WorldSBK 2017 – Round Seven – Misano – Race Two
At the Pirelli Riviera Di Rimini Round on Sunday it was home rider Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who took a stunning first win of 2017, with Kawasaki Racing Team pair Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes also on the podium.
Marco Melandri Ducati ITA 33’40.896
Jonathan Rea Kawasaki GBR 00’01.113
Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 00’01.285
Responding positively to his last lap crash in Race 1, Melandri came from tenth on the grid to return to winning ways with a +1.113s victory over Rea. It was Melandri’s first WorldSBK win since 2014 and the 100th victory for an Italian rider in the top class of the championship.
The second place result for World Champion Rea strengthened his title defence as he now leads the standings by 50 points after seven rounds.
It was also a successful weekend for Sykes as he followed up on his Race 1 win with another podium result to continue his excellent recent form.
Starting from pole Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) had held the lead for 8 laps but he was hugely frustrated to drop out of the race with a technical problem with just 3 laps to go when riding in second place.
The top five was completed by Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) and Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia), with the Dutchman crossing the line fourth and the Irishman fifth.
Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia), Raffaele de Rosa (Althea BMW Racing Team), Randy Krummenacher (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Leandro Mercado (IODARacing) and Stefan Bradl (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) completed the top ten.
Only 12 riders finished the race at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, with the likes of Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Xavi Fores (BARNI Racing Team) and Roman Ramos (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) all retiring with technical problems.
With 10 laps to go Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) went down at Turn 2 and he was unable to finish the race.
After his crash in Race 1 Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was unfit to race on Sunday, having suffered a closed thoracic trauma, a fracture of the transverse process of L3 (3rd lumbar vertebrae) and a contusion of the left thumb.
Chaz Davies – DNS
“It’s never ideal to be at the track and not be able to race, but it’s good to come to support and honestly I’m happy to be here because it could have been a lot worse. I don’t feel 100 percent, so we’ll focus on recovering in the upcoming days. Tomorrow I’ll visit a specialist and we’ll set a plan based on his recommendations. The goal is be back at Laguna Seca.”
P1 – Marco Melandri
“This win means so much to me. It’s my first with Ducati and first on Italian soil but also the 100th by an Italian rider in WorldSBK. It’s the result of a lot of efforts, a composed attitude during some difficult moments, and great teamwork. We never stopped to believe in ourselves, and this result is a payback for all the sacrifices. We made a small change to our setup this morning, and before the start I was sure I could have a go at it. During the race, I tried to manage my pace and, once I took the lead, to ride smoothly. I hope Chaz recovers soon, he had a nasty crash but fortunately without serious injuries. I hope to be able to fight for another win, this time with him on track as well, at Laguna Seca.”
P2 – Jonathan Rea
“I am really satisfied with the results today but unfortunately we could not challenge for the win because I felt we were struggling a little bit, as the rear tyre was completely out of balance. I was having a lot of rear vibration and chatter. That was really difficult to manage. I focused on trying to pass Tom for many laps and when I went through I tried to hunt down Torres in second place but, unfortunately for him, he had a problem and could not finish. We have to be very satisfied with the result and go back into the garage now to understand exactly why we struggled more today. Yesterday’s bike felt much better but the set-up was virtually the same each day. In the championship standings we are in a good position right now. I also wish Chaz Davies a speedy recovery from injury.”
P3 – Tom Sykes
“I basically expected more from the beginning of the race. I had a good start and made some nice early passes but unfortunately I was not able to take the best from the tyres or the bike. The first five laps were the downfall of my chances to win the race. Apart from that, towards the end we had good speed but like I explained to the boys in the team, my bike stayed consistent but it was not enough in the beginning. I feel it really affected the race result in those early laps when there was no way to challenge Jordi Torres and Xavi Fores. We have something to work on Laguna. I feel really sorry for Chaz Davies and all I can do is wish him a speedy recovery. The points are opening up behind and that was a big bag of points Jonathan and I took away this weekend.”
P4 – Michael van der Mark
“The start was not perfect, I didn’t know where to go in the first couple of corners, but one by one I passed a few people and made some good moves. I was behind Alex and I struggled to do my pace. I was struggling to stop the bike, but we hadn’t changed anything from yesterday. I saw that the guys in front were also not doing the same pace from yesterday, so I tried to do my own laps and got close to Alex and Eugene. I passed Alex and then Eugene and tried to close the gap to the guys at the front, but we were doing similar times so I couldn’t really achieve that. Towards the end, I got another problem with the rear tyre. It’s a shame, but the positive is that we got some good points today. The best thing about the weekend was leading the race for so long yesterday. We can’t change anything, so we will take the positives and I look forward to Laguna Seca!”
