FIM Supersport World Championship
TT Circuit Assen
Assen, Netherlands
April 29, 2017
Superpole Qualifying Results (All on Pirelli tires):
From Superpole Session Two:
1. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:37.805
2. PJ JACOBSEN, USA (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:38.479
3. Michael CANDUCCI, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:38.556
4. Lucas MAHIAS, France (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:38.589
5. Jules CLUZEL, France (Honda CBR600RR), 1:38.602
6. Sheridan MORAIS, South Africa (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:38.618
7. Luke STAPLEFORD, UK (Triumph Daytona 675R), 1:38.738
8. Kyle SMITH, UK (Honda CBR600RR), 1:38.772
9. Federico CARICASULO, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:39.148
10. Kyle RYDE, UK (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:39.292
11. Hannes SOOMER, Estonia (Hon CBR600RR), 1:39.656
12. Gino REA, UK (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:39.761
More, from a press release issued by CIA Landlords Insurance Honda:
Cluzel ready for action at Assen
CIA Landlord Insurance Honda’s Jules Cluzel will start Round 4 of the 2017 World Supersport Championship at Assen from the second row of the grid in 5th position following Superpole 2 today.
In sunny but cool conditions at the historic Dutch circuit the 28-year-old took a big step forward posting a time of 1’38.602, 1.2s faster than yesterday. He said: “I am happy with today we improved in every session. Step by step we are getting stronger and closer to the leader. Even if Kenan has a gap we get closer so that’s the target. Yesterday I was 7th, this morning 6th and this afternoon 5th so I think it should be possible to fight for the podium. It looks like we can do it and we will have to see how the race goes because we are a big group and it will be a hard fight for sure. We need to be strong, concentrate and be ready for the fight.”
Despite still suffering the effects of his crash in FP1 on Friday, Japan’s Hikari Okubo improved in SP1 to qualify 17th on the grid.
Robin Mulhauser also improved his lap time in Superpole 1 putting him in 20th position but due to a penalty he received in FP1 he is demoted three places on the grid to start the race in 23rd spot. Also victim of the same penalty is teammate Hiromichi Kunikawa who qualified 30th but will start the race from 32nd.
CIA Landlord Insurance Honda Team Manager, Simon Buckmaster said: “Jules made a big step today. We’ve worked hard this weekend and we’ve improved a lot. We now need to make it more comfortable to do this lap time and then we will be in a good position to challenge for the podium.
Hikari did a good job to improve his lap time with his injured ankle. He is a fighting rider and I’m sure he will challenge for good points in the race tomorrow.
It is going to be hard for Robin from 23rd but he needs to stay calm and fight to get into the points in the race.
A really good improvement from Hiromichi. He has gone 1.7s faster than his best yesterday and he continues to improve and learn the tracks. It’s a building experience for him and we are working to improve again for the race tomorrow and get a good strong finish. Overall a good job and we are pleased. It’s going to be another exciting race and once again we will be challenging for the podium with Jules.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
New Assen Track Best Lap For Sofuoglu In Superpole
Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) scored a new track best lap in the WorldSSP class at Assen, with a 1’37.805 in Superpole 2 to earn himself the best possible starting position for Sunday’s race. His team-mate Kyle Ryde was tenth, while Michael Canducci (Puccetti Racing Junior Team FMI Kawasaki) took an impressive front row starting position with the third best time of the day.
In setting his new track best pace and winning Superpole Sofuoglu posted a lap time 0.674 seconds faster than his nearest competitor. The Turkish star will be making only his second race start of the season tomorrow, after suffering a hand injury in training.
Kenan’s latest pole position success gives him a career total of 31 Superpoles, extending his own existing record tally.
Ryde worked through his set-up options on Friday and again this morning in FP3, before approaching Superpole 2 in eighth position. He left Superpole 2 in tenth place, for a third row start in tomorrow’s 18-lap race.
Kenan Sofuoglu, stated: “I am very, very happy with that. Yesterday in qualifying I spent all my time working for race simulations and long runs on the track. For Superpole I thought I could do a 1’37 and a track record. When we took to the track in Superpole 2 we put in a soft tyre and set a new track record. I am happy for this and for the pole win because the season started in a very difficult way for me. Now it is coming good – but most important is tomorrow and to try and get 25 points for winning the race.”
Kyle Ryde, stated: “Not a bad day. I tried a few things that did not pay off but I know which tyres to use for the race tomorrow. I also made a little mistake on my best lap so I know I have a bit more to go. I hope I can stay with the leading group off the start and then I will be alright for tomorrow.”
Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) placed 12th in Superpole, Rob Hartog (Team Hartog Jenik Against Cancer Kawasaki) 15th at his local round, and Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) was inside the top 20, in 19th place.
