Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Ducati) had a tense and finally dramatic fight for the first race honours at the final round of the WorldSSP championship at Phillip Island, with Montella guaranteeing his win after Caricasulo crashed close to the end of the race.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing Ducati) was second, closing in at times but finishing 2.7 seconds from Montella.
Third was Montella’s team-mate, Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who is still waiting for his first WorldSSP race win.
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) scooped up fourth place, over seven seconds behind Montella.
New World Champion Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was fifth, and Raffaele De Rosa (Ducati Orelac Racing VerdNatura) sixth.
Caricasulo got back on to finish seventh, one place up on Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo Racing By Puccetti Kawasaki) who was eighth – recording his best WorldSSP result to date. Simon Jespersen (Kallio Racing Yamaha) placed ninth and 33 seconds behind the race win Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) rounded out the top ten at Phillip Island.
Words: Gordon Ritchie
Pics: Gold&Goose
