Photo: World Superbike
JEREZ, Spain – The World Superbike championship chase is going down to the last round again, as it did last year. At the second-last race of the season Ducati’s Chaz Davies once again did the double – making his win record five out of the last six races, four on the trot – to keep his third place in the championship. But the Kawasaki team-mates of Jonathon Rea and Tom Sykes, trading seconds and thirds in the October 15-16 races, are still well on top of the standings, with Rea needing only two points to gather up his second consecutive WSBK title.
Their finishes also gave Kawasaki its second consecutive WSBK Manufacturers’ Title, something as important to the factory as the rider’s title.
Davies was in his own world, qualifying only sixth but barging his way past the Kawasakis in both races in just a couple of laps – on the first lap in Sunday’s race – and then disappearing into the distance. The Welshman said, “To win four races in a row is just unreal. Lately I’ve been very confident and able to push 100 percent every lap, just dancing on the bike.” When asked after the race what he’d done during the summer break to turn his season around, he quipped, “I went to Portsmouth, drank beer and ate nachos! But yeah, at the Aragon test during the summer break we found a couple of things that really made the bike better for me.”
Rea, relaxed and relatively pleased with his third and second places on the weekend, said, “I am satisfied with the championship gap. We can go to Qatar in a relaxed mood and look to pick up the target there.” Rea only needs to score two points at the final race to clinch his title, and since he’s been finishing on the podium all year, he has every right to be relaxed about the final races.
Fourth in both races was Honda’s Nicky Hayden, the American reasonably pleased if not delighted with his results. The big thing for him was finishing ahead of his ten Kate Honda team-mate Michael van der Mark in both races, closing his battle with VDM for fourth in the series in his first year in the WSBK paddock. He’ll have a brand-new bike for 2017, while van der Mark is heading for the Yamaha squad, where he’ll partner Alex Lowes.
The 2006 Moto GP champ said, “I just couldn’t run at their pace. On used tires my bike was working really well, so I was able to chip away at them and bring that gap back, but it was a little too late … Two fourth places are not the end of the world, but certainly a couple of podiums would have been nicer.”
Following the two Honda riders in the series is Davies’ Ducati team-mate Davide Giugliano, who is still suffering from a shoulder injury. He crashed out in the first race and could only manage 13th in the second, citing the pain from his still-healing shoulder. He’s out of the team for 2017, and is yet to announce where he’ll be going.
Another rider with no confirmed slot for 2017 is Sylvain Guintoli, the British-based French ace being released from the Yamaha team despite usually finishing ahead of his team-mate Alex Lowes – this weekend carding a sixth and fifth. He’s been considering some offers in the British superbike series and is also rumoured to have been offered a seat with MV Agusta along with Leon Camier. But MV’s financial situation is dicey, to say the least, so it seems more likely Guintoli will grab a BSB ride if he gets a good offer, which would also allow him to stay close to home and his growing family.
World Supersport
Turkey’s Kenan Sufuoglu captured his fifth World Supersport title in fine style, taking the holeshot and leading most of the race despite being passed for the lead several times, mostly by newcomer phenomenon Niki Tuuli of Finland, who kept him honest to the finish. It was Tuuli’s third second-place in a row with a private underfunded team – you can believe he’s a prime target for next year’s series.
Sufuoglu’s only challenger for the title, team-mate Randy Krummenacher of Switzerland, made it relatively easy for Sofuoglu by crashing out early while leading. That handed the title to the Turkish 600 cc ace, but he pounded away the whole race to take the title with a win and a vengeance.
The win also secured Kawasaki’s Manufacturers’ Title, doubling up on the Green Team’s collecting the Superbike title on the same weekend.
Other title contenders Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta, France) and P.J. Jacobsen (Honda, U.S.) could only manage sixth and fourth on the day. Cluzel’s MV is suffering from electronic woes due to rules changes for 2016, according to fellow MV rider Gino Rea of England, while New York native Jacobsen has just been a touch off the sharp end for the past few races.
Calgary’s Braden Ortt finished 24th overall and seventh in the European Supersport Cup (same rules as World Supersport, fewer races).
European Junior Cup
Mika Perez (Granshagen Racing Team) clinched the EJC title after crossing the line in fourth place. The Spaniard placed himself at the front in the early stages of the race, but after a near collision with eventual winner Harun Cabuk of Turkey on lap 3, decided to stay behind the battle at the front, consisting of seven riders fighting for victory, Cabuk taking the win over Italy’s Alfonso Coppola by 0.068 sec.
Canada’s Stacey Nesbitt finished 21st (third woman) and 28th (fifth woman) in the two races, the women’s class being won as usual by Avalon Biddle of New Zealand.
World Superbike Standings after 12 of 13 events (24 of 26 races)
- Jonathon Rea, U.K., Kawasaki Racing, 462 points
- Tom Sykes, U.K., Kawasaki Racing, 414
- Chaz Davies, U.K., Aruba Ducati, 395
- Michael van der Mark, Netherlands, Ten Kate Honda, 255
- Nicky Hayden, U.S.A., Ten Kate Honda, 228
- Davide Giugliano, Italy, Aruba Ducati, 197
- Jordi Torres, Spain, Althea BMW, 195
- Leon Camier, U.K., MV Agusta, 165
- Lorenzo Savadori, IODA Racing Aprilia, 140
- Xavier Fores, Spain, Barni Racing Ducati, 133
Next race, Losail Circuit, Qatar, October 29-30.
