Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) leads the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship title battle after Round 3 at the Autodrom Most, claiming his fourth win of the season in just six races. The two-time Champion crashed out of Race 1 on the final lap, but he fended off a large group of riders in Race 2 to claim victory and, with it, a three-point Championship lead after the Motul Czech Round.

In Race 1, Buis was – as ever – in the lead group fighting for victory until his hopes of victory came to an end at Turn 1. He was running side-by-side with Benat Fernandez (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kove) under braking for the heaviest braking zone on the track, with little to separate the pair. Buis, speaking on Sunday after his Race 2 win, admitted that it was his error that caused him to crash as he tried to brake a bit too late.

With that result and Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) claiming victory, Buis briefly lost the Championship lead. However, he claimed it back in a slightly shortened Race 2 after rain fell on the Warm Up lap. Tyre choice was critical with everyone bar a few riders opting for slicks, which proved to be the correct decision when racing got underway for the 10-lap race.

Buis was quick to ensure he was towards the front of the field but, with a big pack of riders, it was hard for any rider to retain position. It came down to who got the best run out of the final corner and Buis, who led across the line on the penultimate lap, headed the field exiting Turn 21 and led three riders across the line who were separated by less than a tenth, with Fernandez in second and Humberto Maier (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by MS Racing) completing the podium.

Discussing his Race 2 win, Buis said: “The start of the race was a bit chaotic! No rider knew what tyre to put in the rain. After all, I saw all riders put slicks in, so I did as well. During the race, the track started to dry up and from Lap 3 onwards, it was completely dry; only some kerbs were slippery. I tried to stay in the front positions. It worked out. I ended up in first position. Especially after Race 1, being in the Championship lead is very important because it was my mistake; I braked a little bit too late. It didn’t work out. To come back with a victory was very important.”

Four wins from six races is the best start to a WorldSSP300 campaign, in terms of wins, in the two-race format, with Buis claiming 100 points – though it should be noted that Adrian Huertas had 108 points from six races in 2021 with three victories. Four wins also means Buis is in a really strong position to take a record from Huertas – the record for victories in a season is six, with Buis two behind that with 10 races remaining this season.

In terms of the Championship, it is incredibly close at the top of the standings. Buis holds a three-point lead over Garcia in second, while Fernandez is third – one point back from his fellow Spanish rider. Behind them, David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI) is fourth and 23 points back from Buis and, while that might seem like a big margin, it could easily flip in a second.

Follow all the WorldSSP300 campaign in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 30% off!