FIM Supersport World Championship
TT Circuit Assen
Assen, Netherlands
April 30, 2017
Race Results (All on Pirelli tires):
1. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 18 laps, Total Race Time 30:01.130, Best Lap Time 1:39.057
2. Lucas MAHIAS, France (Yamaha YZF-R6), -2.611 seconds, 1:39.270
3. Jules CLUZEL, France (Honda CBR600RR), -2.616, 1:39.201
4. PJ JACOBSEN, USA (MV Agusta F3 675), -4.127, 1:39.314
5. Sheridan MORAIS, South Africa (Yamaha YZF-R6), -4.706, 1:39.462
6. Federico CARICASULO, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), -4.941, 1:39.447
7. Michael CANDUCCI, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -7.664, 1:39.587
8. Luke STAPLEFORD, UK (Triumph Daytona 675R), -11.993, 1:39.827
9. Christian GAMARINO, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), -13.092, 1:39.926
10. Rob HARTOG, Netherlands (Kawasaki ZX-6R), -13.226, 1:39.743
World Championship Point Standings (After 4 of 12 races):
1. Mahias, 65 points
2. Morais, 45
3. Roberto Rolfo, 41
4. Jacobsen, 39
5. Kyle Ryde, 36
6. Caricasulo, 35
7. Cluzel, 29
8. Niki Tuuli, 27
9. Sofuoglu, 25
10. Canducci, 22
More, from a press release issued by CIA Landlord Insurance Honda:
Cluzel on the podium at Assen
CIA Landlord Insurance Honda’s Jules Cluzel celebrated his first podium finish of 2017 in today’s World Supersport race at Assen. The brilliant third place finish saw the Frenchman cross the line only 0.005s behind his compatriot Mahias who almost relinquished 2nd place to Jules with a premature wheelie celebration coming out of the final chicane.
Jules said: “I am happy with the race. The first lap was not so strong but I was able to come back and when I caught Mahias I just tried to pass him when he made a mistake and try to pull away so I could make a gap but this didn’t happen and he passed me again. I really tried hard to stay with him and to have a chance into the last lap but I couldn’t pass him on the last turn because it would have been a disaster, it wasn’t possible to be clean. I was really close and exiting fast when he made a wheelie. If the line had been 5m further I would have passed him so I am a bit angry. Passing someone with a mistake like that is not so great but it would mean four more points!.”
Hikari Okubo had a difficult weekend after he fell on oil in FP1 on Friday and had some pain from his sprained ankle in the race. When Watanabe crashed in front of him he lost 5 or 6 seconds running off the track and was unable to place higher than 21st. Teammate Robin Mulhauser also had a disappointing finish in 20th.
Hiromichi Kunikawa slid off at turn 1 when he clipped the kerb and retired from the race after 6 laps.
CIA Landlord Insurance Honda Team Manager, Simon Buckmaster said: “We are happy, it’s the first podium of the year for the team. It was a strong race from Jules. Not the best start but he fought hard and managed to make the break from the chasing pack. He was not quite close enough at the last chicane and just missed out on 2nd. After the disappointment of missing out on the wins in Australia and Thailand we’ve had a 4th, now a 3rd and are up to 7th in the Championship. We will continue our challenge for the World Championship. We’ll be looking to improve our bike and improve the clutch setting a bit for Jules for Imola and now we need to work more to try and win races.
Robin was disappointed with 20th. Assen is not his favourite circuit but you still need to work to make your results even at circuits you are not so happy with. We will put it behind us, go to Imola and continue our work as a team to fight for the points and get into the top ten.
Obviously Hikari was disappointed with 21st but he has two weeks for his ankle to recover and get stronger before Imola and we need to challenge again for him to be in the top ten and as high as possible in the points.
It was a shame for Hiromichi but the important thing for him is to do laps and learn the circuits. We will work to make him more at home on the CIA Landlord Insurance Honda and to improve at every race.”
