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Booth-Amos bounces back in Portimao to top day one of WorldSSP300 running

Friday, 1 October 2021 14:12 GMT

    • The British rider claimed first place after two practice sessions by topping both 30-minute outings after missing Jerez due to injury

    The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship returned to action at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve for the Motul Portuguese Round and it was the returning Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) topping the timesheets by just 0.009s on his first day of action since Race 1 at Catalunya.

    RETURNING TO ACTION IN STYLE

    Booth-Amos topped both timesheets for the 30-minute sessions with a 1’56.273s, posted in the morning Free Practice 1 session, the fastest time of the day by just 0.009s ahead of Championship leader Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) in second place with the Spanish rider having the opportunity to clinch the title in Race 1 in Portimao. Iñigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) was in third place, 0.010s off top spot, in a very tight top three after both sessions.

    The top six times in the combined classification came from FP1 with Uruguayan rider Facundo Llambias (Machado CAME SBK) in fourth after another strong showing from the first rider from Uruguay to compete in WorldSSP300. Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki) was the second MTM Kawasaki rider in the top six, with reigning Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) completing the top six.

    ROUNDING OUT THE TOP TEN…

    It was a very competitive showing for Bruno Ieraci (Prodina Team WorldSSP300) as he claimed seventh place on his return to the Championship, with Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) in eighth place. Turkish star Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing), who is in a rich vein of form to round out the 2021 campaign, was ninth with Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) rounding out the top ten.

    JUST OUTSIDE THE TOP TEN

    Italian rider Gabriele Mastroluca (ProGP Racing) was 11th ahead of Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) in 12th, with the Frenchman suffering from a crash at Turn 13 in the latter stages of Free Practice 2 but was able to re-join. Japanese rider Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) was 13th with Dutch duo Ruben Bijman (Machado Came SBK) and Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) rounding out the top 15.

    Meikon Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) was the first of the Kawakami brothers in 16th place, just one hundredth clear of Oliver König (Movisio by MIE) in 17th place. Dirk Geiger (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki), substituting for Dorren Louriero, was 18th on his first appearance in WorldSSP300 ahead of Alfonso Coppola (Team Trasimeno) and Alessandro Zanca (Kawasaki GP Project) rounding out the top 20. Year Ruiz (Yamaha MS Racing) was in 21st place, but the first rider to improve in the afternoon as he finished seven in FP2.

    TO NOTE…

    The afternoon session was Red Flagged after around 12 minutes following a crash for Petr Svoboda (WRP Wepol Racing), with the Czech rider on his feet following the incident. He was taken to the medical centre for a check-up after the crash, where he was declared fit but diagnosed with a right thigh contusion. Tomas Alonso (QUARESMA Racing) suffered from a technical issue during FP2 but was able to finish in 33rd place.

    The top six following Friday action in Portimao, full results here:

    1. Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki)

    2. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +0.009s

    3. Iñigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) +0.010s

    4. Facundo Llambias (Machado CAME SBK) +0.139s

    5. Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki) +0.152s

    6. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) +0.192s

    Watch the WorldSSP300 title battle unfold in Portimao using the WorldSBK VideoPass!