Sofuoglu Continues His Championship Push
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider, Kenan Sofuoglu, returns to action in the FIM Supersport World Championship this weekend to defend his championship lead and attempt to extend his race winning run.
Sofuoglu’s latest win, at Imola in the most recent round of the championship on May 10th, made it three victories in a row and 30 in his record-setting career within the WSS class. He leads the current championship by 37 points after five rounds.
With three world championships to his name – the most recent with Kawasaki in 2012 – Kenan is the most successful WSS rider in history, having 14 more race wins than any other rider.
Sofuoglu was ready to call-off his most recent championship appearance at Imola after the sudden illness of his young son Hamza but with his son’s condition stabilized he went on to race and take the win. He will work towards winning again at Donington before heading straight back Turkey to be with his family.
Kenan was second on a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R at Donington in 2013, having qualified second for the race, but he has won there in the past, taking a WSS race victory in 2007.
PJ Jacobsen (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) also has winning ambitions at Donington, having racked up four podium places in the past two years, but not quite his first WSS win yet. The American rider knows Donington from long before he joined the WSS ranks, having raced in British Supersport and British Superbike before moving on to WSS competition last year.
A great home result of fifth was a career best for WSS rookie Marco Faccani (San Carlo Puccetti Racing Kawasaki) at the most recent round in Imola. He will arrive in the UK for round six full of confidence but needing to learn the intricacies of the Donington layout. He did not race at the English circuit during his successful Superstock 600 championship campaign for Kawasaki last season. Marco is currently tenth in the championship rankings.
A tough start to the year from Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) has nonetheless included a top four race finish in Thailand. He is one place behind Faccani now, in 11th place. Once again Aiden Wagner from Australia will join the Intermoto Ponyexpress team, as he did at Imola.
Dominic Schmitter and Christian Gamarino head up the challenge of Team Go Eleven Kawasaki once again.
Kenan Sofuoglu: “I will go to race at Donington and of course if I race I will do my best. I cannot say that my preparations have been very good for Donington but I hope to compete well, as I did at Imola. I think my physical condition is good, and my motivation is high, because I want to keep fighting for my championship. My Kawasaki has been working well and should work well again at Donington.”