WorldSSP: Early Green Light For Sofuoglu At Imola
Gordon Ritchie | April 29, 2016
Reigning champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the first of three Kawasaki riders inside the top four places on the Friday combined times in the WorldSSP weekend at Imola.
Setting a 1:51.841 best lap Sofuoglu was 0.241 seconds ahead of part-time ESS rider Alessandro Zaccone (San Carlo team Italia Kawasaki). Zaccone and all the other ESS registered WSS riders only take part in the European rounds of the championship this year.
In third place, local rider and Phillip Island podium placer Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. Honda Racing) was top Honda runner on home soil.
After being 11th in the morning session, Randy Krummenacher (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) improved to fourth place in the Friday combined times.
Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was just over half a second behind Sofuoglu’s best time, in fifth place.
Assen faller PJ Jacobsen (Honda World Supersport Team) mounted a sixth place recovery on the first day at Imola.
Gino Rea (GRT Racing Team MV Agusta) continued his good podium form from the Assen ‘sprint’ race to Imola by going seventh fastest, one place up on the official MV of Lorenzo Zanetti.
Ayrton Badovini (GEMAR Balloons – Team Lorini Honda) stood in for injured Aussie Glenn Scott again and finished Friday in ninth place, one position higher than Ondrej Jezek (Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki) in tenth.
An old GP and WSS favorite, Roberto Rolfo (Team Factory Vamag MV Agusta), came to the fore again with 11th place on his three-cylinder machine.
Assen race winner Kyle Smith (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) was 12th on day one at Imola, with one more practice and then Superpole qualifying to come on Saturday.