It's been a long time since we last saw the World Supersport motorcycles and riders in action, at Misano in Italy, back in June. But, World Supersport, is back in action in Germany, here at the Lausitzring in the Lusatian lakeland. Kenan Sofuoglu is the man to beat, with a 38 point cushion in the championship over his closest rival and Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team mate, Randy Krummenacher. There are only four races remaining in the 2016 WSSP season. We make a return to the Lausitzring, for the first time since 2007. Current weather conditions are as follows. We have an air temperature of 14 degrees Celsius (57 degrees Fahrenheit), and a track temperature of 21 degrees Celsius (69 degrees Fahrenheit).
Back in 2007, the last time WSSP raced here, it was two-time WSSP champion Sebastien Charpentier, who took pole on a Honda. That was the 22nd and final pole of his career and he held that record until Kenan Sofuoglu broke it, last year in Qatar. Charpentier was a Honda rider. Sofuoglu has pole for today's race, his fifth pole of 2016, and 28th career pole. He is the man with the momentum, as we go into this race. Randy Krummenacher gained some points, when Italian Federico Caricasulo was disqualified after the aforementioned Italian round of the championship back in June. However, in terms of points, Kenan Sofuoglu is comfortably in front, 38 points ahead of his nearest rival, with four races left in 2016.
Randy Krummenacher will have work to do. Let me correct myself. The last time World Superbike raced here at the Lausitzring, was in 2013, so there may have been a WSSP race that weekend, three years ago. It is a chilly morning here at the Lausitzring, as we get set to bring the action. Each rider for the HJC team has been asked to wear a specially painted helmet referring to a Marvel comic book superhero. Gino Rea (the Englishman with Italian roots), had some issues with a cracked oil pipe in practice, which, though it thankfully didn't start a fire, caused his GRT Racing Team MV Agusta F3 675, to smoke.
Track and air temperatures are considerably cooler for race day, than they were during practice and qualifying. We have 19 laps scheduled for this race. Randy Krummenacher's dad Peter Krummenacher, is also a former motorcycle racer. He used to race in World Superbike, at the start of the championship, from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. This is essentially Randy Krummenacher's home race, because he is from Switzerland. Since there is no racing in Switzerland for bikes or cars, this is as close as he'll get. Switzerland has banned motorsport of any kind in recent years. There are no speedways in Switzerland I'm afraid, like there are in so many other parts of Europe.
We look at Finn Nikki Tuuli, who is a wildcard rider in World Supersport for this weekend, aboard the #66 Kallio Racing Yamaha YZF R6. Kallio Racing, is run by Vesto Kallio, who is the older brother of Moto2 racer Mika Kallio, who has been mentioned on this blog, quite often. They hope to race full-time in World Supersport, next year, perhaps with Nikki Tuuli aboard the bike. Tuuli was a front runner in the Superstock 600 class last year, and it is only his second WSSP start. He ran last year at Donington Park in England, and finished ninth.
Tuuli dominated the Finnish Superstock 600 championship, which has completed it's season. Pit lane is open and the riders take their motorcycles onto the track for sighting laps. Two-time World Supersport runner-up, Jules Cluzel, has had a torrid season, and is 71 markers in-arrears of Kenan Sofuoglu in the points standings. He is fifth in the championship and only the second best MV Agusta rider, behind Gino Rea. Three and a half minutes until pit lane closes. If you don't get out in time, you will start, in the lane. You'd best move it out onto the speedway, chaps. Randy Krummenacher, is 8/10ths of a second down on Kenan Sofuoglu according to the timesheets from qualifying.
Krummenacher will need a minor miracle, if he hopes to win this race. Axel Bassani of Italy was leading the FIM Supersport European Cup, riding for San Carlo Team Italia on another Kawasaki ZX6R identical to those raced by the Puccetti factory team. It came off the back of the now defunct Superstock 600 series that ran for a decade between 2005 and 2015. Axel Bassani is the leader of the Cup points standings, as he follows his team mate and fellow Italian, Alessandro Zaccone. Illiya Michalchik of Ukraine, is another rider in the WSSP European Cup to look out for. The European Cup riders have three races left to run. This race at the Lausitzring, the next race in France at Magny Cours, and the one a month from now at Jerez, in Spain.
