European Supersport fight heads into final round
Three way drag to the line in the ESS Cup
The FIM Supersport World Championship heads to the final European round of the season, meaning it will be the last race of 2017 for five of the European Supersport Cup riders. Battling for glory in both the Cup and on the world stage over eight rounds, there are three riders left with the chance of taking home the honours of the victory. WorldSBK.com takes a look back over their seasons so far and what chances they have ahead of the Pirelli Spanish Round.
1st in the Cup: Hannes Soomer (WILSport Racedays)
Estonian Soomer has been putting in some solid performances throughout the season, scoring world championship points in all rounds but Imola. A consistent season has put him in the lead of the ESS title charge by eight points, as they head into the final round of the season. The 19 year old has been bringing the fight to the WorldSSP riders, with his best finish a top nine around Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli back in July. A recent dip in form could hinder Soomer, so there is a lot to play for in Jerez.
2nd in the Cup: Rob Hartog (Team Hartog - Jenik - Against Cancer)
Racing in a family-run team, Dutch rider Rob Hartog isn’t far behind Soomer in the ESS standings, and has been closing in on him in the last few rounds. Despite joint leading the Cup battle in the early rounds, Hartog has only scored points in half of the races so far this season. Struggling with the reliability of his ZX-6R, he has been unable to battle regularly in the points but when he has, he has taken two top ten finishes around TT Circuit Assen and Portimao. He will be hunting down the CBR600RR of Soomer around the 4.4km circuit of Jerez, hoping to secure his strongest result of the season.
3rd in the Cup: Alessandro Zaccone (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)
Joining WorldSSP Rider PJ Jacobsen for the European rounds, Zaccone had a steady start to the season with the Italian machine, first scoring points in Round Three at Imola. Struggling with his MV Agusta, he has been unable to consistently finish in the points throughout the eight rounds. Despite the unpredictable nature of the sensational WorldSSP championship, Zaccone sits 14 points behind Soomer but taking the Cup title in the ESS would mean the Italian finishing on the podium and Soomer crashing out.
Follow the final ESS action from Circuito de Jerez from 20th – 22nd October with the WorldSBK VideoPass.
