Gordon Ritchie | May 15, 2016
A surprise podium to beat them all, the wet and delayed 14-lap WorldSSP race at Sepang delivered stand-in rider Ayrton Badovini (GEMAR Balloons – Team Lorini Honda) to the 25 points, from local rider but series regular Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) – by just 0.050 seconds. Gino Rea (GRT Racing Team MV Agusta) was a fighting third, and just less than a second from the win.
A wet start to the Supersport race came as a surprise after the good weather earlier in the day, but the riders had ‘enjoyed’ a wet session on Friday to have some knowledge to take into a race that had been shortened by one lap to 13.
Changing tyres on the grid they tried to go again for another warm-up lap, but there was a second red flag and then the heavens opened properly, high winds arrived and the action was brought into pitlane. With so many delays the race was held back until after the WorldSBK race.
It restarted at 17.16 with drama and unexpected results all the way through.
The new track surface shed water well leaving a changeable surface as the race went on. American PJ Jacobsen (Honda World Supersport Team) was fourth, 1.250 seconds from the win, with a big gap of over five seconds back to the pushing Kyle Smith (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda).
Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was second at one stage but dropped back to sixth, taking the points and extending his championship lead after is team-mate and rival Randy Krummenacher (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished eighth, unsure of how much to push in the earlier, wetter, conditions. Championship challenger Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was seventh.
Privateer Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25 MV Agusta) placed ninth and PI podium finisher Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. Honda Racing) rounded out the top ten.
In the championship Sofuoglu has 96, Krummenacher 79, Cluzel 67 and Smith 57. Jacobsen is fifth overall, just one point from Smith, with Rea on 52 points after his latest podium adventure.