Race 2 for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship set the record for the closest-ever finish in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock with just 0.002s separating first and second at the TT Circuit Assen for the Motul Dutch Round. French rider Hugo De Cancellis (Prodina Racing WorldSSP) claiming victory ahead of Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team) after the Spanish rider pulled off an epic comeback from the back of the grid.

A DRAG TO THE LINE: De Cancellis and Diaz in a photo finish

De Cancellis used the slipstream from Diaz on the run to the line, after the exit of the chicane, to claim victory from Diaz in an incredible battle for victory after Diaz took the lead on the entry to the chicane on the final lap. Diaz started the race from 28^th after issues plagued him in Superpole on Saturday, but he was able to come back to claim a podium and the Championship lead with second on Saturday. It is also not the first time Diaz has lost out on a run to the line, having finished second in Race 2 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last year where he finished 0.003s behind Bahattin Sofuoglu; until today, the closest finish in WorldSSP300. They were joined on the podium by Japanese rider Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) as he finished in third place, just one tenth away from victory, for his first podium of the 2022 season.

11 RIDERS WITHIN ONE ONE SECOND: unpredictable racing throughout

Bruno Ieraci (Prodina Racing WorldSSP300) claimed fourth place after leading the race at various points during the 14-lap battle, with Ieraci leading an Italian trio. Gabriele Mastroluca (ProGP Racing) claimed fifth place after, like Ieraci, leading throughout the race with Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) backing up his podium from Race 1 with sixth place.

French rider Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) was another who led the race during the battle but was unable to maintain his position at the head of the field, eventually finishing in seventh place. He was ahead of Victor Steeman (MTM Kawasaki) in eighth and 2017 Champion Marc Garcia (Yamaha MS Racing) in ninth.

It was another comeback for German rider Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) as he finished in 10^th place, less than a second away from victory after starting towards the back of the grid. He was ahead of French rider Sylvain Markarian (Leader Team Flembbo) in 11^th; Markarian the last rider within a second of winner De Cancellis.

TAKING HOME POINTS: finishing inside the top 15

Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) was 12^th at the end of the race after he had a huge moment through Turn 15 in the latter stages of the race, dropping him down the order to finish in 12^th place. Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) was another who was penalised after the race. He was demoted two places for exceeding track limits on the final lap, dropping him from 14^th to 16^th place. It meant Iker Garcia Abella (Yamaha MS Racing) claimed 13^th place ahead of Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) in 14^th and Humberto Maier (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) rounding out the points.

JUST MISSING OUT: not far away from points

Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) in 16^th led home Petr Svoboda (Accolade Smrz Racing) in 17^th after the Czech rider, substituting for the injured Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez, was demoted nine places for exceeding track limits on the final lap. He had crossed the line in eighth place but was classified in 17^th, ahead of teammate Yeray Saiz Marquez. Marco Gaggi (Vinales Racing Team) 19^th in the classification and around 10 seconds clear of Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Kawasaki) who rounded out the top 20.

HOUSEKEEPING: notes from WorldSSP300 Race 2

Ruben Bijman’s (MTM Kawasaki) race came to an end before it started when he had a crash at Turn 8 on the Warm Up lap. The red flags were shown following the incident with the Dutch rider taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Fenton Seabright (Vinales Racing Team) crashed out of the race on the opening lap at the final chicane, while Dirk Geiger (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) crashed out on Lap 2 at Turn 8. The German was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and diagnosed with a right collar bone fracture. Alessandro Zanca (Kawasaki GP Project) was taken to the medial centre for a check-up following a Turn 15 crash. Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) was declared unfit with a fracture of the second metacarpal bone on his right hand after a Race 1 crash.

The top six in WorldSSP300 Race 2, full results here:

1. Hugo de Cancellis (Prodina Racing WorldSSP300)

2. Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team) +0.002s

3. Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) +0.109s

4. Bruno Ieraci (Prodina Racing WorldSSP300) +0.165s

5. Gabriele Mastroluca (ProGP Racing) +0.200s

6. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) +0.262s

Fastest Lap – Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki), 1’49.465s

Championship standings

1. Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team) 70 points

2. Marc Garcia (Yamaha MS Racing) 62

3. Victor Steeman (MTM Kawasaki) 46

4. Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) 46

5. Hugo De Cancellis (Prodina Racing WorldSSP300) 44

6. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) 44

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