Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) put one hand on the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship trophy after a brilliant display of riding at MotorLand Aragon. The Dutchman left it until the last corner to claim victory and extend his Championship lead to 30 points. Buis held on by just 0.021s over Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) on a drag race to the line for Race 2 of the Tissot Aragon Round.

HISTORY BECKONS: Buis on the verge of a new record

Buis got away well as the lights went out and immediately looked to build a gap over his rivals, initially extending it out to over seven tenths across the first lap. While the chasing group were squabbling, Buis was able to maintain his lead, but the gap started to close across the second lap. Buis remained ahead until Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) came through. On Lap 4, the #6 had a scruffy lap including a huge moment on the exit of Turn 12, which cost him time and positions.

He was soon back into the top four though as he looked to prevent Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) gaining too much on him in the Championship standings as the Spaniard moved into the lead briefly. On Lap 7, Buis moved back into the lead as he looked to put one hand on his second WorldSSP300 title. Perez Gonzalez got ahead at Turn 12 on the same lap before they slipstreamed each other down the back straight.

Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) used the outside line on the entry to Turn 16 to great effect to sweep into the lead on both Lap 9 and 11 although he lost it at Turn 1 on the final lap. At the final corner, Buis moved into the lead and held on from Vannucci to claim his fourth win of the season and 11^th overall. It was also his 20^th podium, tying him with Scott Deroue, and it helped Kawasaki secure the 2023 Manufacturers’ Championship. Vannucci took his eighth podium while Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) battled from 15^th to third for his second podium. The top three were separated by just 0.097s.

TITLE FIGHT DRAMA: the gap extends to 30 points

Gennai finished fourth after his epic comeback by just 0.268s, with German rider Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) in fifth and exactly two tenths back from Gennai. Despite Veneman’s surge up the order, he finished down in sixth place after the #60 pipped him to the line by just 0.003s. Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) took seventh place in the thrilling race ahead of Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) in eighth. The Italian had crossed the line in ninth but a penalty for Perez Gonzalez, for exceeding track limits on the final lap, promoted him to eighth ahead of the Spaniard. With the gap now 30 points between Buis and Perez Gonzalez, the #6 can wrap up the title in Race 1 at Portimao. Britain’s Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) was in the top four in the latter stages of the 12-lap fight but dropped down to 10^th place, only 0.085s. He set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap to show his consistency. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) was 11^th and the last rider within a second of the leader.

AWAY FROM THE LEAD GROUP: still able to score points

Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) was another who had been in the lead group but dropped down the order in the latter stages, eventually finishing in 12th and two seconds back from Sabatucci. Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) was 13^th ahead of Unai Calatayud (Arco Motor University Team) in 14^th. The Spaniard was just 0.012s behind Garcia but he was a second clear of Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) who was the last points scorer.

HOUSEKEEPING: drama until the end

Christopher Clark’s (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) second race ended early after he crashed at Turn 4 on the opening lap, while Troy Alberto (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) went down at the same corner a lap later, while teammate Petr Svoboda crashed on Lap 11 at Turn 8. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) had been in the large lead group but a Turn 12 crash on Lap 9 forced him out of the race. Marc Vich Gil (Arco Motor University Team) retired with technical issues while teammate Ruben Bijman crashed out at Turn 1 on Lap 12.

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

1. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki)

2. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) +0.021s

3. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +0.097s

4. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) +0.268s

5. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.468s

6. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.471s

Fastest Lap: Fenton Seabright, Kawasaki – 2’06.780s

Championship standings

1. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) 194 points

2. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) 164

3. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) 147

4. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) 131

5. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) 130

6. Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) 121

The title decider is up next at Portimao: watch every moment using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!