The WorldSSP300 wild card effect
Following Bastianelli’s sensational victory in Misano, we take a look at how others have fared
Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli was treated to a battle in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship that kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the final seconds, as wild card rider Maneil Bastianelli (PRODINA IRCOS Team) secured an emotional victory in front of his home fans. But is he the first wild card to win in WorldSSP300? We take a look back.
This was not the first time a wild card has impressed in the new class, as Galang Hendra Pratama took the victory in the final race of 2017 at Circuito de Jerez as he made his debut in the series with Yamaha. The Indonesian rider made history in Spain last season, becoming the first from his country to win a world championship race and his pace was nothing short of stunning. Crossing the line 0.026 ahead of permanent rider Scott Deroue, the podium was decided by 0.038s and Hendra came out on top.
The Indonesian then went on to secure a full time ride with BIBLION YAMAHA MOTOXRACING, and was enrolled into Yamaha’s bLU cRU initiative. Continuing to impress with his pace, the youngster has already taken his second victory of his career – at Automotodrom Brno.
Misano’s race winner Basitanelli became the second wild card rider in the history of the championship to take the victory, as he faced the challenge of coming out on top in the hectic final laps. But this wasn’t the Italian’s debut, as he had a full time ride in SSP300 last season, achieving his best result of 12th in the final round of the year. But with a determined ride and strong levels of talent, he was able to cross the line as the victor in Italy, by 0.036s.
Delighted with his victory, he explains: "It was a fantastic race, even though the start was a bit difficult. We seemed to have a good rhythm and I was able to be quite aggressive with some of the riders and we did it little by little every lap. Then on the last lap we managed to bring home the victory. I want to say thank you to all of my team."
Re-watch the stunning race from Italy as WorldSSP300 heads into the summer break, or enjoy Hendra’s debut victory last season – all with the WorldSBK VideoPass.