More, from a press release issued by MV Agusta:
GREAT COMEBACK FOR CAMIER AT ASSEN, ENDING 6TH IN RACE2. PJ JACOBSEN 4TH MISSED OUT ON PODIUM IN WORLDSSP
A very strong wind welcomed the WorldSBK riders on this sunny Sunday race day at Assen, Netherlands, with Leon Camier managing to come back ten positions and closing 6th the WorldSBK Race2; while PJ Jacobsen and Alessandro Zaccone ended up respectively 4th and 18th in the WorldSSP race.
WorldSBK – WUP, Race2
Leon Camier starts Race2 from the 16th position as per the new WorldSBK grid rules but he immediately starts fighting with the riders in front of him. Leon finds a very strong rhythm on his bike, managing to lap with the same lap time of the top riders and coming back ten positions before crossing the checkered flag. The English rider then finished 6th this Round n°4 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, getting another 10 points, which saw him 9th stable in Championship Standing.
WorldSSP – WUP, Race
After having scored the second fastest lap time in Saturday’s Tissot-Superpole2, PJ Jacobsen isn’t able to take advantage of the first-row start, and lose several positions in the very first race moments. The young rider from New York stays focused and step by step is able to get back a good confidence with his MV Agusta F3 675, staying with the front guys and then finishing 4th, only 1.5s far from the podium
Teammate Alessandro Zaccone closed in 18th position (3rd in the ESS class), after facing some problems with the setting of his MV Agusta F3 675 machine.
Team MV Agusta Reparto Corse will be back on track in two weeks for the Italian round of Imola, the first home race for the Italian based squad.
Leon Camier #2 WorldSBK – I am really happy to be honest. There was too much traffic at the beginning but I managed to make some really good passes and I kept a really good rhythm as well. I had some problem with the grip at the end of the race and I lost a bit of time but all in all it has been a really good race. Big thanks to all my team, they did a great job today.
Patrick “PJ” Jacobsen #99 WorldSSP – I am happy with the race, even if being out of the podium is not so good for me, because I know we have the potential to stay on top. I got some important points for the Championship and this is crucial at this stage, we just have to keep positive. My mechanics worked really hard and I would like to repay them with a great race in Imola, MV Agusta home race.
Alessandro Zaccone #61 ESS – We finally have found the right direction with the bike setting and now we must keep up going in that direction to solve every little problem. The race has surely been an hard one but considering the improvement we experienced today, I am sure we can show some good results starting from the next races.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Mahias Extends Championship Lead with Assen Thriller
GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team’s Lucas Mahias extended his championship lead to 20 points after a thrilling race at the TT Circuit Assen, round four of the 2017 World Supersport Championship. The French rider secured second by just 0.005s in a photo finish in front of the packed grandstands after a race long battle with five riders. His teammate Federico Caricasulo was also involved in the scrap for the podium, riding through the pain to cross the line in sixth.
Mahias arrived in Assen with a slender five-point lead in the championship and, despite not having the easiest of weekends as he struggled to find the perfect setup, was delighted to secure his third podium of the season. The French rider got a lightning start from fourth on the grid, moving up to second by the first corner. Mahias then found himself in an excellent race long fight between five riders for second place, which saw bikes swapping places at nearly every corner. Struggling to find his usual consistency, he found himself down in fifth on lap 11, but still in the battle. With just two laps to go, the Frenchman passed his teammate for third and just a few corners later took second from Jules Cluzel. In a thrilling last lap, Mahias managed to hold off Cluzel in the final corners and crossed the line triumphantly pulling a wheelie on his Yamaha YZF-R6 to beat Cluzel to second place by just five-thousandths of a second. Championship leader Mahias (65pts) will now head to Imola in two weeks time confident to battle for the podium and stretch his points advantage further.
Caricasulo started the race from ninth on the grid, still recovering from the fractured collarbone he suffered at Aragon. The Italian made the most of a good start to find himself in fifth by the third lap and involved in the epic scrap for the podium. Battling throughout the race, despite the pain he was clearly in, he started the last lap in an excellent fourth place. He managed to hold onto this position until the last chicane, when his injury meant he couldn’t quite get the bike stopped in time. He was disappointed to lose out on the sprint to the line, but still managed to secure an impressive sixth place. It was the Italian rider’s third point scoring finish of the season and sees him sixth in the championship standings with 35 points.