Kazuki Watanabe (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) is 22nd, Nacho Calero (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) is 23rd and another regular rider, Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki) completed the top 25 places in a field of 32 riders.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
WorldSSP: Sofuoglu dominates field to take stunning pole position
Victory is the only thing on the Turks mind at TT Circuit Assen
WorldSSP title holder Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) notched his first pole of 2017 on Saturday at the Acerbis Dutch Round with a 1’37.805 best lap, to put him ahead of PJ Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Michael Canducci (3570 Puccetti Racing FMI) on the first row.
Sofuoglu will be looking to take full advantage of his top spot on the grid as he looks for his first points of the year in Sunday’s race, with injury having hampered him earlier in the season – followed by a crash in Aragon.
Turkish rider Sofuoglu qualified a significant 0.674s margin ahead of Jacobsen in Tissot Superpole 2 at Assen, with Canducci just behind the American in third.
Row two will comprise championship standings leader Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team), his fellow Frenchman Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) and South African rider Sheridan Morais (Kallio Racing).
Lining up on the third row are British pair Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing) and Kyle Smith (GEMAR Team Lorini) – the latter of those two having won the 2016 Assen race – ahead of Italy’s Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team).
Two more Britons will feature on the fourth row, Kyle Ryde (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) in tenth and 12th respectively. They sandwich 11th placed qualifier Hannes Soomer (WILSport Racedays) who made it through from SP1. Soomer was the highest qualifier of the FIM Europe Supersport Cup class riders.
Also graduating from the earlier Tissot Superpole 1 shootout was Stapleford, who was 0.057s quicker than Soomer in that session.
The fourth WorldSSP race of the year takes place at 11.30am local time on Sunday morning at the Acerbis Dutch Round – and could produce a fourth different winner of the year so far, with victories already in 2017 for Roberto Rolfo (Team Factory Vamag), Caricasulo and Mahias.
Pole Position – Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)
“I am very, very happy with that. Yesterday in qualifying I spent all my time working for race simulations and long runs on the track. For Superpole I thought I could do a 1’37 and a track record. When we took to the track in Superpole 2 we put in a soft tyre and set a new track record. I am happy for this and for the pole win because the season started in a very difficult way for me. Now it is coming good – but most important is tomorrow and to try and get 25 points for winning the race.”
More, from a press release issued by MV Agusta:
TOP 10 FOR LEON CAMIER AND MV AGUSTA REPARTO CORSE AT ASSEN. FIRST ROW FOR PJ JACOBSEN IN WORLDSSP
Leon Camier closes Race 1 in the top 10 at the Assen TT Circuit, after coming back 8th positions after being damaged by another rider who went off the track. Jacobsen qualifies in 2nd place after the Tissot-Superpole2 and get the first row for the WorldSSP race tomorrow.
WorldSBK – FP3, SP2, Race1
A good but cold weather welcomed the second day of the race weekend on the TT Circuit Assen. Leon Camier, who got the 6th time in the combined timesheet on the opening day, in today’s Tissot-Superpole2 took his MV Agusta F4RC in P11 on the starting grid.
At the start of Race1, when the lights went off on Assen’s straight line Camier is very quick but he was forced to go off the track, getting back to the 18th position, damaged by another rider who went off the track. The 29-years-old MV Agusta rider starts his comeback and, despite the bad feeling with the cold asphalt of the TT Circuit Assen, he can quickly reach the Top 10, then closing the race in 10th position, consolidating the 9th position in Championship Standing.
WorldSSP – FP3, SP1-2
TheWorldSSP protagonists have returned to the TT Circuit for the two rounds of Tissot-Superpole that have decided the starting grid of tomorrow’s race. Patrick Jacobsen, who had the 2nd fastest time in the yesterday’s timesheet, today confirmed the same 2nd position with a time of 1’38,479 and tomorrow will kick off the race from the front row.
PJ’s teammate Alessandro Zaccone qualified in 18th position (3rd in the ESS class), slowed by a crash after two laps of the Tissot-Superpole1.
Leon Camier #2 WorldSBK – To be honest I expected a better result for today’s race but the rear tyre, which is a crucial point here at Assen, it has been drastically consumed because of the very low temperature, causing me a lot of troubles at the end of the race. Tomorrow we can definitely make a good step forward, because except for the tyres, the bike was working pretty good today.
Patrick PJ Jacobsen #99 WorldSSP – Today was pretty good for me, we are still trying to figure out the best setting and I hope we can show some improvements in the warmup as well. We are in 2nd position, front grid, so I am honestly confident for a very positive race tomorrow.
Alessandro Zaccone #61 WorldSSP – I’m definitely not satisfied with these qualifying, I’ve also crashed after 2 laps of the second heat. We are working very hard with the team and tomorrow I will do my best to come back as many positions as possible in the race and I will try to finish in the point scoring area.