Source: Supplied.

Kawasaki Puccetti Racing’s Kenan Sofuoglu will skip the Australian and Thailand rounds of the 2017 World Supersport Championship.

Despite a recent right thumb and hand injury that has required two surgical procedures to try to fix, the most recent only taking place a few days ago, Sofuoglu rode bravely in testing at Phillip Island.

The Turkish rider could only do so for a lap or two at a time before he was forced to stop as a consequence of his injury. He has ultimately decided to miss the first two rounds to have surgery to reattach severed tendons and come back fully fit.

“We made a decision that I am going back home and not racing at the first two rounds,” Soguoglu said. “Over these two days of testing I tried my best to be on the bike but, honestly, I can do one or two laps but after that the pain makes it impossible to ride. The problem is my right thumb, which is dislocated.

“It keeps moving and touching my other bones. We think the best way is to stop trying to race now, get surgery and to be ready for Motorland Aragon. I have spoken to a few doctors and all of them say to stop now and have a ligament operation to hopefully ready to race in Spain. We hope for this outcome but it is not sure. I am very disappointed that I cannot race here.”

Sofuoglu, despite the pain and lack of strength in his right hand, had posted a lap that was seventh best overall. He was the fastest Kawasaki rider at the final official tests of the 2017 pre-season.

The multiple world champion rider intends to return to race action at the first round in Europe, in early April, at Motorland Aragon.