FIM Supersport World Championship
Phillip Island GP Circuit
Victoria, Australia
February 23, 2016
Day Two Test Lap Times (all on Pirelli tires):
1. Kenan Sofuoglu, Turkey (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:33.770
2. Lorenzo Zanetti, Italy (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:34.445
3. Jules Cluzel, France (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:34.606
4. Randy Krummenacher, Switzerland (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:34.624
5. Kevin Wahr, Germany (Hon CBR600RR), 1:34.693
6. Alex Baldolini, Italy (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:34.730
7. PJ Jacobsen, USA (Hon CBR600RR), 1:34.792
8. Gino Rea, UK (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:35.005
9. Nico Terol, Spain (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:35.178
10. Kyle Ryde, UK (Yam YZF-R6), 1:35.247
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
WorldSSP: Superstar Sofuoglu Sees Off Rookie Krummenacher On Day 2
4-time WorldSSP Champion fastest on second and final day
Kenan Sofuoglu has laid down another marker in the second and final WorldSSP test session ahead of the first Round of the season. Setting his fastest lap in the final session, the Turkish rider managed a 1’33.786, keeping himself 0.669 seconds clear of nearest challenger Lorenzo Zanetti. The third fastest in the final session was Sofuoglu´s teammate Randy Krummenacher, who was fastest on Day 1, ahead of Wahr and Baldolini. Jules Cluzel, although finishing the day in third on the combined times, ended FP2 in eighth position.
Red flags and rain again interrupted proceedings, with big crashes for Jezek and Stapleford. The test sessions for both WorldSBK and WorldSSP at Phillip Island have seen high rates of attrition and injury, with several riders finding themselves in doubt for the first races of the season.
Sofuoglu however seems to have found a consistent margin above the pace of his rivals, with the 4 time Champion looking supremely confident on the final approach to the first round of the WorldSSP Championship this weekend. However, rookie teammate Randy Krummenacher did outpace him with a lap on Day 1, which remains the fastest overall.
Will it be a season of old rivals or one of new nemeses? Testing is now over and WorldSSP kicks off this weekend, with lights out for the first time at 2.30 GMT, 13.30 local time! Follow everything on WorldSBK.com and @WorldSBK on Twitter!
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Successful Final Test For Sofuoglu And Krummenacher
The combination of reigning FIM Supersport World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and his new 2016 team-mate Randy Krummenacher was a strong one during the final pre-season test at Phillip Island in Australia. Krummenacher, an experienced Moto2 rider but a WSS rookie, was fastest over the two days and Sofuoglu went second quickest on the timesheets.
In all, the WSS riders had four long sessions to make their final pre-season preparations for a new era in this category of racing. New technical regulations mean more limits have been imposed in the electronics packages on the 2016 specification Supersport race machines, which will ensure that the class will be even more streetbike-focused.
Working from the strong base of the roadgoing Ninja ZX-6R the top Kawasaki team has made consistent race set-up improvements over the winter months, including a swap of suspension supplier.
On the eve of the new season both Puccetti Racing competitors are ready for the new look two-part Superpole competition, to be held on Saturdays. There will still be a single race on Sundays, with the scheduled 18-lap event at PI taking place on 28th February.
Randy Krummenacher stated: “It was a hard day today and we tried many, many things. We have a lot of data and now we just need to get everything clear for the first practice session on Friday. We have to sort out a few things but in general this test was very positive. For sure yesterday was a bit better than today but we will keep on working. I am still learning a lot and if the conditions change maybe I cannot adapt as quickly as Kenan right now. I just need to learn a bit more, to understand the conditions and push in the right direction.”
Kenan Sofuoglu stated: “As always I am working for the race and in these two days of testing I used old tyres. I did one long run and I was very fast on used tyres. This is a positive thing and today we worked a lot on the bike set-up. Because we have new suspension for 2016 we tried some new material again and we got a very good improvement in the braking area, and some improvement in grip. In bad conditions we made good improvements in the lap time so if the conditions are good we should be very fast. Now we are just waiting for Friday morning and the first session.”
Other notable Kawasaki riders in the Supersport World Championship in 2016 come from the Go Eleven team, in the shape of Christian Gamarino and Ondrej Jezek. Zulfahmi Khairuddin and Nacho Calero from the Orelac Racing VerdNatura squad and Lachlan Epis from the Response RE Team are also ambitious Kawasaki competitors in 2016.
More, from a press release issued by Honda Pro Racing:
Jacobsen fights through extreme heat to finish official test on high note
Official Test
Phillip Island, Australia
PJ Jacobsen and the Honda WorldSSP Team have concluded their two-day official test at Phillip Island, the last winter preparation they will have before the opening round of the season, which will start in three days time at the same venue. The 22-year-old American was reunited with the same Honda CBR600RR he rode to the runner-up spot in the series last year, with the goal to find the best set up for the weekend ahead.
Despite the inconsistent weather encountered on the first day and a small crash this morning at Turn 2, Jacobsen was able to complete 119 laps of the Australian circuit – more than any other World Supersport rider on track – while trying different settings at the front and the rear of the bike, as well as evaluating new rear Ohlins suspension units. He eventually finished with the fourth fastest time (1’34.415), which was set during the second of the four sessions – in much cooler conditions compared to today’s extreme heat.
The team will now analyse the data gathered over the next two days to fine-tune the package and get ready for the first free practice session of the 2016 FIM Supersport World Championship, scheduled for Friday at 11:30 local time (00:30 GMT).
Patrick Jacobsen 99
4th / 1’34.415
“It was a really positive test at the end. Yesterday went particularly well and we were able to go through a lot of stuff, including new Ohlins suspensions. The team and I have just been working hard and I think we have finally found an encouraging point and we’re looking forward to going into the weekend with a strong setup now. It was a shame I crashed; we were just playing with the new settings and trying to figure out the new rear end. I just got on the gas too early and the bike spun around. But I am sure we have it figured out and it now feels good, so I’ll make sure that it’s not going to happen to me again!”
Pieter Breddels
Technical Manager
“It was not an easy test for us but in the end it turned out positively. We had our difficulties in finding the right setup with this afternoon’s extreme conditions; at the end we made a change in settings at the front and PJ’s feeling with the bike improved a lot. We definitely made a big step in the right direction and I feel we now have a good package for the weekend ahead.”