Kenan Sofuoglu has won four races this season, and could make it five today. He is a four-time WSSP World Champion, and could win his fifth, in the category, this year. His first title was riding with Ten Kate Honda in 2007. He won it again in 2010, 2012, and 2015. Sweden's Christoffer Bergman on the PTR Honda will be another rider to watch. World Supersport is venturing into the unknown, since there hasn't been a race in Germany for so many years. We look across the front row. Kenan Sofuoglu on pole, Nikki Tuuli in second, and Gino Rea, in third place.
Tuuli makes it the first ever front row qualifying effort for a Finnish rider in WSSP. Christoffer Bergman, his fellow Scandinavian is fourth. Randy Krummenacher rounds out the top five. Jules Cluzel is sixth, but many questions surround what he will do and how he will perform in this race. What will he do, next year? Some of the press has linked him to racing with Yamaha in Supersport next year. Others believe he will stay with MV Agusta. Still others speculate that he could switch and go across to Moto2 next year. Cluzel is possibly not planning to stay with the MV Agusta team. Speaking of MV Agusta, Italy's Lorenzo Zanetti will roll off seventh.
It remains to be seen if MV Agusta will be involved in WSBK and WSSP next year, as the company has fallen on hard financial times as of late. There will be a new Yamaha YZF R6 debuting for 2017. So, could Cluzel be linked to a Yamaha seat? Which team will become the factory backed Yamaha squad, next year? Ayrton Badovini starts eighth on his Honda CBR600RR for Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini. As far as Jules Cluzel, he's not sure he could find a competitive ride in World Superbike for next year. Starting ninth, will be P.J. Jacobsen on the #2 Honda World Supersport factory bike, the CBR600RR.
P.J. Jacobsen has raced the bigger Superbikes in the FIM Endurance World Championship. He may not advance to World Superbike with Honda, but rather, he'd go the route of entering Moto2 for next year. He has been linked with a few teams in the MotoGP paddock. Kyle Smith starts 12th on the CIA Landlord Insutance Honda. One thing that stands in P.J. Jacobsen's favor, is watching the success in Moto2 of former WSSP rider, Sam Lowes, brother of Suzuki WSBK rider, Alex Lowes. P.J. Jacobsen's riding style, could lend itself well to the Grand Prix motorcycle racing grid.
Luke Stapleford completes the top ten on his Triumph Daytona 675 for Profile Racing. Eleventh is Federico Caricasulo aboard the Bardahl Evan Brothers Honda. Kevin Wahr rolls off 13th on the sister Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini Honda, to Ayrton Badovini. Away goes the Alfa Romeo 4C safety car, which means we are close to getting this race underway. Illia Michalchik rolls off 14th on the grid. Riding the DS Junior Team Kawasaki ZX6R. The DS is former Superbike racer, David Salom. Alessandro Zaccone completes the top fifteen. It is going to be a shootout, between Zaccone and his team mate, Axel Basani as to who joins Kenan Sofuoglu on the Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX6R in WSSP next year, because of Randy Krummenacher, being promoted, to the Puccetti Racing World Superbike team for 2017.
Again, the front row is Kenan Sofuoglu, Nikki Tuuli, and Gino Rea. Sofuoglu on pole, wants to extend his lead in the championship. 33 bikes will start this World Supersport race. Watch out for the ESS Cup riders. They might throw a spanner in the works during this race. The air and track temperatures have not changed greatly from when we did our first weather check in during the on the grid segment. There's a huge variety of tire compounds being chosen mainly because no one has been able to put in a race simulation before we get started here.
We have a look at the points standings in World Supersport. Sofuoglu leads Krummenacher, by 38 points, going in... 146-108. P.J. Jacobsen is 50 points behind on 116. Gino Rea, is fourth, 65 markers back, on 81 points. Happy Birthday, Gino Rea. He turned 27, when this race happened. Watch the lights, and when the red ones go out, we're racing! The lights do extinguish, and we're underway in World Supersport at the Lausitzring! Christoffer Bergman gets a great start! Let's hope he didn't jump it. Nikki Tuuli tries to go through but he can't get there. Jules Cluzel is moving up, as Randy Krummenacher has lost a few spots.