P5 – Eugene Laverty
“P5 is our best result of the year so far, so we’ve got to take positives from that. The front guys still got away from us at the start which was hard to take, but it was a better race today. I managed a consistent pace and it was good to bring home decent points. Yesterday we worked the tyres too hard, and today they were consistent so it was a much better ride for me. There were some subtle changes made last night to take some load off the front, and they worked in the race but we still need to make progress on that. Looking ahead to Round 8 at Laguna Seca, it’s a track where the rider can make a lot of difference, so that should be a lot of fun. The fifth we got today is the benchmark we should be aiming for, and hopefully we’ll deliver another good performance in America.”
Lorenzo Savadori – P6
“It was a positive weekend for us. P6 was a good result today, but we need to do a lot of work on the race starts because I am slow there at the moment. We also made some changes to the front after the problems yesterday. They helped me but the problem is still there, so we have some work to do when we leave Misano. I am happy with more points today, and I want keep up these performances. I’m feeling good for Laguna Seca next month. Last year I was close to the podium, and it’s a track I like riding. We learnt a lot of things weekend, so we have to work hard to make sure we arrive at Lagune in a good position.”
P10 – Stefan Bradl
“Today’s race was surely a better one, but it wasn’t easy! After four laps, I had some problems with the dashboard. It took me a couple of laps to figure that out and once I realised everything else was OK, I could find a bit of pace back and finish the race. Tenth place is not a bad result, especially given the circumstances, but obviously we need to find some direction for the next round because this weekend has been quite difficult for everyone.”
DNF – Alex Lowes
“I didn’t get the best start, it seems to go against us when we don’t get a good start as we find it hard to pass, but actually the team did a great job with the bike. I had a lot better pace than yesterday, even when Michael passed me I felt I had a stronger pace than him. I managed to pull away from him at the start, but I got caught behind Laverty, and he caught me back up. Even when Michael passed us both, I could stay with him and felt quite comfortable. All weekend he has been faster than me, so I feel like we have done a good job to improve our pace. It was easy to make a small mistake today, and I am not too sure what happened so it is a shame to lose an opportunity to get some good points. Overall, it’s been a promising weekend, showing good potential – even if it was a tough one. We learnt a lot and I am looking forward to Laguna!”
#RiminiWorldSBK at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli: Race 2
- Marco Melandri Ducati ITA 33’40.896
- Jonathan Rea Kawasaki GBR 00’01.113
- Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 00’01.285
- Michael van der Mark Yamaha NLD 00’13.364
- Eugene Laverty Aprilia GBR 00’19.917
- Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia ITA 00’26.019
- Raffaele De Rosa BMW ITA 00’29.724
- Randy Krummenacher Kawasaki CHE 00’30.183
- Leandro Mercado Aprilia ARG 00’37.447
- Stefan Bradl Aprilia DEU 00’42.6511
- Ayrton Badovini Kawasaki ITA 00’57.524
- Ondrej Jezek Kawasaki CZE 01’10.654
The WorldSBK riders will next be in action at the Geico US Round over the 7th to 9th July weekend.
WorldSBK Championship Standings after Race 2, Round 7
- Jonathan Rea Kawasaki GBR 296
- Jonathan Rea Kawasaki GBR 296
- Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 246
- Chaz Davies Ducati GBR 185
- Marco Melandri Ducati ITA 163
- Alex Lowes Yamaha GBR 141
- Michael van der Mark Yamaha NLD 115
- Xavi Fores Ducati ESP 110
- Leon Camier MV Agusta GBR 89
- Jordi Torres BMW ESP 85
- Eugene Laverty Aprilia GBR 79
- Román Ramos Kawasaki ESP 65
- Leandro Mercado Aprilia ARG 50
- Lorenzo Savadori Aprilia ITA 49
- Stefan Bradl Aprilia DEU 46
- Randy Krummenacher Kawasaki CHE 44
WorldSSP: Sofuoglu storms to fourth successive win
World Champion takes big win at Misano, ahead of fellow podium finishers Cluzel and Caricasulo
World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) took a fourth consecutive victory, with the Turkish rider accompanied on the podium by Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) and Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team).
