FIM Supersport World Championship

Motorland Aragon, Spain

April 11, 2015

Qualifying Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Jules CLUZEL, France (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:53.138

2. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:53.504

3. PJ JACOBSEN, USA (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:53.828

4. Kyle SMITH, UK (Honda CBR600RR), 1:53.968

5. Lucas MAHIAS, France (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:54.183

6. Lorenzo ZANETTI, Italy (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:54.222

7. Gino REA, UK (Honda CBR600RR), 1:54.288

8. Rathapark WILAIROT, Thailand (Honda CBR600RR), 1:54.517

9. Marco FACCANI, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:54.677

10. Fabio MENGHI, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:55.142

11. Dominic SCHMITTER, Switzerland (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:55.182

12. Martin CARDENAS, Colombia (Honda CBR600RR), 1:55.499

13. Roberto ROLFO, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), 1:55.688

14. Christian GAMARINO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:55.703

15. Kevin WAHR, Germany (Honda CBR600RR), 1:56.011

16. Riccardo RUSSO, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), 1:56.134

17. Alex BALDOLINI, Italy (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:56.182

18. Alexey IVANOV, Russia (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:56.733

19. Glenn SCOTT, Australia (Honda CBR600RR), 1:56.975

20. Marcos RAMIREZ, Spain (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:57.082

More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:

Courtesy of a blistering last lap just before the chequered flag, Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) will start tomorrow’s 16-lap World Supersport race at Aragon from Pole Position.

The two-time WSS runner-up elevated himself to the top of the standings in the final seconds of the sole qualifying session, snatching Pole from former champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing). American PJ Jacobsen (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) will join the pair on the front row. For Cluzel, today’s result marked the twelfth Pole Position of his World Supersport career, the second this year after the one taken at the opening round at Phillip Island.

Behind the leading trio, Pata Honda’s Kyle Smith, Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) and Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) will line up on row 2, the top 6 covered by little more than a second.

Championship leader Ratthapark Wilairot (CORE Motorsport Thailand Honda) will line up on row 3 in 8th position, just behind Phillip Island podium finisher and former Moto2 rider Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda).

Championship leader Ratthapark Wilairot (CORE Motorsport Thailand Honda) will line up on row 3 in 8th position, just behind Phillip Island podium finisher and former Moto2 rider Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda).

FIM World Supersport Championship MotorLand Aragon – Qualifying
1 – Jules Cluzel MV Agusta Reparto Corse 1’53.138
2 – Kenan Sofuoglu Kawasaki Puccetti Racing +0.366
3 – PJ Jacobsen Intermoto Ponyexpres Kawasaki +0.690

More, from a press release issued by CIA Landlords Insurance Honda:

Gino qualifies 7th on race tyre

Sat, 11 Apr 2015

CIA LANDLORDS INSURANCE HONDA’S Gino Rea qualified seventh on the grid for the third round of the World Supersport Championship at Aragon in Spain using a race tyre.

Gino said: “I didn’t make the most out of the qualifying tyre. I went out on a soft tyre holding fourth place with nine-minutes to go but didn’t get a decent lap in. The good thing is I did my fastest lap on the harder option tyre. For race pace it looks really good.

“I have completed two race distance runs and have a good idea on how the tyres will last for the race. I am not happy with seventh on the grid but it’s going to be a close race with the top eight. I want to get away with the front pack and make no mistakes. I think I can compete for the podium.”

Martini Cardenas qualified 12th and will be targeting another top 10 finish. Riccardo Russo ended up 16th after featuring highly in the first practice session and is hoping to find that pace again. Kieran Clarke took 22nd and is looking for a good top 20 finish.

There is a warm up session in the morning, ahead of the race at 1140 local time on Sunday, 12th April.

CIA Landlords Insurance Honda’s Simon Buckmaster said: “Gino did a really good time on race tyres. On his last run using a softer tyre he was waiting for a clear track and got the chequered flag, so missed the opportunity. That dropped him off the front two rows. He has good speed and is happy with the bike. He will be in the fight for the podium.

“Martin is improving and doing well as it is his first time here. The intention is to fight inside the top 10 tomorrow with times being so tight between the riders.

“Ricky did his fastest time in first practice and is struggling to improve. Then he crashed this morning. We need to sit down and look at the situation, then get a good warm up and a result from there.

“Kieran is improving all the time but it is a tight field. We expect him inside the top 20 and if he gets a good start then he can fight for a point.”

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:

Sofuoglu And Jacobsen Take Front Row Spots In Spain

Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R rider Kenan Sofuoglu secured second place on the grid at the Motorland Aragon WSS event, placing himself in an almost ideal position to take on the challenge of Sunday’s race. PJ Jacobsen (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) was third at what proved to be a fruitful circuit for the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.

Concentrating on race pace as usual, Sofuoglu was on form from the start of the weekend and is now ready to run hard for all 16 laps at the revised 5.077km circuit. Aragon was the scene of Kenan’s last WSS race win, in 2014, and he now aims to try and take his first victory of the new season.

Jacobsen was also in good form through practice and shares front row status with Sofuoglu. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) was fifth today, while Marco Faccani (San Carlo Puccetti Racing Kawasaki) placed ninth on the grid for a third row start.

Kenan Sofuoglu: “I am quite happy about qualification and getting on the front row. It would have been nice to have been on pole position but everybody saw that I hit traffic during my best lap and lost quite a bit of time. It is not a problem. I am focused to make a good race and it is nice to be on the front row. I am ready for tomorrow as my Kawasaki is working so nicely on this track. I think this is the best ever I have felt with the bike. I just need to be strong for the race as everything is ready now.”

PJ Jacobsen: “A front row position was good enough today and I am not such a great qualifer. I think the guys ahead had that part down pretty well. We should be good for the race tomorrow as we have pretty strong pace and I think we have already made our tyre choice. Like Kenan said, this seems a good Kawasaki track.”

More, from a press release issued by Pata Honda:

Smith in the mix at Aragon

Kyle Smith will start from the second row of the grid for tomorrow’s third-round World Supersport race after setting the fourth fastest time in this afternoon’s qualifying session at Aragon in Spain.

The Pata Honda CBR600RR rider improved on lap times set in yesterday’s free practice sessions and was just 0.830s behind pole sitter Jules Cluzel.

Smith although born in the UK, has lived in Spain since he was six and will be targeting a podium finish in tomorrow’s 16-lap World Supersport race at the 5.077km Spanish circuit.

Kyle Smith – P4, 1m53.968s

We’ve been struggling a bit with the bike’s set-up round here. The last two rounds I have gone out on the CBR600RR and it has felt good, but here we’re struggling a little. We made some changes yesterday and it felt better, but as everyone else improves and gets faster we have to as well. I’m chuffed with P4 this afternoon; we just have to make some more changes for warm-up tomorrow and see were we are from there.

Pieter Breddels

Kyle really found a good rhythm this morning and put in some good lap times. For the afternoon we did make a small change and tried to improve some more, but it didn’t pay off. We worked on the bike during the session so he finished with a similar set-up to that in the morning and pulled out the fourth fastest time in the end, so we’re happy with that and looking forward to the race tomorrow.