Sofuoglu claims Race 2 victory in WorldSSP300 as Huertas crashes out in Jerez

The FIM Supersport 300 World Champion race on Sunday at the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto with a race that could have huge Championship implications and twists as Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) took a commanding victory for Race 2 of the Motul Spanish Round while Championship leader Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) crashed out and saw his Championship lead cut.

EARLY CHAMPIONSHIP TWISTS

Huertas got the jump at the start to take the lead as he looked to wrap up the Championship in Race 2 but the Spanish rider ran wide at Turn 6 and dropped from the lead group down into around 14^th before he started fighting his way back through the field, before the same issue happened again a couple of laps later and dropped him down to 19^th, before Huertas was involved in an incident with Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) at Turn 6 which forced the Championship leader out of the race; the incident to be investigated after the race by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards.

The first incident allowed Turkish star Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) to take the lead of the race and at around the halfway stage of the race, he tried to open up the gap at the front of the field so he could claim his second victory of the season, which he duly did so ahead of Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) in second place, who gained who crossed the line in fourth place but gained two positions when Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) and Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) were demoted one place for exceeding track limits on the final lap. Okaya claimed third place ahead of teammate Buis, whose fourth place coupled with Huertas' non-score means the title battle will continue into the season finale in Portimao in just one week, with the gap just 36 points in favour of Huertas.

SCORING A TOP TEN FINISH

Marc Garcia (Prodina Team WorldSSP300) finished the race in fifth place ahead of Mirko Gennai (Team BRcorse) in sixth place, after crossing the line fifth place, with the Italian demoted one place for exceeding track limits on the final lap. Meikon Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) took seventh place after a strong race for the Brazilian rider, ahead of Ruben Bijman (Machado CAME SBK) in eighth place with the Dutchman just one tenth behind Kawakami. Uruguayan rider Facundo Llambias (Machado CAME SBK) scoring ninth place with Yeray Ruiz (Yamaha MS Racing) in tenth; he crossed the line ninth but was demoted one position for exceeding track limits on the final lap.

SECURING POINTS

Czech rider Oliver König (Movisio by MIE) came home in 11^th place, ahead of Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki). Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) claimed 13^th place with Bruno Ieraci (Prodina Team WorldSSP300) securing a points finish on his return to the Championship, while Victor Rodriguez Nuñez (Machado CAME SBK) claiming the final point available in Race 2.

JUST MISSING OUT

South Africa's Dorren Louriero (Fusport - RT Motorsports by SKM - Kawasaki) scored 16^th place, half-a-second clear of Alessandro Zanca (Kawasaki GP Project) in 17^th, with an 11 second gap to Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) in 18^th. Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team) secured a top-20 finish despite a pit-lane start for an engine allocation infringement, just three tenths clear of Johan Gimbert (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) who rounded out the top 20.

TO NOTE

Yeray Saiz Marquez (Viñales Racing Team), Antonio Frappola (Chiodo Moto Racing), Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) and Filippo Maria Palazzi (ProGP Racing) also did not take to the start of Race 2. Harry Khouri (Fusport - RT Motorsports by SKM - Kawasaki) was declared unfit with muscle stiffness on Sunday morning, joining Gabriele Mastroluca (ProGP Racing) as unfit with a cervical strain and Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Kawasaki) with a fractured of the base big toe on his right foot.

Alfonso Coppola (Team Trasimeno) was the first retirement after he crashed at Turn 9 on the opening lap of the race while Petr Svoboda (WRP Wepol Racing) had technical issues at Turn 8 on the third lap with put the Czech rider out of the race. Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) was a late retirement following a crash on the final lap while Sylvain Markarian (Leader Team Flembbo) also retired from the race.

Alvaro Diaz Cebrian (Arco-Motor University Team) was disqualified from the race after being found to have ridden irresponsibly.

The top six following WorldSSP300 Race 2, full results here:

1. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing)

2. Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) +3.516s

3. Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) +3.518s

4. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) +3.520s

5. Marc Garcia (Prodina Team WorldSSP300) +3.813s

6. Mirko Gennai (Team BRcorse) +3.820s

Fastest Lap Facundo Llambias (Machado CAME SBK) 1'53.088

Championship standings

1 Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) 210 points

2. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) 174

3. Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport - RT Motorsports by SKM - Kawasaki) 158

4. Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) 123

5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) 118

6. Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) 111

Watch the WorldSSP300 season finale in style from Portimao using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

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