He's dropped one place from fifth, down to sixth. Lorenzo Zanetti runs side by side with P.J. Jacobsen. Cluzel forces his way past Gino Rea. Federico Caricasulo is already beginning to push. He wants to make amends for the horrendous race he encountered back in June at Misano. Oh dear! Alessandro Zaccone loses control and falls off his motorcycle, which continues to be carried by momentum, as if operated by remote control, into the tires. Jules Cluzel makes a pass on Christoffer Bergman. Nikki Tuuli is inside Kenan Sofuoglu! Tuuli takes the lead of this race, ladies and gentlemen! How about that?! Tuuli, on the Yamaha says to Sofuoglu, "look, Kenan, you won't get a chance to whistle off into the distance. We've got your number, man."
Jules Cluzel now challenges Sofuoglu. He has nothing to lose in the championship considering how far back he is in the standings. Kenan Sofuoglu isn't as comfortable on the bike as we are used to seeing him. He's riding defensively, using different and tighter lines into the corners. Cluzel thinks about passing Sofuoglu in the downhill s curves but has better judgment and will bide his time. Tuuli continues to lead this race. Christoffer Bergman continues in fourth, with Gino Rea fifth. Randy Krummenacher remains sixth right now.
Federico Caricasulo has gone from eleventh up to seventh. P.J. Jacobsen and Ayrton Badovini complete the top ten. Randy Krummenacher is thinking championship as he's all over Gino Rea for position. Krummenacher is losing points to Sofuoglu and needs to make his move now. Gino Rea defends. The Kawasaki ZX6R has more horsepower than the MV Agusta F3 675 does. Stefan Hill crashes his motorcycle, but rejoins, keeping his #35 CIA Landlord Insurance Honda CBR600RR in the race. Kenan Sofuoglu improves on his own old lap record from 2013, bringing that time of 1:41.946, down to the new record, 1:41.794. He improved the lap record by a tenth of second.
Sofuoglu is not done yet, as he takes his Kawasaki inside of Nikki Tuuli's Yamaha. Axel Basani runs wide but stays on the blacktop. Gino Rea, despite a lack of punch out of the corner for the MV Agusta, is gaining on the Kawasaki of Christoffer Bergman. Randy Krummenacher must be very careful, because if he crashes, he'll undoubtedly lose the 2016 FIM World Supersport championship. 75 points are on offer in the last three races, and Sofuoglu should things stay put, would have a 53 point lead, headed to the next race in France. More details on that, after we finish this one. Krummenacher has to run down Rea. Rea is getting away, fast.
Gino Rea is catching Chris Bergman right now. We've got a pylon out on the road from where a bike hit it earlier. Sofuoglu sets new fast lap on lap three, at 1:41.505. Jules Cluzel wants his second win of the year. But Nikki Tuuli, the man has other ideas. I must hold him off, Tuuli thinks. Into turn nine these blokes on the 600s are at full lean angle. Our current top 15 riders are:
1. Kenan Sofuoglu
2. Nikki Tuuli
3. Jules Cluzel
4. Christoffer Bergman
5. Randy Krummenacher
6. Gino Rea
7. Federico Caricasulo
8. P.J. Jacobsen
9. Lorenzo Zanetti
10. Kevin Wahr
11. Ayrton Badovini
12. Kyle Smith
13. Luke Stapleford
14. Hikari Okubo
15. Alex Baldolini
Tuuli is running quicker than Sofuoglu. Tuuli's latest fastest lap is a 1:41.201. Compare that with with 1:41.278 by Sofuoglu, and these two are in one zone, while the other fastest laps are four to six tenths slower, set by Cluzel and Bergman, who can only muster 1:41.6 and 1:41.8 respectively. Randy Krummenacher passes Gino Rea. News flash, folks. Just heard this. MotoGP will be going to Finland to race in 2018. How about that! More about it, in another news update. For now, let's keep racing. Lap five, and we have a wreck for Italian Michael Canducci. Game over for the rider aboard the #65 GRT Racing MV Agusta F3 675.
