FIM Supersport World Championship
Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia
August 2, 2015
Race Results (All on Pirelli tires):
1. PJ JACOBSEN, USA (Honda CBR600RR), 14 laps, total race time 30:21.294, best lap time 2:09.450
2. Jules CLUZEL, France (MV Agusta F3 675), -0.091 second, 2:09.499
3. Lorenzo ZANETTI, Italy (MV Agusta F3 675), -3.387 seconds, 2:09.384
4. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -3.456, 2:09.338
5. Kyle SMITH, UK (Honda CBR600RR), -9.507, 2:10.006
6. Roberto ROLFO, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), -15.835, 2:09.930
7. Martin CARDENAS, Colombia (Honda CBR600RR), -16.281, 2:10.148
8. Gino REA, UK (Honda CBR600RR), -16.298, 2:09.972
9. Christian GAMARINO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -19.628, 2:10.530
10. Alex BALDOLINI, Italy (MV Agusta F3 675), -20.959, 2:10.135
World Championship Point Standings (After 9 of 12 races):
1. Sofuoglu, 168 points
2. Cluzel, 158
3. Jacobsen, 140
4. Zanetti, 113
5. Rea, 88
6. Rolfo, 68
7. Smith, 67
8. Baldolini, 50
9. Gamarino, 47
10. Wilairot, 46
11. Cardenas, 45
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
Jacobsen scores maiden WSS win in Sepang
The ninth round of the FIM Supersport World Championship, held at the Sepang International Circuit was won by PJ Jacobsen (CORE” Motorsport Thailand) after a race long, enthralling duel with Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) raged from start to finish at the 5.543km circuit. The result means that the Thai based team have won both races in Asia this year (Buriram and here).
From the start championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) surged to the front only to outbrake himself at turn 1, dropping to seventh. The Turkish rider ended the opening lap fifth before setting about closing the gap to the leading duo who began to open a small advantage at the head of the field.
By half distance Sofuoglu had bridged the gap meaning the top three riders in the overall championship were in contention for the victory until the Turk began to lose touch, falling into the clutches of Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse).
Jacobsen held his nerve despite the intense pressure from Cluzel to win for the first time in World Supersport by 0.091s at the flag. In doing so he becomes the first American rider to ever win a WSS race and he keeps himself very much in the title fight. Cluzel took second ahead of team mate Zanetti who overtook Sofuoglu at the final corner.
Behind the top four Pata Honda’s Kyle Smith finished a lonely fifth ahead of Roberto Rolfo (Team Lorini).
A trio of riders decided positions seventh to ninth with Martin Cardenas getting the better of his CIA Landlords Insurance team mate Gino Rea and Christian Gamarino (Team Go Eleven). Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25) rounded out the top ten.
In the overall championship standings Sofuoglu still leads but by a reduced margin of 13 points over Cluzel, while Jacobsen is now 28 points shy of the top.
More, from a press release issued by CIA Landlords Insurance Honda:
Season best for Martin at Sepang
CIA LANDLORDS INSURANCE HONDA’S Martin Cardenas scored a season best seventh at Sepang in Malaysia, to set himself up for a strong finish to his first World Supersport season as it goes into the final three rounds.
Martin said: “That was a good hard race and I am happy with the result. My CIA Landlords Insurance Honda was working well and I was able to move through the positions from 11th on the grid. I want to continue improving and to beat this result in the final three rounds.”
Gino Rea followed his CIA Landlords Insurance Honda teammate home in eighth to consolidate fifth in the Championship. Aiden Wagner on his team debut took an excellent two points in 14th. Ratthapong Wilairot recovering from stalling on the start line, finished 17th.
The 10th round of the World Supersport Championship takes place at Jerez in Spain on 20th September.
CIA Landlords Insurance Honda Team Manager, Simon Buckmaster said: “Martin is getting stronger as the season goes on. He’s rode really well at the last two races and has the confidence to improve even more. He’ll be looking to break into top six at Jerez and we are all working hard to achieve that.
“Gino got off the line well but was boxed in at turn one. He fought through but then appeared to lose power towards the end of the race. We will investigate and see what happened.
“Aiden didn’t get a great start. Being new to the bike he didn’t get off the line well but he fought hard and got in the points on his first ride for CIA Landlords Insurance Honda and that is great to see.
“Ratthapong stalled the bike at the start and it was always going to be difficult after that, otherwise he would have been challenging for the points for sure. It’s been a big learning curve for him and he has been a pleasure to work with, we hope we can race with him again in the future.
More, from a press release issued by Pata Honda:
Smith finishes fifth in hot Sepang
Kyle Smith took fifth place on his Honda CBR600RR at a hot and sultry Sepang circuit in Malaysia in this afternoon’s ninth round of the World Supersport championship. The race was won by fellow Honda rider PJ Jacobsen in his maiden World Supersport victory.