It was also a good weekend for Sheridan Morais on his Kallio Racing 2016 YZF-R6, with the South African crossing the line in fifth to add to his podium from Aragon, he now sits second in the championship with 45 points.
Lucas Mahias
GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team
“It was a very good race and it was great to get my third podium in four races. It was a good result for the championship and I am happy. The race was very difficult because Kenan was very fast in Free Practice and in Qualifying. I tried at the start of the race to follow him, but this was very difficult. I lost three places at turn five when I ran wide and that made it difficult. I am not happy with my consistency during the race, normally it is one of my strong points. This is a good result for Yamaha and the championship because I go home with a 20-point lead in the standings. I am looking forward to Imola, where hopefully I can rediscover my consistency and fight for the win.”
Federico Caricasulo
GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team
“My bike was really good today. The front tyre dropped a bit in the last four of five laps and also the problem was in the last three or four laps I could not control my bike because of my shoulder injury. This made it very difficult to ride, but I knew the importance of securing points. When I arrived at the last chicane I found it hard to brake and lost two places. Considering my injury I am happy with this result and I am looking forward to the next race in Imola, where my shoulder will have had more time to heal.”
Filippo Conti
GRT Yamaha WorldSSP Team Manager
“The team did a fantastic job, on both sides of the garage! Today we knew Kenan had something more and that he would be hard to beat. Lucas had a fantastic race, he was very clever and was very happy with the bike! We were a bit scared when he pulled the wheelie over the line, because Jules was so close, but he is like that, a fantastic rider, but a little crazy?in a fantastic way! Federico had an incredible race; beforehand we did not imagine he could be that fast with his injury. In the last few laps, the injury was a real problem and he was thinking about stopping as he was in so much pain. He simply didn’t have any feeling by the last chicane, and had no chance of keeping fourth, so he was very happy with the result. In the end, it has been a great weekend and Lucas now has a 20-point lead in the championship, as well Federico gained ten points and is now sixth, so thanks to the team for all their efforts!”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
WorldSSP: Runaway win for Sofuoglu in Dutch sunshine
Brilliant victory to kick-start season for World Champion, with Mahias and Cluzel also on the podium
The WorldSSP race at the Acerbis Dutch Round saw the reigning World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) produce a masterclass to dominate from pole, with the Turk joined on the podium by Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) and Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda).
In clear weather conditions at the TT Assen Circuit Sofuoglu bounced back from his early season problems to take the holeshot and get the hammer down, leading from start to finish and crossing the line +2.611s in front of closest challenger Mahias.
It was the perfect response from the five-time World Champion as he registered his first points of 2017, having missed the first two rounds of the season due to injury and then crashing at Aragon earlier in April on his return to action. It is Sofuoglu’s first victory since his 2016 championship-clinching win at Jerez.
With Sofuoglu racing clear at the front an intriguing battle for second place raged on throughout the 18 lap contest, with Mahias, Cluzel, PJ Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Sheridan Morais (Kallio Racing) and Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) all in the hunt.
Mahias ultimately triumphed in that fight for second but finished with a spectacular wheelie coming out of the final chicane and was almost caught by Cluzel on the line, the two Frenchman separated by just 0.005s.
A 1.5s margin behind them was American Jacobsen in fourth, with South African Morais finishing fifth and Italy’s Caricasulo sixth.
The top ten was completed by Michael Canducci (Puccetti Racing Junior Team FMI), Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing), Christian Gamarino (BARDAHL EVAN BROS. Honda Racing) and Rob Hartog (Team Hartog – Jenik – Against Cancer).
Dutchman Hartog was the top finisher of the FIM Europe Supersport Cup in tenth place, followed by Hannes Soomer (WILSport Racedays) in 13th and Alessandro Zaccone (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in 18th.
The race results mean Mahias now leads the championship standings by 20 points from Morais, with Sofuoglu down in ninth place, trailing Mahias by 40 points after four races.
The WorldSSP riders will be back in action over the 12th-14th May weekend at the Motul Italian Round, hosted at Imola.
