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september 19, 2016 - Kawasaki Racing

WorldSSP - Fifth Race Win For Championship Leader Sofuoglu

FIM Supersport World Championship points leader #kenansofuoglu moved even further ahead in the standings with his fifth race win of the 2016 season, and the 37th of his long #worldssp career. Kenan’s #kawasakipuccettiracing team-mate #randykrummenacher was sixth today, pushing for all 19-laps but unable to challenge for a final podium position at the end.

Starting from pole on his #ninjazx6r, Sofuoglu was quick away from the lights but young Finnish rider Niki Tuuli led the first two laps until Sofuoglu passed him and controlled the race from the front. Sofuoglu had Tuuli for company for almost the whole 19 laps but reasserted his leading position in the final few circuits, despite making a less than ideal tyre choice in what were cool raceday conditions.
 
Kenan’s final margin of victory was 1.757 seconds, placing him into an even more impressive championship lead over his nearest title challenger, and his own team-mate, Krummenacher.
 
Krummenacher, starting from the second row of the grid, used up his rear tyre in the early laps and as a consequence went from fourth to an eventual sixth.
 
After the nine of 12 rounds Sofuoglu has 171 points and Krummenacher 118, for an advantage of 53. Randy is now nine points ahead of the third place rider, PJ Jacobsen.
 
The next #worldssp round takes place at the French circuit of Magny Cours, with raceday on Sunday October 2nd.
 
Kenan Sofuoglu, stated: “I had a very good pace but after six or seven laps I had a real grip problem, so much spinning and vibration. We chose a different rear tyre option, the harder one; to have an easier full race pace, but it did not happen the way we expected. But no problem. I think the change in temperature was our problem because we had not run in these cooler conditions before, so I think that is why we had a problem on the rear grip. It was important to manage this race well and we did today. It was important for us to take the 25 points and I kept pushing to the end. I was thinking that if I won today it would help a lot in Magny Cours, at the next round. It was very important to win this race so I am very happy and very proud to give my team another win.”
 
Randy Krummenacher, stated: “I felt very strong at the beginning. Then I think I really used the rear tyre way too much, so I lost out in the last few laps. I had really zero grip any more on the rear. I just somehow managed to finish the race. Of course sixth place is not what I wanted but we have to analyse it and make it better in Magny Cours. Not testing here or not having ridden here for many years did not help me all weekend because it was in general one of the hardest weekends, but we look forward and will make it better in Magny Cours.”
 
ESS Kawasaki rider Illia Mikhalchik (DS Junior Team Kawasaki) scored points for 14th place in the race, winning the ESS race category. Axel Bassani (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki) was 15th but his team-mate Alessandro Zaccone (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki) crashed out of contention. Full series regular Christian Gamarino (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) finished in 19th place.

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