Canducci is a fill-in rider for GRT's normal pilot, Aiden Wagner. Tuuli is pouring on the steam. He's booking it right now, folks. Another fast lap for the Flying Finn! Normally in these races, you all have read about it, so you all know. When Kenan Sofuoglu gets a lead after lights out, he's gone. He's in another zip code. Today, that's not true. This kid from Finland, Tuuli, is giving Sofuoglu everything he can handle, and more. Kyle Ryde who is now a regular, he did this same thing, as a wildcard at Donington Park last year, giving the Supersport regulars what for.
Gino Rea and Randy Krummenacher are still going at it, and it looks like Krummenacher, he's right on Chris Bergman's tailpipe. Chrissy, look out. Krumennacher dispenses of Bergman, and the next bloke he has to work on, is Jules Cluzel who is in third. Patrick Jacobsen smokes the rear tire on his factory Honda CBR600RR because Italian Lorenzo Zanetti on another MV Agusta is really applying the blowtorch. Ayrton Badovini continues to hang onto tenth on the Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini Honda.
Kenan Sofuoglu is opening an advantage over Tuuli. The young Finn is going to have to go for it. Krummenacher inches away from Bergman who now has his hands full with Gino Rea and Federico Caricasulo. Cluzel could be fading a bit. Meanwhile, in the Euro Supersport Cup, Alessandro Zaccone has crashed out. Axel Basani is ahead of Illiya Michalchik, it would stay status quo. Basani leads the ESS. But, he's out of the points paying places, being 16th. You only score points in Supersport, as in Superbike and Stock 1000, by finishing in the top 15. We are coming to halfway in this race, on the next lap. Nine will be complete. Ten left to run.
Krummenacher needs to get with it here. He's going to World Superbike, along with his crew chief and former two-time Supersport world champ rider, Andrew Pitt. But, he's got to step up if he wants to run with the big dogs. Christoffer Bergman and Gino Rea have caught Krummenacher. Federico Caricasulo is also waiting in the wings. Poor old Gino Rea, he's probably given up the ghost and it's game over for the MV rider. Birthday boy, Gino Rea won't have a nice gift to give himself after this one. From his body language he can't be happy. "Ugh! I was so close!" Once again, the motorcycle lets him down. No drive in the MV. The engine, is busted.
Kenan Sofuoglu is checking out. But Nikki Tuuli, he lays down another fast lap! 1:41 flat, for Tuuli. 1:41.035. Wildcard riders spice things up. Japanese riders would come into WSBK at Sugo and challenge the regulars. Or, we'd see American riders at Laguna Seca as well. Axel Basani moves into the points past Christian Gammarino. Overall standings as of now, see Sofuoglu leading Krummenacher by 50 points, Jacobsen by 66 points, and Cluzel, by 80 points. This is a two horse race for victory. Sofuoglu vs. Tuuli. Both of them are using the same Pirelli front tire and Tuuli has a slightly harder compound rear tire on his Yamaha.
We've crossed halfway and Tuuli is charging. The advantage for Tuuli is, he can put that Yamaha YZF R6 anyplace on the road that he wants to. Kenan Sofuoglu has to ride more defensively and block to keep Tuuli at bay. Axel Bassani in 15th is indeed leading the ESS division. Illiya Michalchik is desperate to move ahead of Bassani. Kyle Ryde is up in this group and so is another of the Finnish riders, Eemeli Lahti. Lahti is aboard the #22 Team Suzuki Stoneline-Mayer Suzuki GSX-R 600, one of the few Suzuki's in WSSP racing. Michalchik passes Gammarino, and there could be an issue with Ayrton Badovini.
The charge for the Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini rider, has had the air let out of it. Badovini is down in 12th spot. Illiya Michalchik passes for the final points paying place, getting around Axel Bassani. We've had another rider wreck as well. Game over for Lachlan Epis. Nikki Tuuli is right with Kenan Sofuoglu. Catching is one thing, passing is another. That's the old motor racing adage, and it is true here in WSSP at the Lausitzring. Badovini is right ahead in 13th of his Lorini team mate, Kevin Wahr. So, disregard what was said earlier. That balloon, for Team Lorini, might still have air in it.