Race winner – Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)
“I have won many times in my career but to come back this year after the season started very bad for me is fantastic. I had a lot of stress for me in personally, finally I am back in position one in the race which means I am more relaxed. I had zero championship points before and now I am just trying to win as much as possible, and it is fantastic to be back on top.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Sofuoglu Shows His Winning Style At Assen
Five-time FIM Supersport World Champions Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) gave a masterful display of front running from pole position to win the 18-lap WorldSSP race at Assen by over 2.5 seconds. Kyle Ryde (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) made a great start and looked set for a top five finish but as the laps counted down he dropped to 12th at the flag. Michael Canducci (3570 Puccetti Racing FMI Kawasaki) was a strong seventh.
Pushing from the start to make the most of his pole starting position Kenan Sofuoglu eased away from an ever-changing pack of pursuing riders and was never headed over the 18-lap race distance.
This was Kenan’s 39th race win in the WorldSSP category and the perfect way to come back after his recent bad luck at the start of the year. This was also the first Kawasaki race win of 2017 in WorldSSP and Kenan is the fourth different rider to have won a race so far.
For Ryde, the Assen race started well but as he had to put more effort into steering his machine with each passing lap – possibly due to a less than perfect front tyre choice for the conditions – he dropped from a potential top five placing to 12th.
Canducci had a consistent race and made it pay off with a seventh place, his second impressive race finish in a row after his fifth place at Motorland Aragon last time out.
In the overall championship Ryde is still top Kawasaki rider, in fifth place, Sofuoglu jumped to ninth with his first points of the year and Canducci is tenth.
Kenan Sofuoglu, stated: “The season started really badly for me and there was a lot of stress in the race from inside me, not from somebody pushing me from outside. But finally this year I took a win in a race. So from now I can be more relaxed. I have zero idea about the championship and am going out to win as much as possible. This is the goal so another win in my career is very good. A big, big thanks to Kawasaki and my Puccetti team, because they have worked a lot to bring me back to P1 and now we are back there.”
Kyle Ryde, stated: “I got a good start but I was about the only person to use an SC2 front tyre. I thought it would be fine for the race distance. At the start I rode around a couple of people in the first lap and I thought that was it. I had put myself in the ballpark and thought I would hang with the group until the end of the race. But after four or five laps I was really struggled to get the bike to turn. I know I can be competitive now I just need the full set-up package and I know we will do it eventually. I need to have another first lap like I had today and be able to stay there to the end.”
Top ranked ESS rider was Rob Hartog (Team Hartog Jenik Against Cancer Kawasaki) tenth at his home round. Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) had a tough race to 17th and Nacho Calero (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) was 19th.
Kazuki Watanabe (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) and Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki) were unfortunate to crash out of contention, while Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) retired in the pits.
More, from a press release issued by Kallio Racing:
Sheridan Morais fifth in Assen
Sheridan Morais of the Kallio Racing Team reached the second place in the World Supersport class World Championship series after taking the fifth place at the GP of Assen in Netherlands.
The South African snatched a third-placed start with his Yamaha R6 and was riding comfortably with the leading riders. After dropping a couple of places Morais rode a strong last lap and met the squared flag in the fifth place which gives him a second place in the points standings.
“Another strong race. I’m not happy with the position, but I’m happy with the progress we made and that we were fighting in the front. We’ll have some things to work on before the next race, but I feel good and looking forward to the next race. The team is working really hard and we will be even stronger in Imola, which is a great track for me”, Morais said.
Niki Tuuli had a lot of bad luck and didn’t get any points from Dutch GP.
“I tried way too much during the weekend and it didn’t turn out good. I feel so disappointed, but life goes on and we know how to turn this around. I have the whole team behind me and we will come back strong in Italy”, Tuuli said.
In the World Supersport 300 class Kimi Patova rode a strong race finishing 11th.
“I had some difficulties during the weekend, but I’ve got my first world championship points and I’m happy with that”, Patova said.
Renzo Ferreira was 18th.
“The race was pretty good, because I didn’t crash and I built up my confidence for the next race.”
Next race will be in Imola and Team manager Vesa Kallio is sure that the team will do better in Italy.
“Morais was riding good the whole weekend, but he has to be little more aggressive in the passings. Tuuli had a bad weekend, but for sure he will be better in Imola. In 300 class, it was great to see that the hard work will always pay off. Riders are more comfortable with the bikes and we are getting closer to the top riders.”