News 19 Jun 2017

Melandri clinches Italy's 100th WorldSBK win at Misano

Sofuoglu makes it four WorldSSP race wins in a row.

Source: Supplied.

At the Pirelli Rimini Round of the Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) on Sunday it was home rider Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who took a stunning first win of 2017, with Kawasaki Racing Team pair Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes also on the podium.

Responding positively to his last lap crash in race one, Melandri came from 10th on the grid to return to winning ways with a +1.113s victory over Rea. It was Melandri’s first WorldSBK win since 2014 and the 100th victory for an Italian rider in the championship.

The second place result for world champion Rea strengthened his title defence as he now leads the standings by 50 points after seven rounds. It was also a successful weekend for Sykes as he followed up on his race one win with another podium result to continue his excellent recent form.

Starting from pole Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) had held the lead for eight laps but he was hugely frustrated to drop out of the race with a rear tyre problem with just three laps to go when riding in second place. The top five was completed by Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) and Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia).

Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia), Raffaele de Rosa (Althea BMW Racing Team), Randy Krummenacher (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Leandro Mercado (IODARacing) and Stefan Bradl (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) completed the top 10.

After his crash on Saturday, Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was unfit to race on Sunday, having suffered a closed thoracic trauma, a fracture of the transverse process of L3 and a contusion of the left thumb.

WorldSSP champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who took a fourth consecutive victory, accompanied on the podium by Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) and Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team). Anthony West (EAB West Racing Yamaha) was P10, while Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki) and Giuseppe Scarcella (Team Lorini Honda) didn’t finish.

The WorldSSP300 race saw Mika Perez (WILSport Racedays) secure a close victory ahead of Armando Pontone (IODARacing) and Alfonso Coppola (SK Racing), as world championship leader Scott Deroue (MTM HS Kawasaki) crossed the line in 12th position. His championship lead is now down to three points as they head to the summer break.

In STK1000 it was Marco Faccani (Althea BMW Racing Team) who just beat Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) to the line, while Maximillian Scheib (Nuova M2 Racing) joined the leading two on the podium. Mike Jones (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) pressed on for P8, while Glenn Scott (Agro On-Benjan Kawasaki) climbed through the order for a point in 15th.

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