Reigning Champion Kenan Sofuoglu took a commanding victory at MotorLand as the FIM Europe Supersport Cup riders joined the WorldSSP grid for the first European race of the season, with 7 nationalities in the first 8 positions as the flag dropped at the end of the race.
Turkish Puccetti rider Sofuoglu cut the Championship lead of his Swiss teammate Randy Krummenacher as fellow contender Jules Cluzel struggled slightly to find pace, crossing the line in P4 just behind home rider Nico Terol, who gained his first podium in WorldSSP.
Pole sitter Sofuoglu got away in the lead, with Honda rider PJ Jacobsen his closest immediate challenger after a great start for the American. He then attacked for the lead after Sofuoglu ran wide, unfortunately losing the front and sliding early out of the race.
A high rate of attrition in the first few laps saw Roberto Rolfo first forced to leave his 11th place grid spot before the getaway, before a multi-rider incident at Turn 1 saw debris litter the run off area. Wagner, Licciardi, and Orellana all found themselves suffering the same fate as Jacobsen. MV Agusta rider Lorenzo Zanetti was then unfortunately forced to pull off the circuit with a technical problem, as Sofuoglu began to pull away in the lead ahead of Cluzel, Krummenacher and Baldolini. The number 25 of the Italian then pulled off the racing line along the start-finish straight as a plume of smoke from the back of his MV Agusta announced an early end to his race.
San Carlo Team Italia riders Bassani and Zaccone were the key players from the new FIM Europe Supersport Class as they challenged the regulars in the top 5, with Schmidt Racing‰Ûªs local rider and former 125 Champion Nico Terol getting past both and able to get himself into podium contention before pulling away to find a margin to breathe, crossing the line for his first rostrum of the year.
Malaysian rider Zulfahmi Khairuddin, who had begun the race from 17th after a problem with the foot rest on his Orelac Racing VerdNatura machine in Tissot-Superpole, made progress up into the top 5 before finally crossing the line in 8th for a great haul of points, with teammate Nacho Calero also coming home in the points.
The next round takes place at Assen in the Netherlands, with raceday on 17 April.
Main Photo: Kenan Sofuoglu
WSS Results - Arragon, Spain
1 Kenan Sofuoglu - Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki 30'58.615
2 Randy Krummenacher - Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki +1.486
3 Nicolas Terol - Schmidt Racing MV Agusta +2.943
4 Jules Cluzel - MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta +3.838
5 Alessandro Zaccone - San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki +4.106
6 Axel Bassani - San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki +4.177
7 Federico Caricasulo - Bardahl Evan Bros. Honda Racing Honda +9.059
8 Zulfahmi Khairuddin - Orelac Racing VerdNadura Kawasaki +11.036
9 Kevin Wahr - Gemar Ballons ‰ÛÒ Team Lorini Honda +18.095
10 Christian Gamarino - Team Go Eleven Kawasaki +18.150
11 Kyle Smith - CIA Landlord Insurance Honda Honda +18.155
12 Kyle Ryde - Ranieri Med ‰ÛÒ SC Racing Yamaha +18.552
13 Ilya Mikhalchik - DS Junior Team Kawasaki +18.815
14 Ondrej Jezek - Team Go Eleven Kawasaki +20.984
15 Nacho Calero - Orelac Racing VerdNadura Kawasaki +40.449
16 Hikari Okubo - CIA Landlord Insurance Honda Honda +53.750
17 Janos Chrobak - Schmidt Racing MV Agusta +57.137
18 Loris Cresson - MTM / HM Kawasaki Kawasaki +59.108
19 Davide Stirpe - Floramo Monaco Racing Team SM Honda +1'08.011
20 Christopher Gobbi - VFT Racing Yamaha +1'10.494
21 Lachlan Epis - Response RE Racing Kawasaki +1'30.327
22 Braeden Ortt - WilSport Racedays Honda Honda +1 Lap
DNF Stefan Hill - CIA Landlord Insurance Honda Honda
DNF Alex Baldolini - Race Department ATK#25 MV Agusta
DNF Lorenzo Zanetti - MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta
DNF Angelo Licciardi - R2 MotoRacing Team Kawasaki
DNF Cedric Tangre - Yohann Moto Sport Suzuki
DNF Javier Orellana - WilSport Racedays Honda Honda
DNF Hiromichi Kunikawa - Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki
DNF Gino Rea - GRT Racing Team MV Agusta
DNF Patrick Jacobsen - Honda WorldSSP Honda
DNF Alexey Ivanov - DMC Racing Yamaha
DNF Aiden Wagner - GRT Racing Team MV Agusta
DNF Roberto Rolfo - Team Factory Vamag MV Agusta
WSS CHampionship Standings - Arragon
1 Randy KRUMMENACHER - Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki 58 Points
2 Kenan SOFUOGLU - Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki 45 Points
3 Jules CLUZEL - MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta 38 Points
4 Federico CARICASULO - Bardahl Evan Bros. Honda Racing Honda 29 Points
5 Patrick JACOBSEN - Honda WorldSSP Honda 27 Points
6 Nicolas TEROL - Schmidt Racing MV Agusta 21 Points
7 Alex BALDOLINI - Race Department ATK#25 MV Agusta 20 Points
8 Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN - Orelac Racing VerdNadura Kawasaki 20 Points
9 Christian GAMARINO - Team Go Eleven Kawasaki 19 Points
10 Anthony WEST - Tribeca Racing Yamaha 16 Points
11 Kyle SMITH - CIA Landlord Insurance Honda Honda 16 Points
12 Gino REA - GRT Racing Team MV Agusta 16 Points
13 Ondrej JEZEK - Team Go Eleven Kawasaki 16 Points
14 Alessandro ZACCONE - San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki 11 Points
15 Kevin WAHR - Gemar Ballons ‰ÛÒ Team Lorini Honda 11 Points
16 Axel BASSANI - San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki 10 Points
17 Lorenzo ZANETTI - MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta 8 Points
18 Roberto ROLFO - Team Factory Vamag MV Agusta 7 Points
19 Aiden WAGNER - GRT Racing Team MV Agusta 7 Points
20 Glenn SCOTT - Gemar Ballons ‰ÛÒ Team Lorini Honda 7 Points
21 Decha KRAISART - Yamaha Thailand Yamaha 5 Points
22 Kyle RYDE - Ranieri Med ‰ÛÒ SC Racing Yamaha 4 Points
23 Ilya MIKHALCHIK - DS Junior Team Kawasaki 3 Points
24 Luke STAPLEFORD - CIA Landlord Insurance Honda Honda 2 Points
25 Alex PHILLIS - Aark Racing Honda 2 Points
26 Nacho CALERO - Orelac Racing VerdNadura Kawasaki 1 Points
27 Mitch LEVY - Landbridge Racing Yamaha 1 Points
