Bruno Ieraci (CM Triumph Factory Racing) secured a first win in the FIM Sportbike World Championship win in style at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” as he almost led from start-to-finish in a 12-lap battle in Race 2. Ieraci was a victor in WorldSSP300 at Misano before and has now added a win in WorldSPB to his record during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, with wildcard Filippo Bianchi (Team MMP Velocita) claiming second ahead of Carter Thompson (Team BrCorse).

FIGHT TO THE END

David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) got a superb start when the lights went out and immediately pulled out a gap over his rivals, while they squabbled over the positions behind him, however he was soon demoted to P2 by Ieraci at the end of the opening lap. On Lap 3, Salvador took the lead at Turn 8, with wildcard Bianchi fighting with Salvador and Ieraci for the victory. A lap later and the #25 took the lead of the race at Turn 8, albeit briefly as Ieraci and Thompson came through the high-speed run in Sector 3. It became a seven-rider scrap for victory in the final four laps of the race as Ieraci led for the majority of that, able to resist the challenge his rivals were putting up. At Turn 14 on Lap 11, Salvador pulled off an overtake on Ieraci to take P1, and he was able to defend that at Turn 1 at the start of the final lap. At Turn 8, Ieraci claimed the lead and pulled out a gap as he claimed his first WorldSPB win, doing so on home soil. The battle for the podium went down to the wire, with Bianchi claiming a debut podium in second and Thompson making it back-to-back podiums. Ieraci’s win means Triumph took their first win in WorldSPB, becoming the fourth manufacturer to win in the first nine races in the Championship.

MISSING OUT ON A ROSTRUM

Fenton Seabright (PHR Performance Triumph) surged up the order in the latter stages to cross the line in fourth place ahead of Salvador, but received two separate track limits penalties on the final lap, dropping him down to P6. That promoted Salvador up to P4 and teammate Antonio Torres into fifth place, with Seabright classified in P6. Elia Bartolini (CM Triumph Factory Racing) was seventh on the track but received a final lap track limits penalty which dropped him to P8 below Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki).

INSIDE THE TOP TEN

Bartolini was therefore classified in eighth place, 1.9s away from victory and 0.324s clear of Jeffrey Buis (Track & Trades Wixx Racing), who had initially gone with the lead group but dropped down the order in the second half of the race and finished in ninth, ahead of local rider Thomas Benetti (MMR).

RACE OF ATTRITION

Gabin Cazard (Yamaha MS Racing FIMLA AD78) crashed out at Turn 1 on the opening lap and retired from the race, while Matteo Vannucci (Revo-M2) retired on Lap 2 after a Turn 6 spill. At Trun 14 on the same lap, Kas Beekmans (VLR Racing Team Suzuki) and Arai Agaska (ProGP NitiRacing) came together at Turn 14, Benat Fernandez (Kove Racing Team 109) also retired from the race. Taiyo Aksu (PATA AG Motorsport Italia) had fought from the back of the grid to the top 20 but crashed at Turn 1 on Lap 10; he rejoined the race. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) crashed on the final lap at Turn 4.

The top six from WorldSPB Race 1, full results here:

1. Bruno Ieraci (CM Triumph Factory Racing)
2. Filippo Bianchi (Team MMP Velocita) +0.555s
3. Carter Thompson (Team BrCorse) +0.632s
4. David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) +1.163s
5. Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) +1.257s
6. Fenton Seabright (PHR Performance Triumph) +1.400s

Fastest lap: Fenton Seabright (Triumph) – 1’42.822s

Don’t miss WorldSPB Race 2 at 12:45 Local Time (UTC+2) on Sunday using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now half price!