As ever, the Superpole qualifying session in WorldSSP300 was held on Friday afternoon, while the Italian circuit basked in the bright sunshine and hot temperatures that graced the Adriatic coast for the entire weekend.
Ninja 400 rider Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI Kawasaki) secured pole position for the opening race with his best lap of 1’49.152. This was his first career pole start in this intense category of closely contested racing.
Hot track temperatures of 47°C - leading to relatively slippery surface - played their part in ensuring that the track best time was not seriously threatened - even in Superpole, when the whole aim to set one super-fast lap time.
David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI Kawasaki) was fourth in Superpole qualifying and Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport) sixth.
Race One featured the usual close fight out front, with nine riders finally crossing the finish line in one hazy - but stilll attached - leading group. They were all covered by just 1.660 seconds at the flag. The top competitors after the first 12-lap race of the weekend included six Ninja 400 riders.
Amazingly, things would get even closer in Race Two
Garcia was a close third on Saturday, boosting his championship prospects considerably. Salvador placed fifth, Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza - Box77 Racing Kawasaki) was sixth and Torres seventh. Osuna had started the race from 14th place on the grid.
Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki), was a fine ninth after starting 21st on the grid. Daniel Mogeda (Pons Motorsport Italika Racing Kawasaki) was the final points scorer for Kawasaki in Race One, in 13th place.
In this class, which has become a byword for close competition while showcasing the global talents of young riders, only one competitor did not finish Race One. There were 32 finishers in all.
The second race on Sunday 15 June had a dramatic start, as a startline collision caused the red flag to be shown and the race to be stopped.
After a quick restart procedure, the second race finally took place over only eight laps, not the planned 12, making it arguably even more intense than the opener.
There were a vast number of non-finishers compared to Race One, with ’just’ 22 riders crossing the finish line this time.
Last corner leader Julio Garcia seemed the favourite for the win coming out of the final left hander but missed out by just 0.009 seconds after the weaving sprint from the top runners toward the finish line. Bernat Fernandez (Kove) managed to hold him off on the run to the chequered flag, taking the championship lead in the process.
The leading group was no less than 16-riders strong this time, and they all crossed the line within 1.877 seconds of each other. The top ten were covered by a slender 0.861 seconds.
With Garcia second, his near team-mate Salvador was third, securing the last podium finish of the weekend for Kawasaki. He had earlier been given a penalty by the officials for irresponsible riding in Race One, and had to start Race Two from 12th position. Torres and Race One winner Carter would place fourth and fifth respectively.
Osuna was eighth, less than 0.7 seconds from a win. Mogeda was 12th, teenager Roberto Fernandez (Kawasaki Junior Team by MTM) 13th and WorldSSP300 near veteran Kevin Sabatucci (Accolade Funds Smrz Racing BGR Kawasaki) placed 14th.
Petr Svoboda (Kawasaki Junior Team by MTM) was out of the points in 19th place and his Czech countryman, Filip Novotny (Accolade Funds Smrz Racing BGR Kawasaki) was 20th. Gennai was a no-scorer in Race Two, after crashing at T6.
In the championship fight Garcia is only one point behind championship leader Fernandez, 134 to 133. KTM rider Jeffrey Buis is third with 114 points. Salvador is fourth with 104 and Thompson’s big Race One win boosted him to fifth place, with 93 points after Misano. Torres is currently seventh, on 80 points.
Kawasaki leads the Manufacturers’ Championship after four rounds of the eight that make up the complete season. The advantage is 25 points from Kove and 35 from KTM.
Team ProDina XCI leads the teams’ Championship, by 38 points now, thanks to the efforts of Salvador and Torres. The one man team Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport squad is currently fourth.
A long break in race action now awaits for the restless WorldSSP300 field. The next round of the championship will take place at Magny-Cours in France, between 5-7 September. The series will then appear at every race until the end of the year.
Rider Comments
Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki), stated: “I felt comfortable the whole race and I could make overtakes. I was just managing the race a little bit. I felt I had good pace the whole time and there was a little bit of extra speed I knew I had. I dropped back a little bit further than planned a few times, but I managed to get back up. Overall, it was a good race. We definitely made a step in the last day or two with our set-up. I have got a lot more feeling with the bike now and I can push harder into the corners and I have more trust in the rear tyre.”
Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport), stated: “It was a really difficult race on Saturday because of the track conditions - very, very hot. I struggled, but I gave it my all. I am very happy for my team, who always worked impeccably. I am super-happy and it is a home race for my team, so I am happy for them. I am super-happy about Race Two because I started this race really well, but in the middle of the race I was pushed back into the group. I pushed a lot and in the last lap I crossed the line in P2. I am super-happy because my team and I worked very well.”
David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI Kawasaki), stated: “Saturday was a really strange race for me. I am not satisfied with how it went; I expected something more. The conditions were difficult, it was very hot and I did not feel at ease like this morning. There was a lot of confusion on the track. We brought home another top five, which is not to be thrown away, but we definitely have to work to make a step forward. I had a long lap penalty for Race Two, so it was a good race for us. I am happy for sure and in the end we have a podium, and good points for the championship.”
Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI Kawasaki), stated: “I'm happy to have taken my first pole position in the championship. There were three of us fighting for it and we knew that each of us had what it takes to get the best time. We waited for the right moment to get on track, aware that the other riders were doing the same. I made the most of the lap behind David, which gave me a lot of help to achieve this result. The first race of the weekend was challenging because of the intense heat from the first laps. The engine temperature rose quickly, so we decided to slow down a little to try to lower it. In the last laps the fatigue was felt and the heat became even more intense. However, we gave our all. At least one of my teammates managed to get on the podium.”
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