A delayed start and then two subsequent red flag incidents – two involving one-time championship leader Roberto Rolfo (Team Factory Vamag MV Agusta) – caused the race to be postponed until after the second Superbike race of the weekend.
In the final running, scheduled for 11-laps at 14.20 as opposed to its first attempted go over 17 laps at 11.30, was headed by the biggest winning machine in WorldSSP history – Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing).
It was his 40th race victory at this level for a rider who was already on a class of his own in terms of race wins.
He beat the continuing championship leader, Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) to the 25 points at Imola and the last rider on the podium was American Patrick Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). The top three were separated by only 1.573 seconds.
Sheridan Morais (Kallio Race System Yamaha) was fourth, 8.405 seconds from Sofuoglu, with British rider Kyle Smith (GEMAR Balloons – Team Lorini Honda) and France’s Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) fifth and sixth.
One-time leader of the first start, Christian Gamarino (BARDHAL EVAN BROS. Honda Racing), was seventh and wild card rider Loris Cresson (SC Racing – RPM84 Yamaha) eighth.
Hikari Okubo (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) and Alessandro Zaccone (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) completed the top ten, with Zaccone the best placed ESS – part time – rider.
Anthony West (EAB West Racing Yamaha) was 11th and Jack Kennedy (Profile Racing Triumph) 12th. Kyle Ryde (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) crashed out.
By Gordon Ritchie
