The World Supersport Championship headed this past weekend to Europe for the first time of 2015, round three occurring at Spain’s Motorland Aragon.
It was almost a year-to-the date since three-time World Supersport Champion Kenan Sofuoglu took a win. But this changed in Spain. The Kawasaki Puccetti Racing ZX-6R pilot chased pole man Jules Cluzel on the MV Agusta Reparto F3, but just like at the Chang Thai Round, Cluzel had bike issues.
He was forced to pit on lap 12 of 16, giving the lead to Sofuoglu, who took his 21st WSS victory by 3.224 seconds ahead of the American PJ Jacobsen on the Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres ZX-6R. Taking the final podium position was Pata Honda World Supersport’s Kyle Smith, who finished 5.695 seconds back.
Speaking of his win, Sofuoglu says: “This is where I want to be. Last year, I was so tired to be arriving in the paddock with eighth or ninth place in the championship. Now we are leading and this is what we needed. After Thailand I told myself, ‘I have to go for a win in Aragon’ and I did. It had been almost one full year since I last won a race. I am so happy today. A big thanks to my team; they deserve it – they deserve it more than me – and I am happy to bring them to first place.”
CIA Landlords Insurance Honda’s Gino Rea had a rough start in Aragon, but fought his way to fourth. Rea just beat the Italian Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto), his position decided by a photo.
There was a multi rider crashes on lap 6, with Thai race winner Ratthapark Wilairot (CORE Motorsport Thailand), Marco Faccani (San Carlo Puccetti Racing) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) all falling from the top 8 without injury.
The 2015 World Supersport Championship is tight after three rounds, which saw three different winners on three different manufacturers. Cluzel won the season opener at Phillip Island aboard the MV Agusta, Wilairot in Thailand aboard the the Honda CBR600RR and now Sofuoglu on the Kawasaki.
With his win, Sofuoglu now has the Supersport points lead with 55, 13 ahead of Jacobsen.
The series now heads directly to the Netherlands for the Dutch round at the TT Circuit Assen.
