WSBK Supersport Most Course-2: Crazy bet won for Tarran MacKenzie and Midori Moriwaki!

This morning, during the warmup in Most, the 30 drivers who are trying to oppose Nicholas Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), leader of the general classification, in the Supersport category could have had a reason for satisfaction: For once, it did not finish first in the session!

In fact, this is only because, as Stefano manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), his main opponent in the championship 46 points behind, he simply preferred to refrain from riding on a track soaked by a torrential downpour. Moreover, 14 of them made the same choice, leaving Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing Verdnatura WorldSSP) the honor of putting his name at the top of the table, in front Tom Edwards (Yart-Yamaha WorldSSP Team) and Valentine Debise (GMT94 Yamaha).

 

 

Obviously, it will be different for Race-2 which will now take place over 19 laps under a fairly heavy sky but with a track that is now dry and temperatures of 22° in the air and 30° on the asphalt.

The first line is composed of Nicolò Bulega, Stefano manzi et Raffaele De Rosa, the second of Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), Bahattin Sofuoğlu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and  Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki), the third of Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) and Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha).

 

 

When the red lights go out, Nicholas Bulega makes the holeshot in front Stefano Manzi, Yari Montella, Raffaele De Rosa, Jorge Navarro, Bahattin Sofuoğlu, Valentin Debise, Adrian Huertas and Federico Caricasulo.

 

 

In the first round, Yari Montella loses 4 positions before starting to recover.

As usual, Nicolò Bulega escapes with Stefano manzi at a short distance, and the two men broke away from the peloton led by Raffaele De Rosa, then by Jorge Navarro  from the 4th round.

 

 

Valentine Debise, 5th for a moment, was overtaken by Yari Montella, Bahattin Sofuoğlu, Federico Caricasulo, Adrian Huertas, Marcel Schrötter and Niki Tuuli.

In the 6th round, Jorge Navarro makes a mistake when the rain returns.

Stefano manzi then takes all the risks and takes the lead while the others start to ride on eggshells.

 

 

Bahattin Sofuoğlu and Marcel Schrötter take command when everyone enters the pitlane to put on the rain tires.

Who will make the winning bet?

Nicholas Bulega returns to the track 44 seconds behind the leader who is now Anupab Sarmoon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team), still on slicks.

By dint of pulling the string, he nevertheless made a mistake on the 10th lap, leaving the lead to Bahattin Sofuoğlu and Tarran MacKenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team).

 

In the 11th round, Stefano manzi experienced a technical problem and abandoned his Yamaha along the low wall.

 

 

There are eight rounds left and Nicholas Bulega came back to 31 seconds from the lead. It is immediately followed by Valentine Debise who even took command of the drivers on wet tires on the 12th lap.

.But the bet seems lost since the track dries and the gap goes back to 45 seconds.

We will therefore have a completely new podium, with for the moment Tarran MacKenzie separated by 7 seconds in front of a very tight quartet composed of Marcel Schrötter, Bahattin Sofuoğlu, John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) and Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team).

 

 

Valentine Debise receives two penalties for a question of time spent in the pitlane.

Marcel Schrötter escapes from the group and pushes to get back on top but the gap remains five seconds with two laps to go.

The Briton manages to perfection and it is a first victory for Tarran MacKenzie, and a very big emotion in the box of the always passionate Midori Moriwaki !

 

 

In the championship the gap between Nicholas Bulega et Stefano manzi remains stable, at 47 points in favor of the Ducati rider.

Results of Supersport Race-2 in Most: 

Classification credit: WorldSBK.com