2017 Australian World Supersport Results from Phillip Island
Following a shortened, 10-lap race at Phillip Island due to a huge crash involving Robin Mulhauser (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) at turn 6, Team Factory Vamag MV Agusta’s Roberto Rolfo claimed the first World Supersport win of 2017.
The Italian fought to the very end to claim the victory by a mere 0.001 of a second ahead of GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP pilot Lucas Mahias (France). Earning third, 1.544 seconds back, was West Racing Yamaha’s Anthony West (Australia, wild card rider).
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During the final lap, CIA Landlord Insurance Honda’s Jules Cluzel and GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team’s Federico Caricasulo crashed while in contention for victory. Though Cluzel was diagnosed with a fractured sacrum bone (triangular bone at base of the spine), his team reports he will race at the Thailand round March 10-12.
Another front runner at the time, Race Department ATK#25 MV Agusta’s Alex Baldolini was also caught up in the crash, and forced to finish 13th.
Finishing behind West were Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki’s Kyle Ryde and Kallio Racing Yamaha’s Niki Tuuli.
Pole sitter PJ Jacobsen, the sole American in 2017 World Supersport, finished sixth aboard his MV Agusta Reparto Corse F3, though he suffered a technical issue before the restarted 10-lap race. Completing the top 10 were Aiden Wagner (GEMAR Team Lorini Honda), Kazuki Watanabe (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven), Nacho Calero (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) and Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki).
Defending champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was absent due to a pre-season hand injury which means he will miss the opening two rounds of the 2017 championship, the Turkish rider looking to come back in style early in April at MotorLand Aragon in Round 3.
With round one of 13 in the books, Rolfo leads the World Supersport Championship with 25 points, five ahead of Mahias and nine ahead of West. The 2017 World Supersport championship now breaks for two weeks before the Motul Thai round March 10-12.
