WorldSSP: A Return to Lausitzring – and Experience May Count
Back to the German venue for Sofuoglu as the title defender looks to keep momentum
It has been a long summer break for World Supersport, with the grid last lining up to fight for 25 points at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. With Kenan Sofuolgu taking the win at the Italian track, the last four Rounds of the season give his title rivals a big challenge as the season heads towards it’s finale in at Losail International Circuit in Qatar.
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Sofuoglu is the only title contender to have raced at the eastern German circuit, and set the fastest lap in 2006 on his way to taking the victory. The milestone was the Turk’s first fastest lap in WorldSSP, and he followed it up in 2007 with another, coming home P2 that year. The wealth of experience the reigning Champion has in the category, added to the experience of the track, surely makes Sofuoglu the favourite as the paddock heads to Germany.
His biggest rival, on track and in the Puccetti garage, has proven to be teammate Randy Krummenacher. After a run of more difficult results for the former Moto2 rider, the Swiss rookie will be heading to the Pirelli German Round after shoulder surgery to fix a broken cuff sustained on Friday in Assen. With so many Rounds having been hindered by the injury, a full-strength Krummenacher should prove a strong rival on the WorldSSP grid once again – and will be ready to take the fight to his teammate once again.
Honda’s PJ Jacobsen is the third placed man in the title standings, and the American has shown a great run of form since a slightly more difficult start to the season. Leading the way for much of the Race in Misano, last year’s runner-up is still searching for his first win on the Ten Kate machine – but is always a frontrunner and a threat to victory. With the points gap to Sofuoglu making the title a long shot, it’s not yet impossible, however – and Jacobsen has nothing to lose in putting everything into defeating the Turk.
One man who will no doubt be answering questions in Germany is Jules Cluzel, as the Frenchman – 11 times a WorldSSP race winner and twice championship runner-up – has yet to announce his plans for the 2017 season. In the meantime, the MV Agusta Reparto Corse rider is placed fifth in the standings behind GRT Racing Team’s Gino Rea, who was pleased to declare himself the quickest rider when he recently tested at the Lausitzring.
Another hot battle in the ranks of World Supersport is the FIM Europe Supersport Cup, with Puccetti-backed San Carlo Team Italia riders Axel Bassani and Alessandro Zaccone going head to head for the honours at the top of the table. Zaccone, after being the leading ESS rider more consistently than his teammate, suffered last time out in Misano with a DNF – giving Bassani the points lead for the first time. Germany is the first of the last three dates for the ESS in 2016, and the battle should go down to the wire in Jerez de la Frontera at the last European race meeting of the season, with three memorable contests to count on.
A couple of familiar Finnish faces are set to be on the grid as One Event riders; Niki Tuuli and Eemeli Lahti both raced in the Superstock 600 category last year and now they are reunited. This will be Tuuli’s second start in World Supersport, as he raced at Donington last season and finished in ninth position. Lahti is yet to compete in the category, although this year he has been competing in the Superstock 600 class of the German IDM series, finishing on the podium in his most recent race at Assen. The third and final One Event rider this weekend will be Estonia’s Hannes Soomer, who first raced in WorldSSP at Magny-Cours last year. Tuuli and Soomer are Yamaha YZF R6 team-mates this weekend at Kallio Racing – the squad run by former World Supersport racer Vesa Kallio who is the older brother of Moto2 star Mika – while Lahti is competing with Team Suzuki Stoneline-Mayer on a Suzuki GSX-R600.
Over the summer break, the WorldSSP grid have certainly been busy – with Sofuoglu breaking records, Krummenacher training back to full strength, and a number of riders – including PJ Jacobsen and Gino Rea – taking part in the Suzuka 8H endurance race. Now, however, the focus moves back onto the World Supersport Championship and Lausitzring, as the final countdown towards the season finale in Qatar begins and Germany kicks off the final part of the season – with defending Champion Sofuoglu in the lead, and his rivals ready and refreshed to stop the charge.
The Pirelli German Round is from the 16th-18th September at Lausitzring as WorldSBK returns to the venue for the first time since 2007, and the first 25 of the remaining 100 points up for grabs is on the table