Kyle Smith is tenth. But right now, it's the fight between Sofuoglu and Tuuli. Tuuli, if there was Rider of the Day award, would win it. Bassani is back at the sharp end of ESS while in sixth, Federico Caricasulo is definitely pushing. Go on, sunshine. Get after it. Tuuli is sizing up Sofuoglu right now, to try and make a move in the closing laps. Caricasulo is all over Bergman like a rash. Caricasulo gets by Bergman, who was a standout in Superstock 1000 last year. Bergman returns the favor on the inside. Ooh. He didn't make it back before getting chopped by Caricasulo.
Caricasulo wants to make amends for being disqualified at Misano. Tuuli loses a little time to Sofuoglu. Give a call to Luke Stapleford. He's made his way into the top ten on the Triumph Daytona 675. Bassani and Michalchik are separated by a tenth for 15th and 16th and who gets the nod for the ESS Cup win here. Ondrej Jezek is back racing after an optic nerve issue with his eye. But he's not at the sharp end at all. Braeden Ortt, the Canadian, is the final motorcycle running on the speedway at the moment. Tuuli sets his personal best lap in sector two, bringing the gap down to Sofuoglu. This isn't over yet. Don't run to the refrigerator yet, folks. Tuuli is 2/10ths quicker than Sofuoglu. 1:42.2 for Sofuoglu, and 1:42.0 for Tuuli.
Four laps left here at the Lausitzring in World Supersport. P.J. Jacobsen has passed Christoffer Bergman. Lorenzo Zanetti will do likewise. Zanetti has had a better weekend this weekend than usual, and still needs to step things up, because he is a factory MV Agusta rider after all. Tuuli, runs another 1:42 flat! 1:42.007. Sofuoglu runs 1:42.279. Could Nikki Tuuli and his team run for the rest of this season in Supersport? Let's hope so. P.J. Jacobsen runs sixth behind Federico Caricasulo. Supersport is a very competitive class, because each manufacturer has been able to shine whether it's Honda, Kawasaki, MV Agusta, Triumph, or Yamaha.
If Randy Krummenacher stays in fourth, he could pick up 13 points. Caricasulo and Jacobsen are chasing him down, and if he falls behind one or both of them, he would only earn ten or eleven points. Krummenacher has to keep the Honda's at bay. But Caricasulo has a run on him. Jacobsen bridges the gap between he and Caricasulo. He is a half a second faster than is the Italian. Caricasulo on the inside, is trying to go by Krummenacher. Caricasulo makes the pass! Two laps to go. Now, Jacobsen wants a piece of Krummenacher. Poor old Randy Krummenacher is seeing points vanish before his eyes.
Lorenzo Zanetti is also attacking the Kawasaki. This is a nightmare for Krummenacher that the Swiss rider, hopes to wake up from. Illiya Michalchik passes Axel Bassani. Kevin Wahr loses a couple spots. Jacobsen goes around Caricasulo. Krummenacher has to launch, now. Krummenacher is between a rock and a hard place. He's attacking Caricasulo, but also has to fend off Lorenzo Zanetti on the MV Agusta. Kenan Sofuoglu starts the final lap, with a one second lead to second place Nikki Tuuli. Tuuli is half a second slower than Sofuoglu. Sofuoglu just turned in a fastest lap at 1:42.365 compared to Tuuli at 1:42.832.
Zanetti tries to pass Krummenacher and Krummenacher comes right back! It's the final lap. Zanetti and Krummenacher will fight it out for position. Jacobsen and Caricasulo are also scrapping for the next spots up the order. Nikki Tuuli has given it all he has, but Kenan Sofuoglu is going to win World Supersport, here at the Lausitzring!
World Supersport Race: #1 Kenan Sofuoglu TUR. Kawasaki ZX6R
Three races to go in the season. Sofuoglu wins followed home by Tuuli, Cluzel, Jacobsen, Caricasulo, Krummenacher, Zanetti, Bergman, Smith, and Hikari Okubo, the top ten. 18 riders finish this race. Sofuoglu is the only rider to win more than one race this year. He's won five and now done a hat trick of three in a row winning at Donington Park, Misano, and here, at the Lausitzring. He leads the championship by 53 points with 75 left on the table. He could win the title by winning the next race in France, next weekend.
We'll see you for more WSSP action at Magny Cours.
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