Smith had never ridden the 5.543km Sepang circuit before Friday’s free practice sessions and made a good start despite a wet FP2. Tyre grip woes in yesterday’s qualifying, however, restricted the 23-year-old to a third row start for today’s 14-lap race.
The British Pata Honda rider got a superb start and was running in third place in the early stages before dropping back to seventh. Smith found his rhythm to climb back into fifth place but, by then the leading group had opened a gap he was unable to bridge.
Smith will now head back to Europe to meet for the first time his new daughter, Julia, who was born last weekend while he was racing for Honda in the 8 Hours race at Suzuka in Japan. He will return to World Supersport action on his Honda CBR600RR at Jerez in Spain on 18-20 September.
Kyle Smith – P5
It was a very lonely race but I am happy with the result. It was a new track for me, we had one session which was wet and we’ve struggled a little for pace all weekend. We also had some problems with tyres in qualifying which didn’t help us find the pace, but at least the grip and tyre wear were consistent today, so that was positive. To finish fifth in the race was a solid result that was needed by me and the whole team after a couple of DNFs so I’m happy to go into a summer break with that.
Pieter Breddels – technical co-ordinator
It was a fairly good day and Kyle got a really good start to the race today. Unfortunately he couldn’t maintain that pace and dropped back to seventh at one point. When he got back to fifth he was able to run away from the group behind but couldn’t close the gap to the front. We’re pretty happy with the result and we’re already looking forward to the races after the summer break to try and get back to the podium again.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Fourth Place For Battling Sofuoglu At Sepang
Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and his team worked hard for their chance of a podium place at Sepang in round nine of the FIM Supersport World Championship but the Turkish rider just missed out in a race across the line with another rider.
Kenan left one of the most challenging circuits of the season with a 13-point championship lead after his fourth place race finish, with three rounds remaining, and still going for world title number four at the end of the year. In the points Kenan now has 168, Jules Cluzel 155 and Sepang race winner PJ Jacobsen 140.
The next closest Kawasaki rider to Sofuoglu at Sepang was Christian Gamarino (Team Go Eleven Kawasaki) who was ninth after the 14-lap race.
Dominic Schmitter (Team Go Eleven Kawasaki) placed 11th in a race with 18 finishers. Marco Faccani (San Carlo Puccetti Racing Kawasaki) was 16th in his first visit to the Malaysian circuit.
Kenan Sofuoglu: “I was very disappointed about the result in the race but I know the team made a very good job. Everybody made their best effort and I tried my best in the race, but I cannot say our package is good for this track. It is not easy over the bumps especially after a few laps. Everybody had a problem exiting the corner on acceleration but I also have one entering the corners today. It was jumping a bit into the corners so I found it hard to stay with the front guys under hard braking.”
More, from a press release issued by Core Motorsport Thailand Honda:
Victory In Malaysia For Core” Motorsport Thailand Honda
In a return to Asia for the ninth round of the FIM Supersport World Championship the Core” Motorsport Thailand Honda team won its second race of the year and their first with PJ Jacobsen.
PJ made a strong push at the start, from pole position, and led every lap around the 5.543km Sepang International Circuit. He had to fight hard on the final corner with second place rider Jules Cluzel but Jacobsen came out on top, winning a WSS race for the first time.
Good work from the relatively new WSS team allowed Jacobsen to ride with no issues to break his concentration and take his third podium finish in the three races that have taken place since he joined the team.
In the championship Jacobsen is still third, but now a much closer 28 points from the lead and only 15 points from second place.
The next round of the WSS championship will take place after a long summer break, on Sunday 20th September, at Jerez in Spain.
PJ Jacobsen: “I honestly don’t know how I feel. It does not feel like a win it just feels like just another race – but I am sure it will sink in tomorrow or later tonight! It was a really hard ride and Jules was all over me the whole time. It was the most pressure I have had ever in a race. The only mistake I made was in the last corner, protecting too much, because I thought I would risk tucking the front if I went inside. I knew Jules would make a lunge and I went in way too deep, but it paid off in the end. The feeling I have with this Honda is amazing. I was on plus seven on the traction control at the end, really using the edge of my tyre and I didn’t think I had too much more to come. That was it, the limit, but the Core” Motorsport Thailand Honda was working fabulously today.”
Pawee Pandumrongsatid, Team Principal: “We have come back to Asia and it was unbelievable for the team. We worked very hard and the work went very well. PJ was very quick and top class in the race. We are a little team, a new team, so we must practice more and improve our experience to make things better for the next laps and next year.”