Buis pinches first win of 2021 in thrilling WorldSSP300 Race 2 finish
The defending Champion timed it to perfection in the closest WorldSSP300 podium of all time
The 2021 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship was electric once again in the Czech Republic for the Tissot Czech Round at the Autodrom Most. After a race-long battle and a huge last lap shuffle and run to the line, it was defending Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) who took victory, his first of 2021, whilst Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) and Alejandro Carrion (Kawasaki GP Project) who came in behind.
LIGHTS OUT: Turn 1 drama awaits
Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) got the holeshot into Turn 1 before Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) got ahead of the Race 1 winner. There was a pile-up at the first chicane however, as Meikon Kawakami, Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) and Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) As the race settled down towards the end of the opening lap, it was Oliver Konig (Movisio by MIE) who was starting to shine as he took second from Steeman at Turn 20, before leading at Turn 1 of Lap 2. Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM) was now into second too, as the Brit gained places.
The lead swapped and changed throughout the opening laps, with Huertas, Steeman and Booth-Amos hit the front on Lap 4. At the end of the lap, there was drama for Ruben Bijman (Machado CAME SBK) who, having qualified in fourth, was out after tucking the front at Turn 21. Back at the front, Adrian Huertas was on rails and within a lap, had a half a second lead on Booth-Amos and Konig, whilst Alejandro Carrion (Kawasaki GP Project) was now right in the mix. Boot-Amos put in a stunning Lap 6 to bridge the gap to Huertas and set the fastest lap. Behind the front three, Konig, Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) and Steeman were also in contention.
MIDDLE OF THE RACE: gaps fluctuate
With 7 laps remaining, it was a disaster for Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) who ran off-track before crashing as he re-joined, whilst Kevin Sabatucci (Viñales Racing Team) also went down but was up on his feet. A lap later, Miguel Duarte (Yamaha MS Racing) also retired. Back at the front of the race, Huertas was defending his lead from Booth-Amos and Carrion, whilst Steeman had got his pace back and was in the mix in fourth ahead of Sofuoglu, who was working his way through the field but with four to go, he slowed up as a mechanical problem took him out.
With two laps to go, Alejandro Carrion got a massive slipstream to briefly lead, before Huertas and Booth-Amos returned to the front. It was a leading group of six as Oliver Konig had now dropped to seventh and became detached from the group. Turn 1 on the last lap saw it all change as defending Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) hit the front whilst his teammate Yuta Okaya almost wiped out Huertas, pushing the Spaniard back to sixth before he recovered to fifth ahead of Konig.
THE FINAL RUN TO THE LINE: slipstream city
It was all down to a run to the line for the leading four, as Carrion led coming out of the final corner before Booth-Amos slipstreamed into first. However, picking up the biggest slipstream, Jeffrey Buis – who was shuffled back to third at Turn 20 – blasted ahead to take victory by 0.008s ahead of Booth-Amos, whilst Carrion took third ahead of Steeman, with the Spaniard taking back-to-back podiums. Fifth place went to the recovering Huertas, who was robbed of a chance to fight for victory, meaning his lead in the title race is slashed to 11 points.
Sixth place belonged to home-hero Konig who did enjoy a stint at the front in the early stages, whilst it was Mirko Gennai (Team BRcorse) who took seventh, backing up his tenth place from Race 1. Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki) was in eighth place ahead of Victor Rodriguez Nuñez (Accolade Smrz Racing) and Hugo De Cancellis (Prodina Team WorldSSP300), after running off track in the incident with Samuel Di Sora. Gabriele Mastroluca (ProGP Racing), Petr Svoboda (Wojcik Racing Team), Oscar Nuñez Roldan (SMW Racing), Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) and Harry Khouri (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) completed the points.
Top six after WorldSSP300 Race 2, full results here:
1. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki)
2. Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) +0.008s
3. Alejandro Carrion (Kawasaki GP Project) +0.032s
4. Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) +0.130s
5. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +1.183s
6. Oliver König (Movisio by MIE) +1.212s
Fastest lap: Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) 1’47.036s
Championship standings after Most Race 2, full standings here:
1. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) 129 points
2. Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) 118 points
3. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) 86 points
4. Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) 77 points
5. Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) 63 points
6. Hugo de Cancellis (Prodina Team WorldSSP300) 62 points
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