FIM Supersport World Championship
Donington Park, England
May 27, 2017
Qualifying Results (all on Pirelli tires):
From Superpole Qualifying Session Two:
1. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:30.904
2. Lucas MAHIAS, France (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:30.971
3. Jules CLUZEL, France (Honda CBR600RR), 1:31.485
4. Luke STAPLEFORD, UK (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:31.559
5. Jack KENNEDY, Ireland (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:31.565
6. PJ JACOBSEN, USA (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:31.622
7. Joe FRANCIS, UK (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:31.656
8. Kyle SMITH, UK (Honda CBR600RR), 1:31.903
9. Gino REA, UK (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:32.067
10. Sheridan MORAIS, South Africa (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:32.109
11. Christian GAMARINO, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), 1:32.144
12. Hikari OKUBO, Japan (Honda CBR600RR), 1:32.192
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
WorldSSP: Super Sofuoglu on pole at Donington
Turkish rider to head grid for sixth WorldSSP race of 2017, with Mahias and Cluzel also on front row
At the PATA UK Round on Saturday afternoon it was WorldSSP World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who secured pole position for the sixth race of the season with a 1’30.904 lap of the 4.023km Donington Park Circuit on his Kawasaki ZX-6R. Frenchmen Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) and Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) are also on the front row.
The Turk notched his 32nd pole in the category and his second of 2017 so far as he showed his rivals he means business this weekend.
The rider in Sofuoglu’s sights at the top of the championship standings – Mahias – qualified in second place on the grid on his Yamaha YZF R6, just +0.067s off pole.
Making it three different manufacturers on the front row was Mahias’ compatriot Cluzel who qualified third, half a second behind the front two on the Honda CBR600RR.
SP1 leader Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing) put another manufacturer towards the front of the grid in fourth on the Triumph Daytona 675, as the top British qualifier for his home race.
Just behind Stapleford on the second row is Irishman Jack Kennedy in fifth, also on the Profile Racing Triumph, with Friday’s fastest rider American PJ Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in sixth.
On the third row are three more Britons, HALSALL Racing Team wild card Joe Francis in seventh, GEMAR Team Lorini’s Kyle Smith in eighth and Team Kawasaki Go Eleven man Gino Rea in ninth place on the grid for Sunday’s sixth race of the year.
Row four will feature Sheridan Morais (Kallio Racing), Christian Gamarino (BARDAHL EVAN BROS. Honda Racing) and Hikari Okubo (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) – who qualified 10th, 11th and 12th respectively.
The two riders to graduate from Tissot Superpole 1 before SP2 were
Stapleford and Francis, Stapleford topping the session with a 1’31.579 best time.
The 20 lap WorldSSP race at the PATA UK Round will take place at 12 midday local time at the Donington Park Circuit on Sunday.
Pole Position – Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)
“It was a difficult day because this morning was wet and this afternoon was windy but anyway we make a good lap and got pole position. We have to be fighting tomorrow. Yesterday I make a very good pace for the race, and the same pace as today. I am very confident for the race. I cant say I did enough but that’s good.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Sofuoglu Wins Superpole Again
Five-time WorldSSP champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) outpaced his rivals to record his second pole position of the season, and the 32nd of his career, at Donington Park today. He will now start Sunday’s race from the optimum leading grid position, with his team-mate Kyle Ryde ending up in 14th place for his home event.
After a blistering first day on track on Friday today the weather was in changeable mood, with the riders meeting wet conditions in FP1 and then dry asphalt again in Superpole 2 qualifying.
Irrespective of what he encountered at a circuit he has won the two most recent races at Sofuoglu overcame the challenge and took Superpole by just 0.067 seconds from French rider Lucas Mahias.
Extended his own all-time record of pole positions in WorldSSP to 32 today Sofuoglu will be going for his third race win of the season in succession on Sunday.
Hoping to be in the leading positions after Superpole Ryde now has to work his way through from 14th place on the grid. Kyle is experiencing more difficulties keeping up full pace on he faster parts of the circuit, but is much more at ease in the tight slower sections, and under braking.
The race itself will start at 12 noon on Sunday for what are expected to be 20 intense and competitive laps of the 4.023km circuit.
Kenan Sofuoglu, stated: “It has been a bit of a difficult day, honestly, because this morning was wet, but we achieved pole position. I cannot say I made such a good lap time but it was enough to take pole position. We have to be ready for the race tomorrow. Yesterday I had really good pace which is good to know for the race. I am very confident for Sunday. I cannot say that I did exactly what I wanted today but it was enough.”
Kyle Ryde, stated: “Wherever on the track I struggled at Donington in 2015, when I got a podium finish, this weekend has been the complete opposite. I pass people with ease into the last two corners this season but when I get out the back it is impossible to ride the way I want to. Maybe I have to change my riding style to be more like Kenan, and go in a bit tighter on the brakes, but it is not quite happening for me right now. Before this weekend I thought I would be able to get into the top five in Superpole but I am 14th, which is not where I want to be.”
Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) was ninth in Superpole 2 and will now start from the third row of the grid for his home round. Michael Canducci (3570 Puccetti Racing FMI Kawasaki) rode to 17th place while Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) completed the top twenty positions. Kazuki Watanabe (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) was 26th, with Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki) 27th, Nacho Calero (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) 29th and Rob Hartog (Team Hartog Jenik Against Cancer Kawasaki) 30th.
More, from a press release issued by CIA Landlord Insurance Honda:
Front row start for Cluzel at Donington Park
CIA Landlord Insurance Honda rider, Jules Cluzel will start tomorrow’s World Supersport race at Donington Park from the front row of the grid in 3rd position.
Jules is confident his race pace is enough to challenge for his first win of the season in the 20-lap race at the 4.023km Derbyshire circuit.
Jules said: “I am happy to be on the front row after the difficult qualifying we had at the last 2 or 3 races. I think we can fight for the podium tomorrow because I was expecting maybe to do a little better in qualifying but I made a few mistakes and I struggled a little with the strong wind; I nearly crashed in 2 fast laps. I can be happy to be 3rd for tomorrow and I expect to be a bit better and be able to fight for the podium first, and then try to be better.”
Hikari Okubo finished Superpole 2 in 12th position. He had some problems selecting gear during the session so was unable to match his pace from yesterday. He is confident he will be on the pace in the race to challenge for a top six finish.
Robin Mulhauser improved in time slightly from yesterday during Superpole 1 but still couldn’t place higher than 23rd on the timesheet for the race tomorrow.
Hiromichi Kunikawa qualified 33rd in Superpole 1. Hiromichi tried a small chassis change from yesterday’s Free Practice 2 and will revert back to the previous set up for the race tomorrow.
CIA Landlord Insurance Honda Team Manager, Simon Buckmaster said: “It was a really good qualifying for Jules, he made a couple of mistakes so there is more to come. We will see if we can make some small improvements in warm up tomorrow but we are in good shape certainly to challenge for the podium and I think Jules can maybe do a bit better, maybe he can challenge for the win.”
“A little bit disappointing for Hikari in 12th positon. We will check everything for tomorrow. He has got the pace, he proved that yesterday so let’s see what he can do.”
“I thought Robin would get into the 32s today – he hasn’t so we will analyse the data together as a team to see if we can improve in warm up and try to challenge for points in the race.”
“Hiromichi was lapping 34s in FP2 yesterday and managed low 36 today which is disappointing. We will probably go back to the set-up we had for him yesterday and see how far he can fight up the field in the race.”
More, from a press release issued by MV Agusta:
TOP 6 FOR LEON CAMIER IN RACE1 AT DONINGTON PARK WHILE PJ JACOBSEN GOT THE 2ND ROW ON GRID IN TOMORROW’S WORLDSSP RACE
Under the grey sky of Donington Park, in the East Midlands area (UK), Leon Camier and his MV Agusta F4 RC closed in 6th position the first of two WorldSBK races, going back in 8th place in overall standings. PJ Jacobsen and Alessandro Zaccone will start respectively from the 2nd and 8th row on grid in tomorrow’s WorldSSP race.
WorldSBK – FP3, SP2, Race1
The pouring rain that welcomed the FP3 early this morning did not allow Leon Camier to take full advantage of the session in order to search the best setting on his bike, with the MV Agusta Reparto Corse’s rider able to close 10th in the Tissot-Superpole2 heat and ready to start from the 4th row in Race1.
The fluctuating weather condition, very typical at these latitudes, returns to darkening the sky as Race1 approaches, with Leon Camier starting fast from the 4th row and coming back to the top of the point-scoring area. At the end of the 23 laps scheduled on the British track, the Briton is able to ends in 6th position, going back to the 8th place in the championship standings.
WorldSSP – FP3, SP1, SP2
Fresh from yesterday’s outstanding performance, which saw PJ Jacobsen get the fastest lap time in the WorldSSP timesheet, today the American rider of Team MV Agusta Reparto Corse had to step back in 2nd row, after getting the 6th lap time in the Tissot-Superpole2, only 0.7s from the leader. His teammate Alessandro Zaccone had to face some extra difficulty, closing only 22nd in WorldSSP charts but still 2nd in the ESS’s ranking.
Leon Camier #2 WorldSBK – It was a positive day for sure, considering we managed to close in 6th position. We lost a bit of time in same areas but I tried to take advantage of the ones where I could make some good passes. Honestly, today it wasn’t possibile to do much more and I am happy with this position. Let’s stay focused on tomorrow’s Race2 for another positive result.
Patrick “PJ” Jacobsen #99 WorldSSP – Even if I closed in 2nd row, it wasn’t a good qualifying session for me because I suffered some little problems on the bike. The positive side is my team is working really hard and I am confident we can fix it for tomorrow, so we can make some good result in the race.
Alessandro Zaccone #61 ESS – I cannot say I am satisfied after this qualifying day. We have faced several problems today, with the bike still vibrating a lot and not allowing me to push hard. I think for the race we will get back to the setting we had on Friday, trying to get some extra feeling with the bike and return to the scoring point positions.