2017 Aragon World Supersport Results
Following a race plagued by crashes, GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team’s Lucas Mahias claimed his first-ever World Supersport win.
The 27-year-old Frenchman earned the win at Motorland Aragon Sunday, a 16-lap race that came down to the wire. Mahias, the 2014 French Supersport Champion, finished 0.014 of a second ahead of Kallio Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 pilot Sheridan Morais.
Claiming third, 0.153 of a second behind Mahias, was the sole American in 2017 World SSP, MV Agusta Reparto Corse F3 pilot PJ Jacobsen, who started from pole.
With his win, Mahias, who finished second in the season opener at Phillip Island and DNF’d in Thailand, now has the WSS points lead with 45, five ahead of Team Factory Vamag MV Agusta’s Roberto Rolfo and 11 ahead of Morais.
Finishing fourth was CIA Landlord Insurance Honda CBR600RR pilot Jules Cluzel, who finished three seconds behind the podium finishers. He was followed by Puccetti Racing Junior Team FMI Kawasaki’s Michael Canducci and man who won the season opener in Australia, Rolfo.
Rounding out the top 10 were Christian Gamarino (BARDAHL EVAN BROS. Honda Racing), Kyle Ryde (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Hannes Soomer (WILSport Racedays) and Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing).
Cluzel’s teammate Robin Mulhauser crashed alone on the first lap at turn 7, Niki Tuuli (Kallio Racing) crashed at turn 9 on lap 5, with Kyle Smith (GEMAR Team Lorini) then going down at turn 14 on lap 7 having run at the front in the early stages.
Then there was more drama at the start of lap eight as Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) was flipped over his bike and Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was unable to avoid colliding with Caricasulo’s Yamaha.
Returning World Champion Sofuoglu, who missed the opening two rounds with a hand injury, was taken to the medical centre for check-ups, as was Caricasulo.
There were DNFs for Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) and Alessandro Zaccone (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), the Englishman stopping midrace and the Italian retiring in the opening stages.
The 2017 World Supersport Championship now breaks for four weeks ahead of round four in Assen. Practice gets underway Friday, April 28.
