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First strike to Ton Kawakami with tightest ever WorldSSP300 pole margin

Saturday, 22 May 2021 08:25 GMT

    • The Brazilian rider fended off the challenge from Adrian Huertas to claim pole position at MotorLand Aragon by just 0.004s

    History was made in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship with the closest ever gap between first and second in the Tissot Superpole session for the Pirelli Aragon Round at MotorLand Aragon. Brazilian rider Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) claimed pole position by just 0.004s for both Race 1 and Race 2; the closest ever Superpole session in WorldSSP300 history.

    THE FRONT ROW…

    Kawakami went to the top of the timesheets around halfway into the session and stayed there to claim his second pole position, initially alongside brother Meikon Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing), although it would be Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) who qualified in second in his first Tissot Superpole session for his new team, claiming his first ever front row start in the class. The youngest ever race winner in WorldSSP300, Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) qualified in third place.

    REST OF THE TOP 10

    Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki) will start both races from fourth place after a strong session as he heads into his second season, less than two tenths away from Kawakami. Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) bounced back from a crash in Friday practice to secure a second-row start, ahead of Meikon Kawakami.

    Frenchman Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) will start in seventh place, ahead of reigning World Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) as he looks to retain his crown. Bruno Ieraci (Machado CAME SBK) was ninth with Victor Rodriguez (Accolade Smrz Racing) completing the top ten.

    NOTEABLE TALKING POINTS

    2017 World Champion Marc Garcia (2R Racing) will start just outside the top ten with 11th place, sharing the fourth row with Ieraci and 2018 World Champion Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) as she continues her comeback from injury.

    There were a couple of crashes throughout the session with Vicente Selfa Perez (Machado CAME SBK) and Alessandro Zanca (Kawasaki GP Project) both coming off their bikes at Turn 9; both unable to set a lap time following the incidents. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) also came off his bike at Turn 9 late on in the session, after setting a time that was good enough to start from 14th place. Zanca’s teammate, Alex Millan Gomez, was drafted in as a last replacement for Alejandro Carrion and qualified in 26th place.

    Harry Khouri (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki) was 15th in his first Tissot Supersport session in the class, outqualifying his more experienced teammate, Dorren Loureiro, who will start in 21st place. James McManus (Team# 109 Kawasaki) and Indy Offer (SMW Racing) will start 39th and 40th respectively.

    The top six following Tissot Superpole in WorldSSP300, full results here:

    1. Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) 2’06.498
    2. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +0.004s
    3. Unai Orradre (MS Racing) +0.032s
    4. Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM) +0.168s
    5. Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) +0.273s
    6. Meikon Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) +0.319s

    Watch every moment of action in WorldSSP300 in 2021 with the WorldSBK VideoPass!