Conditions were cloudy but the track remained dry at the TT Circuit Assen in The Netherlands for day 2 of the third Supersport World Championship round.
In yesterday’s free practice sessions, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Can Oncu was the quickest on track with a time of 1’37”591. This morning the young Turkish rider took place in Superpole, which serves to establish the grid positions for the weekend’s races. His best reference was a 1’37”634, which saw him place fifth. This result meant that Oncu line duo on row two of the grid for the weekend’s first race, which ran in the afternoon.
Can made a very fast start and in the space of just a few turns, thanks to some brave passes and on-the-limit braking, the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing was up into second place. The Turk held this position until six laps from the end, when an unexpected drop in front tyre performance forced him to slow his rhythm, which ultimately meant he finished the race seventh. A result that does not reward the courage and outstanding race conduct that Oncu displayed, the rider undoubtedly deserving more today.
In the championship standings Can lies fourth with 63 points. Tomorrow he will return to the track for the final race of this third WorldSSP round.
TT Circuit – Assen – The Netherlands
Supersport World Championship
Superpole: 1) Bulega (Ducati) – 2) Caricasulo (Ducati) – 3) Van Straalen (Yamaha) – 4) Debise (Yamaha) – 5) Oncu (Kawasaki) –6) De Rosa (Ducati)
Race 1 – 1) Bulega (Ducati) – 2) Schroetter (MV Agusta) – 3) Van Straalen (Yamaha) – 4) Debise (Yamaha) – 5) Manzi (Yamaha) – 6) Caricasulo (Ducati) – 7) Oncu (Kawasaki)
Can Oncu
“In Superpole I was just about able to score fifth place and so I started from row two in the race. I pushed hard right from the start, and this meant that the tread of the tyre soon wore. Unfortunately, in the final stages the front tyre was completed finished and I had to slow down. My seventh-place finish does not reflect our overall race, nor our potential. We will try to make up for this in tomorrow’s race. Thanks to my team for doing such a good job again today.”
