After a busy second race at Misano, Turkey's Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) took victory in the sixth round of the World Supersport Championship (WorldSSP), taking advantage of a stroke of bad luck for leader Stefano Manzi. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) and Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) completed the podium, while the Italian rider's misfortune allowed them to gain ground in the championship..
Championship leader Stefano Manzi looked set to consolidate his lead after a remarkable first race, in which he made a spectacular comeback from tenth place to win.. But the second race turned tragic: while leading the race, Manzi crashed at Turn 16, giving Can Oncu the opportunity to move into the lead. Manzi's retirement allowed his main rivals to close the gap, with Oncu now just 47 points behind the leader, down from more than 60 previously..
The fate of the race changed several times. After Manzi's crash, Japanese rider Kaito Toba (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) also crashed heavily at Turn 14, causing the race to be red-flagged after more than two-thirds of the distance had been covered. This decision sealed the result, frustrating Masia and Debise, who still hoped to challenge Oncu in the closing laps..
The race was marked by several notable performances. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) put up a strong fight to finish fourth, while Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Team) confirmed his consistency with a fifth place. Roberto Garcia (GMT94-YAMAHA), entering for the first time this weekend, impressed by climbing from 20th to 6th place..
The second race of the weekend was particularly testing for the riders, with nine retirements recorded. Notable incidents included the collision between Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) and Corentin Perolari (Honda Racing World Supersport) at Turn 5, and the collision between Tom Booth Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) and Filippo Farioli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), both of whom were sent crashing. Luke Power (Motozoo ME Air Racing), Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) and Kaito Toba also retired, the latter causing the race to be interrupted..
With Manzi's fall, the championship has taken a new turn. The second half of the season promises to be more interesting.
WorldSSP Misano – Race 2 standings:
Ranking : World SBK
