Inseparable at the top: Iglesias pips Sofuoglu to WorldSSP300 pole by just 0.006s
Spanish rider Inigo Iglesias claimed his first pole position after an incredibly close Superpole session in Barcelona
There was nothing to separate the top two in Tissot Superpole for the FIM Supersport World Championship as Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) secured his first ever pole position in WorldSSP300 by just 0.006s for the Hyundai N Catalunya Round at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as he just pipped Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Iberica).
EARLY AND FAST FOR IGLESIAS
The Spanish rider set his best lap time, a 1’55.451s, fairly early on in the session and it was a time good enough to secure his first pole and become the 20th different rider to claim pole position in the category. Sofuoglu will line up alongside him on the front row after being the only rider to get near Iglesias’ time, falling just 0.006s behind.
Championship contender Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) will join Iglesias and Sofuoglu on the front row as he claimed third place, two tenths back from Iglesias. It is Booth-Amos’s second consecutive front row start as he looks to close the gap in the Championship.
A TIGHT TOP TEN…
Brazilian Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) will lead away the second row from fourth place, ahead of Czech rider Petr Svoboda (WRP Wepol Racing) in fifth place. Harry Khouri (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM - Kawasaki) will start from the second row in sixth place with just 0.066s separating the three riders on row two. Khouri did have a crash at Turn 3 during the 20-minute session but was able to return to the track.
Reigning Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) claimed seventh place ahead of teammate and Championship leader Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) with Huertas’ run of three front-row Superpole results coming to an end. Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) rounded out the top ten, just 0.010s clear of Oliver König (Movisio by MIE) in 11th. The top ten on the grid were separated by less than half a second at the end of the session.
JUST MISSING OUT
König was the first rider to miss out on a top ten spot but it was incredibly close right behind that top ten grouping, with wildcard rider Alvaro Diaz Cebrian (Arco-Motor University Team) continuing to impress throughout the weekend in 12th. Gabriele Mastroluca (ProGP Racing) was 13th after a late crash at Turn 3 with the crash coming right at the end of the session. Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) was 14th while Yeray Ruiz (Yamaha MS Racing) rounded out the top 15, ahead of Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Kawasaki) and Dean Berta Viñales (Viñales Racing Team).
The top six following WorldSSP300 Superpole, full results here:
1 Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) 1’55.451s
2. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) +0.006s
3. Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) +0.216s
4. Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) +0.279s
5. Petr Svoboda (WRP Wepol Racing) +0.302s
6. Harry Khouri (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) +0.345s
Watch Race 1 from WorldSSP300 at 12:45 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!