Silverstone World Supersport: Honda Report

World Supersport

Laverty fends off Sofuoglu in thrilling Silverstone race Pole winner Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) led in impressive form in what was a delayed 16-lap Supersport World Championship race.

He would eventually repel the attack put in by championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and in the overall points standings Sofuoglu now has 203, Laverty 186.

This was Laverty’s sixth win of the season and it came in composed style as he led in the early laps, closely followed for a time by Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda), who eventually finished third – his first podium at this level of racing.

Sofuoglu passed first Rea and then, after some Honda infighting between Kenan and Eugene, Sofuoglu took a lead that lasted until the middle of the final lap. Laverty made a clean pass and held off his championship rival by only 0.220 seconds.

Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) and Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha) were injured in a first corner crash when the race was first started, and the severity of the crash was such that the race was stopped and restarted over its full length. Medical reports indicated that each rider suffered a broken left collarbone, while Lascorz also sustained two fractured vertebrae and three broken ribs.

For Gino Rea a home race was the perfect place to take a well-deserved third place. He had qualified sixth on the grid, and stuck to the more experienced Laverty until the sheer pace of the leading two riders pushed him back. He is now fifth overall, one place ahead of sixth.

Parkalgar Honda rider Miguel Praia scored yet another career best in a WSS race, finishing sixth today after a disappointing qualifying result of 12th on Saturday. The Portuguese rider was also as close as he has ever been to a podium finish, as part of a fighting group that was chasing Rea.

Massimo Roccoli from the Intermoto Czech Honda team was ninth in the race, eighth in qualifying, as he pushed hard at a circuit he enjoyed riding at.

Ronan Quarmby replaced the injured Michele Pirro in the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team, but had a difficult race after falling and hurting his left leg in practice. He qualified 18th and finished in the same position.

The next round is to be held at the Nürburgring, Germany, between September 3 and September 5.

Kenan Sofuoglu says: “A good race because all weekend we had a difficult time until Sunday morning, when we improved things a lot. We got a lot of points but I want to win. I have to wait until the Nürburgring again now. At the moment the bikes are very similar and I think that Eugene was a bit faster than me.”

Eugene Laverty says: “I thought I had got away early in the race because Gino was pushing me so hard, and we were doing 2.09 lap times, which were like my pole time. I knew the pace was quick and that he was a few seconds over those behind us, so I did not expect Kenan to come through as quick as he did in the end. When he caught me I dropped back behind, because I knew from practice that he was strong towards the end of the lap. I wanted to get a look at him, an there were a few areas where he was weak and I made my move at the first of those.”

Gino Rea says: “I can’t believe I am standing on the podium; it is where I have wanted to be for so long. It was an exciting race and I was behind Eugene for quite a lot of it and I didn’t think I would be able to hang onto him. I tried my hardest but as my tyres started going off I started dropping back a bit.”

Miguel Praia says: “My best finish in World Supersport so as I am getting older I am getting better, like good port wine! I got pushed wide early on and that was a problem, as I lost two places. I pushed hard to try and catch Robbin Harms but I left my pass on Lagrive too long – maybe two laps too long – and missed my chance. But it was great being only three seconds or so from a podium so it was a good step.”

Ronan Quarmby says: “It wasn’t my luckiest weekend. Basically they found out his morning that I had cracked my ankle yesterday, and there was a bit of swelling. I had an injection and I could not feel the pain but after the red flag my foot was in my boot for a long time, so it started getting painful even after two or three laps. But it was a good experience doing my first World Supersport race.”

Massimo Roccoli says: “I started well but we could not keep the early pace, so we went from sixth on lap one to ninth. We got some points and it was good for the team for Gino to take third place.”

Pole position : 2m09.426s (164.465Km/h) Eugene Laverty, Honda
Fastest lap : Lap 9 – 2m08.717s (165.069Km/h) Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda
Circuit record lap : 2m08.717s (165.069Km/h) Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, 2010
Circuit Best Lap : 2m08.717s (165.069Km/h) Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, 2010

World Supersport Silverstone Results:

1. Eugene Laverty 34m35.068s IR HONDA Parkalgar Honda
2. Kenan Sofuoglu +0.220s TUR HONDA Hannspree Ten Kate Honda
3. Gino Rea +12.451s GB HONDA Intermoto Czech
4. Chaz Davies +13.683s GBR TRIUMPH ParkinGO Triumph BE1
5. Robbin Harms +13.839s DEN HONDA Harms Benjan Racing
6. Miguel Praia +15.699s PRT HONDA Parkalgar Honda
7. Matthieu Lagrive +16.709s ITA TRIUMPH ParkinGO Triumph BE1
8. David Salom +17.593s SPA TRIUMPH ParkinGO BE1 Triumph
9. Massimo Roccoli +22.837s ITA HONDA Intermoto Czech
10. Sam Lowes +23.092s GBR HONDA GNS Racing
11. James Westmoreland +31.189s GBR YAMAHA Came Yamaha
12. Fabien Foret +32.562s FRA KAWASAKI Team Lorenzini By leoni
13. Billy McConnell +37.623s AUS YAMAHA Came Yamaha
14. V. Iannuzzo +40.614s ITA TRIUMPH ParkinGO Triumph BE1
15. Katsuaki Fujiwara +40.762s JPN KAWASAKI Kawasaki Motocard.com
16. Bastien Chesaux +54.686s SWI HONDA Harms Benjan Racing
17. Christian Iddon +55.198s GBR HONDA Parkalgar Honda
18. Ronan Quarmby +58.957s RSA HONDA Hannspree Ten Kate Honda
19. Danilo Dell Omo +1m11.342s ITA HONDA Kuja Racing
20. Ian Lowry +1m11.723s GBR YAMAHA IFS Lowe Racedays
21. M. Hunt +1m38.475s GBR YAMAHA Race Lab Yamaha
22. Mark Aitchinson +1m41.788s AUS HONDA Kuja Racing
23. Imre Toth +1 Lap HUN HONDA Team Toth
24. Jenny Tinmouth NC – 7 Laps GBR HONDA Sorrymate.com Racing
25. Alexander Thomas Lowes NC GBR YAMAHA Seton Interceptor
26. R. Tamburini NC ITA YAMAHA Bike Service R.T.
27. Joan Lascorz NC ESP KAWASAKI Kawasaki Motocard.com

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