Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured his second win of the Motorland Aragon WorldSBK weekend, by 6.471 seconds from Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team).
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) was third but looked to be on course for second place until he ran wide and Sykes pounced on his chance.
Sykes had made his usual fast start but Davies made a hard push in the first two laps to lead. Just after the halfway point Rea passed Sykes for second, as Sykes ran wide into the final corner, but it was not to last.
Tom Sykes
Behind the podium places Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) had another storming ride for his second fourth place of the weekend, just 2.2 seconds from Rea.
Michael van der Mark (Honda World Superbike Team) was having a top five ride until Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) passed him. VDM would eventually slow to finish seventh.
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had a disappointing race, with a mid-race hiccup dropping him back, although he rallied to finish sixth.
Alex De Angelis (IodaRacing Team Aprilia) was eighth, only a few days after arm surgery. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) was ninth, winning a late battle with his team-mate Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team).
Josh Brookes (Milwaukee BMW) was 13th. Just out of the points, Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) went 16th.
Josh Brookes
Nicky Hayden (Honda World Superbike Team) was in trouble from the start and slowed dramatically, looking at the front end of his machine on lap 15, then pitting.
In the championship points Rea leads with 131, Davies is second on 105 and Sykes is third with 102.
First 2016 Win For Sofuoglu In WorldSSP Race
Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) took the early lead and kept it from pole position, with his team-mate Randy Krummenacher (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) second after 16-laps of running in the front group.
This was Sofuoglu’s first race win of the new season and the 33rd of his long career. In the championship the Kawasaki 1-2 keeps Krummenacher in the lead with 58 points and Sofuoglu is now third with 45.
Regular WSS privateer rider Nicolas Terol (Schmidt Racing MV Agusta) rode to a dramatic third place, having started from eighth, after some other top riders hit trouble. It was a popular podium for the local Spanish crowd to enjoy.
Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was third early on with Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25 MV Agusta) fourth. Both would experience problems, although Cluzel would finish fourth in the race; Baldolini no-scored.
A front end crash from PJ Jacobsen (Honda World Supersport Team) on his own at turn two put the leading Honda rider out of contention on lap one as his bike barrel-rolled into the gravel.
Baldolini’s bike blew up and blue smoke came out of his machine down the main straight. He pulled over and stopped at the end of pitlane.
Kenan Sofuoglu
Eight laps in Cluzel dropped back three places in two corners, signalling some problems to his team on the pit wall on the next lap around.
With so many top names out of contention some new riders came to the fore, with Alessandro Zaccone (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki) fifth and his team-mate Axel Bassani (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki). Both are part time ESS riders, who only do the European rounds.
PI podium runner Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. Honda Racing) was seventh and fast starting Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) eighth. The top ten was rounded out by Kevin Wahr (GEMAR Balloons – Team Lorini Honda) and Christian Gamarino (Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki).
Kyle Smith (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) was 11th, Kyle Ryde (Ranieri Med – SC Racing Yamaha) 12th.
Davies The Destroyer In Race One
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) became the first non-Kawasaki race winner of the 2016 season when he took the opening race win after 18-laps at Motorland Aragon.
He broke the lap record on lap three with a 1’50.421 and eased past race leader Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) before heading off to an eventual margin of victory of 4.168 seconds.
Second in the race was Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) who finally held off pole sitter Sykes.
In the championship Rea has 115 points, Sykes 82 and Davies 80.
After he fell from contention Michael van der Mark (Honda World Superbike Team) is fourth on an unchanged 65 points.
A great ride from local rider Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) saw him work his way to fourth place in the race, beating the factory Panigale of Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in the final laps.
Nicky Hayden (Honda World Superbike Team) was sixth but 21 seconds from the winner. Another local rider Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) placed seventh.
Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) dropped places in the early laps after a front row start but recovered to go eighth.
His team-mate Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) was second for some time but dropped back and ended up crossing the line ninth. His bike quit on the exit of pitlane after he got over the line.
Lorenzo Savadori (IodaRacing Team Aprilia) and his team-mate Alex De Angelis finished 10th and 11th respectively.
Local man Roman Ramos (Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki) finished in 12th place, with reigning BSB Champion Josh Brookes (Milwaukee BMW)13th.
Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) lost time and dropped out of the race with a technical problem.
Kenan Cracks The 25 Barrier | WSS SUPERPOLE 2
Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) took a comfortable win in the pre-race Superpole 2 contest inside the WorldSSP class, but did not get close to the previous track best from 2015 despite finishing over 0.8 seconds from his nearest competitor. It was his 25th career pole position, extending his all-time record in the class.
Randy Krummenacher (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was second after Superpole, and the resurgent Thai race winner Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) third, completing the front row for Sunday’s race.
The second row was headed by first Honda rider on the grid, PJ Jacobsen (Honda World Supersport Team), with Christian Gamarino (Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki) fifth and Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse).
Home boy Nicolas Terol (Schmidt Racing MV Agusta) and Italian privateer Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25 MV Agusta) secured their entry to Superpole 2 from Superpole 1, finishing Superpole 2 eighth in the case of Terol and seventh for Baldolini.
British rider Gino Rea (GRT Racing Team MV Agusta) was ninth and first day sensation Alessandro Zaccone (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki), the top ESS Rider on show in tenth place.
Roberto Rolfo (Team Factory Vamag MV Agusta) went 11th overall and Axel Bassani (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki) placed 12th.
Superpole 2 And New Track Best For Tom Sykes
2013 world champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) won the pre-race Superpole qualifying contest at Motorland Aragon on his KRT machine, making it 32 pole wins in his career and his second top starting position of the year.
His lap of 1’49.374 was a new track best, beating the 1’49.664 set by Leon Haslam and Aprilia last year – an achievement for Sykes considering the cold track temperature of 19°C.
In a surprising Superpole contest all round Superpole 1 qualifier Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) upped his game significantly to go second on the grid, with his British team-mate Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) alongside in third place.
Potential pole man Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fourth, and on the second row of the grid, while reigning world champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) was fifth fastest. The second works Ducati, from Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was sixth.
Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was a straight Superpole 2 qualifier and went seventh in the final pre-race rankings. Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) and Guintoli were the duo who exited the first Superpole sector to join the top ten qualifiers in Superpole 2, with Guintoli second and Torres eighth on the final grid. Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) was the second Spanish rider inside the top nine places at his home race.
Nicky Hayden (Honda World Superbike Team) outpaced his team-mate Michael van der Mark (Honda World Superbike Team) for tenth, after VDM crashed going for another fast lap, losing the front after drifting wide on a corner exit.
Lorenzo Savadori (IodaRacing Team Aprilia) was 12th and the final Superpole qualifier.
Round 4 of WSBK continues 15-17 April in Assen.