1. Kenan Sofuoglu Kawasaki TUR 31’35.435
2. Jules Cluzel Honda FRA 00’02.076
3. Federico Caricasulo Yamaha ITA 00’05.600
In clear and sunny conditions at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” Sofuoglu extended his brilliant winning run as he continues to put his early season injury troubles behind him with a two second win over Frenchman Cluzel.
In the final stages Cluzel was just unable to challenge Sofuoglu despite a good earlier fight, whilst Caricasulo was delighted to finish behind them in third place as the top Italian – in front of the Misano fans.
PJ Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) applied the pressure to Caricasulo for the last podium position over the finals laps but just could not catch the Yamaha man. Crossing the finish line behind American rider Jacobsen were two Britons, Kyle Smith (GEMAR Team Lorini) and Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) in fifth and sixth respectively.
Completing the top ten, meanwhile, were Axel Bassani (3570 Puccetti Racing FMI), Sheridan Morais (Kallio Racing), Hannes Soomer (WILSport Racedays) and Anthony West (EAB West Racing).
Early in the race championship leader Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) crashed out, falling twice and unable to rejoin after the second of his two spills, with the DNF being a significant blow to his title assault. His lead in the standings is now reduced to just five points ahead of Sofuoglu.
There were also crashes for the likes of Niki Tuuli (Kallio Racing), Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing), Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing), Christian Gamarino (BARDAHL EVAN BROS. Honda Racing) and Robin Mulhauser (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda).
The WorldSSP riders will return to action at the Prosecco DOC German Round – after their summer break – over the 18th to 20th August weekend.
P1 – Kenan Sofuolgu
“I am very happy to have won another race because Puccetti did a lot of organising this weekend and Kawasaki did a lot of work with us. So I am very happy to give them this present. My team told me that Mahias was out but this was not my biggest point – I just wanted to win the race. I wanted to see what Cluzel could do but I understand that I had a faster pace and I could pull a gap. This is what I tried and it paid off. Today I cannot say that I was very fast but my experience won the race.”
P3 – Federico Caricasulo
“It is a very nice feeling to return to the podium! I wanted to try to win this race because last year, I was so close to winning, before Kenan overtook me on the last lap. The podium is good I am happy after some difficult races and my injury. It is very important to be back on the podium and Yamaha and my team did a great job. I am happy because we are making really good progress and I think we will be very competitive in the next races.”
#RiminiWorldSBK: WorldSSP Race
- Kenan Sofuoglu Kawasaki TUR 31’35.435
- Jules Cluzel Honda FRA 00’02.076
- Federico Caricasulo Yamaha ITA 00’05.600
- Patrick Jacobsen MV Agusta USA 00’06.696
- Kyle Smith Honda GBR 00’12.868
- Gino Rea Kawasaki GBR 00’13.658
- Axel Bassani Kawasaki ITA 00’18.404
- Sheridan Morais Yamaha RSA 00’20.369
- Hannes Soomer Honda EST 00’22.985
- Anthony West Yamaha AUS 00’23.274
- Alessandro Zaccone MV Agusta ITA 00’29.164
- Kazuki Watanabe Kawasaki JPN 00’30.835
- Rob Hartog Kawasaki NLD 00’34.184
- Kyle Ryde Kawasaki GBR 00’34.416
- Hikari Okubo Honda JPN 00’37.018
WorldSSP Championship Standings Pirelli Riviera Di Rimini Round
- Lucas Mahias Yamaha FRA 105
- Kenan Sofuoglu Kawasaki TUR 100
- Sheridan Morais Yamaha RSA 76
- Jules Cluzel Honda FRA 75
- Patrick Jacobsen MV Agusta USA 68
- Federico Caricasulo Yamaha ITA 51
- Kyle Ryde Kawasaki GBR 43
- Roberto Rolfo MV Agusta ITA 43
- Anthony West Yamaha AUS 38
- Kyle Smith Honda GBR 35
FIM Superstock 1000 – Misano 2017
Italian Marco Faccani takes superb win at Misano – Rinaldi and Scheib also on podium
Sunday afternoon’s action at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” concluded with two Italians doing battle for victory to the last corner of the Superstock 1000 European Championship race and ultimately it was Marco Faccani (Althea BMW Racing Team) who just beat Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) to the line. Maximillian Scheib (Nuova M2 Racing) joined the leading two on the podium.
