There was drama everywhere you looked in Race 2 for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship as Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) claimed his second victory of the Pirelli Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen after a track limits penalty for one of his rivals. Across the line, before penalties were applied, just 0.045s covered the top three but penalties for Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) and Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) meant Svoboda started his 2023 campaign with two wins from two in 2023.

THE FIGHT FOR VICTORY: two tenths across the top three…

Maier had initially crossed the line in first place but was deemed to have exceeded track limits on the final lap and was therefore demoted to second place. However, with Vannucci deemed to have committed the same offence, he was also demoted one place and dropped to third with Maier in second and Svoboda being promoted to first place to claim his first double in WorldSSP300 and starting his campaign with a maximum 50 points out of 50 to lead the World Championship standings leaving the Netherlands. 

Svoboda also claimed his second WorldSSP300 podium and it was Kawasaki’s 140^th rostrum in WorldSSP300. Maier took his second podium in his short WorldSSP300 career while it was Vannucci’s fourth in his WorldSSP300 campaigns so far as he took third place, as well as claiming Yamaha’s 70^th podium in the Championship.

JUST MISSING OUT: in the top six and close to the rostrum

Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) had crossed the line in fourth place but was demoted to fifth place for a last-lap track limits infringement with Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) the main beneficiary as he went from seventh to fourth ahead of Gennai. With Gennai in fifth place, French rider Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) claimed sixth spot with Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing), who crossed the line in fifth, demoted to seventh place.

COMPLETING THE TOP TEN: a fierce fight for strong points

Enzo Valentim (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) was classified in eighth place at the end of the 14-lap race with Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo-PI Performances) in ninth and Italian rider Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) in tenth. Sabatucci was penalized with a one-place grid drop for exceeding track limits on the final lap at Turn 17, which was the same offence and penalty handed to Gaggi which demoted him to tenth place.

IN THE POINTS: leaving the Netherlands with points in the bag

British rider Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project), who switched manufacturers from Yamaha to Kawasaki for 2023, was 11^th ahead of Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo-PI Performances) who was promoted ahead of Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) in 13^th; Bijman was penalised with a one-place penalty for exceeding track limits on the final lap. Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) in 14^th. The last point went to Yeray Saiz Marquez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) in 15^th place and he also secured the fastest lap of the race.

Troy Alberto (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) took 16^th spot after benefitting from other riders being penalised for track limits infringements. Mattia Martella (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) crossed the line in 16^th but was deemed to have exceeded track limits on the final lap at Turn 17 so dropped to 17^th place. Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) was classified in 18^th after he also exceeded track limits at Turn 17 on the final lap, dropping him from 17^th to 18^th, which late call-up Kas Beekmans (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) in 19^th; he was also deemed to have exceeded track limits on the final lap and was demoted one place. Wildcard Thom Molenaar (Molenaar Racing Team) equalled his best WorldSSP300 result with 20^th place.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP300 Race 2

Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) crashed out of the race on the opening lap of the race when fighting in the front group when he highsided on the exit of Turn 5 and putting him out of the race. Mexican rider Juan Pablo Uriostegui (Team#109 Kawasaki) was a retirement after he crashed at Turn 8 on Lap 4. Lap 11 proved to be a difficult one for MTM Kawasaki as both of their riders crashed out at different corners. 2020 Champion Jeffrey Buis crashed at Turn 11 before Loris Veneman went down at Turn 16; both riders retired from the race. Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) crashed out of the race at Turn 7 on Lap 13 and he retired from the race.

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

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

2. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD Latin America Team) +0.055s

3. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) +0.205s

4. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) +0.392s

5. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) +0.755s

6. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.955s

Fastest Lap: Saiz Marquez, Kawasaki – 1’48.962s

Championship standings

1. Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) 50 points

2. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) 30

3. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) 30

4. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) 26

5. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) 25

6. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) 17

Watch more incredible WorldSSP300 action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!