 1:39.693, and third best, is the second place man, Caricasulo at 1:39.781. Kenan Sofuoglu probably wishes he had that Kawasaki H2 speed record bike that can do 400 kilometers an hour in a straight line. After testing it, he came here and felt like the motor in his Kawasaki ZX6R World Supersport bike, was broken. It was that much slower, for obvious reasons.
Gino Rea runs fifth as Alessandro Zaccone has lost two spots. Ayrton Badovini on the Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini Honda is sixth. Alessandro Zaccone has dropped to seventh, just ahead of Jules Cluzel. Then come Christian Gammarino, Alex Baldolini, Christoffer Bergman, Axel Bassani, Lorenzo Zanetti, Hikari Okubo (running on his own in 14th), and in 15th, Luke Stapleford on the Triumph. He is recovering from a poor start, and amazingly, that Triumph Daytona 675 he rides is a five year old motorcycle. It's not the most recent iteration of the Daytona 675.
Completing the rest of the order are wildcard Kevin Manfredi of Italy, (on the #34 Phoenix Racing Suzuki GSX-R600), Kevin Wahr on the sister Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini bike, followed by Luigi Morciano, Aiden Wagner, Kyle Smith, Christopher Gobbi, Luigi Brignoli, and two more riders, are way down. Nico Terol and Kyle Ryde are not having good outings for Schmidt Racing on the MV Agusta F3 675. Jacobsen and Caricasulo are pulling away from everyone else. Caricasulo runs 1:39.043 and Jacobsen, 1:39.113. Caricasulo does have fast lap. Now, Gino Rea is pushing Randy Krummenacher. Can Krummenacher bridge the gap?
Randy Krummenacher is breaking away from Gino Rea. Confirmation of fast lap for Caricasulo at 1:39.043. It's game over for Ayrton Badovini. He is out. The Gemar Balloons team, well, the one balloon, has popped or the air is let out. We also have an MV Agusta down and out in the gravel trap. It's Jules Cluzel! Oh dear, oh dear! Cluzel's championship hopes have perhaps been smashed to pieces. Did the front end of the MV give way? Yes. Poor old Jules Cluzel. The WSSP MV Agusta effort is not a full factory team, but it is close. They have had a dreadful season to date, and this compounds their woes.
We move back to the lead battle. With eleven laps left, Federico Caricasulo is giving P.J. Jacobsen all he can handle. The top three is separated merely by 8/10ths of a second. P.J. Jacobsen continues to lead with Caricasulo second, and Kenan Sofuoglu in third, is watching them both. Ayrton Badovini walks away from his motorcycle as it has big damage and will surely need repair. P.J. Jacobsen slides the bike into the corner. Both at the Misano corner, turn 16, before the front straightaway. Oh boy! Federico Caricasulo gets way too close to the rear of Jacobsen's motorcycle and almost hits him! As we've passed halfway through this race, with nine laps left, it could have easily been curtains for both Honda's.
Game over for Kyle Smith as well. He's out. He was given the black and orange "meatball" flag by the marshals, for a mechanical issue. The PTR Honda was smoking. Oil, maybe on the exhaust. Jacobsen leads Caricasulo and Sofuoglu. Caricasulo had a huge wiggle in the Variante del Parco. Caricasulo has another moment, as we look at the top ten. Lorenzo Zanetti was disqualified from the previous race in England for having illegal parts in his 675cc MV Agusta engine. If the race finishes as is, Randy Krummenacher would lose three points to Kenan Sofuoglu. Bassani passes Zaccone, and that's important for the ESS Cup. Axel Basani is now eighth.
Kenan Sofuoglu smells blood in the water, and is the shark going after the fish, Caricasulo. Federico Caricasulo is not running as he was a little earlier on. Can Sofuoglu chase down Jacobsen? Caricasulo almost loses control of the bike, again. These two blokes have not gone head to head, because if you remember, when they were battling at the season opener at Phillip Island, in Australia, Sofuoglu had a wreck while leading, causing Caricasulo to inherit second. But, they didn't go head to head.
Yellow flag at turn sixteen. Zulfahmi Khairuddin, has wrecked. It is game over for Alessandro Zaccone as he heads for pit lane at the end of lap 13. Khairuddin had no grip over a bump in the track, similar to Nicky Hayden's crash in World Superbike race one. Christian Gammarino has also crashed out. He has done so at the right hand corner at Tramonto, turn ten. Gammarino had a low side crash. Bad news for the birthday boy and for his team, GoEleven Kawasaki. Aiden Wagner now is in the points. Where will Caricasulo be in the order? Caricasulo is now off the road! That was a gift to Kenan Sofuoglu.
With four laps left, Sofuoglu will try to close on P.J. Jacobsen. Lachlan Epis is under investigation by the stewards. Not sure why. Javier Orellana also goes off the road, but rejoins the race. Federico Caricasulo has to watch Sofuoglu and Jacobsen, two of the best riders in the business in World Supersport competition. Lap 17. Three laps to go, as Caricasulo sets fastest lap of this race. 1:38.968. Caricasulo and Sofuoglu are catching P.J. Jacobsen. Jacobsen's win, may have to wait for another race. Turn eight, La Quercia, is the key corner on this track. Gino Rea passes Randy Krummenacher.
Sofuoglu could be on his way to winning half of the races run in WSSP in 2016. Brilliant! Gino Rea goes to fourth ahead of Randy Krummenacher. Lap 18, and Sofuoglu goes for it, on the outside of P.J. Jacobsen! Sofuoglu has strength through the first two corners on this speedway. Barely a lap to go, and Kenan Sofuoglu will get his fourth win of 2016 and 36th of his career. Federico Caricasulo wants to go by P.J. Jacobsen. Caricasulo makes the pass on P.J. Jacobsen. Kenan Sofuoglu is going to take his fourth win of the year!
World Supersport Race: #1 Kenan Sofuoglu TUR. Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX6R
Axel Bassani celebrates finishing in eighth place. He is the leading European Supersport Cup participant, and second in ESS is another Italian, Davide Stirpe. Illiya Michalchik is 17th and Nacho Calero stops at turn ten. What a fabulous race! Sofuoglu gets his 75th podium, his sixth top three in eight races this year, and his fourth win of 2016. Federico Caricasulo could be a future world champion, and he's shown he can run with the big dogs. Randy Krummenacher is now 40 points behind Sofuoglu with four races left in the season.
P.J. Jacobsen (full name, Patrick), is not happy after he led for so long. No ESS points for Cedric Tangre. Kenan Sofuoglu could very well win a championship. World Supersport now, is in the middle of a long break. They will race again in a shade less than two months, in mid September at the Lausitzring, in Germany. Stay tuned for coverage of that event, here, on 2 Wheelin'. So long for now.
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