The race was restarted after a red flag in the initial running, with crashes for Federico Sandi (Berclaz Racing Team) and Eric Vionnet (Motors Vionnet) at turn 4 leaving debris on track.The race recommenced with 5 laps to be contested and Faccani rode brilliantly on his BMW in the final stages to outwit Ducati-equipped Rinaldi over the last few corners and beat his compatriot to the line by +0.362, for his first win in the class. Scheib also performed well and was across the finish line within a second of the race winner.
Luca Vitali (Nuova M2 Racing) made it three Italians in the top four, with Frenchman Florian Marino (Pata Yamaha Official STK1000 Team) finishing fifth.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Jeremy Guarnoni (Pedercini Racing), Mike Jones (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team), Illia Mykhalchyk (TripleM Racing) and Alex Schacht (EAB Schacht Racing Team) completed the STK1000 top ten.
The riders in the Superstock 1000 European Championship will return to action at the Prosecco DOC German Round – after their summer break – over the 18th-20th August weekend.
FIM Superstock 1000 – Misano 2017 Race Results
FIM Superstock 1000 – Championship Standings after Misano 2017
- Michael Ruben Rinaldi 90 – Ducati
- Toprak Razgatlioglu 89 – Kawasaki
- Florian Marino 67 – Yamaha
- Roberto Tamburini 56 – Yamaha
- Marco Faccani 52 – BMW
- Maximillian Scheib 41 – Aprilia
- Jeremy Guarnoni 38 – Kawasaki
- Luca Vitali 35 – Aprilia
- Illia Mykhalchyk 35 – Kawasaki
- Federico Sandi 29 – BMW
- Sebastian Suchet 29 – BMW
- Mike Jones 29 – Ducati
- Matteo Ferrari 14 – BMW
- Alex Schacht 14 – Ducati
- Danny De Boer 13 – BMW
WorldSSP300: Mika Perez converts pole to victory at stunning Misano
Mika Perez (WILSport Racedays) has secured a stunningly close victory in the Pirelli Riviera Di Rimini Round, following a stunning 13 lap race around the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
Pole sitter Perez (WILSport Racedays) got a stunning start off the line and was locked in a battle for the lead in the opening laps, as a leading group of six began to form under the sunny Italian skies.
Armando Pontone (IODARacing) impressed in his first race up in the leading group, and he out up a strong fight throughout the leading pack as he was joined by the now experienced riders of Robert Schotman (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP300 Team), Alfonso Coppola (SK Racing), Marc Garcia (Halcourier Racing) and Dorren Loureiro (DS Junior Team).
World Championship leader Scott Deroue (MTM HS Kawasaki) spent his race locked in the second group and the battle for a top seven finish. Crossing the line in 12th position, his championship lead is now down to three points as they head to the summer break.
Leading the majority of the race, despite missing out with his front end speed on the Honda, Perez took the victory by 0.027s ahead of Italian Pontone, marking his first podium finish in front of his home crowd. Coppola made up for the disappointment overall result from Donington Park and secured a podium finish making it an Italian 2-3 in Rimini.
Following the enthralling fifth round of the WorldSSP300 season, the inaugural series heads into their summer break. Don’t miss a minute of all the action from the season so far as the title fight continues, and following the disqualification of Coppola from the Donington Park round, the championship is now wide open.
P1 – Mika Perez (WILSport Racedays)
“It was a really difficult race, it was a close race like always, I tried to push to get away but it was not possible with six guys on the last lap and in the last corner. I am so happy, I want to say thanks to my team and I look forward to Lausitzring.”
Mika Perez (ESP) Honda
Armando Pantone (ITA) Yamaha +0.027
Alfonso Coppola (ITA) Yamaha +0.137
#RiminiWorldSBK: WorldSSP300 Race
- Mika Perez (ESP) Honda
- Armando Pantone (ITA) Yamaha +0.027
- Alfonso Coppola (ITA) Yamaha +0.137
WorldSSP300 Championship Standings Pirelli Riviera Di Rimini Round
- Scott Deroue (NED) Kawasaki (75 points)
- Mika Perez (ESP) Honda (72 points)
- Marc Garcia (ESP) Yamaha (65 points)
