Laverty wins but Sofuoglu is World Champ

By Burning Rubber on Oct 3, 10 01:13 PM

Laverty leads sof blog.jpg EUGENE Laverty won the final round of the World Supersport Championship at Magny Cours - but Kenan Sofuoglu takes the title after crossing the line second.

Laverty led his Turkish HANNSpree Ten Kate rival across the line by around three seconds, but second was enough for Sofuoglu to tie up the championship.

Brit Chaz Davies scored a brilliant third after searing his way through the field from 12th on the grid.

Sofuoglu, who had gone into today's title showdown with a 16 point lead over Laverty, had been the man to beat all weekend and took pole for today's race with his Parkalgar Honda rival lining up just behind him.

Getting the best start, he led the first eight laps, while Eugene found himself under pressure from Broc Parkes, in for the injured Joan Lascorz on the Motocard.com Kawasaki.

But Parkes' hopes of a podium started to fade on Lap Six when he suffered a technical problem, putting his hand up and allowing Laverty to head off with a free track. Parkes kept going, but later retired.

Within four laps Laverty was on Sofuoglu's tail, and on Lap 11 he waved him through. A few corners later he made a move and took the spot back, but Eugene soon got it back.

From here, Laverty headed off into the sunset as Sofuoglu settled into second to guarantee himself the championship.

"I'm disappointed, I still held some hope for the title but all I could do was win the race and I did that," said Laverty.

"Kenan got away from me at the beginning but I was able to figure out what to do to make it work. I stuck with it and won the race."

A thrilled Sofuoglu admitted he had ridden very cautiously. "It was not an easy race. If you know you are going to win a world championship in the next 20 minutes it's difficult.

"The last six laps were very long and I was riding very slow because I was desperate to not make a mistake. In the end we won the championship but I've had very strong competition from Eugene Laverty. He is a strong rider and made it very hard for me."

The front two may not have given viewers too much excitement, but behind it was all happening. Katsuaki Fujiwara's Kawasaki was running third with Brit Gino Rea flying in fourth, ahead of team-mate Massimo Roccoli and the Benjan Honda of Robbin Harms.

However Gino's podium dream went up in smoke when his engine blew on Lap 12, while the others seemed to settle in behind Fuji.

On Lap 20, Harmes passed both Roccoli and Fujwara and Davies followed him past Roccoli into fifth.

And it all changed again a lap later, as all four found themselves together. Fujiwara ran wide and Davies squeezed through, then Harmes ran wide as Fuji took the place back from Davies.

But then Davies made a bold move, and squeezed up the inside of both Fujiwara and Harmes, taking third spot and then pulling out enough of a gap to keep it safe, while Roccoli got the better of Fujiwara and Harmes for fourth.

World Supersport, Magny Cours, Race Result:

1 50 Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 37'46.575 (154,132 kph)
2 54 Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 4.769
3 7 Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 17.658
4 55 Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 20.412
5 127 Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 20.559
6 37 Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 21.200
7 25 Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 25.051
8 51 Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 25.174
9 44 Tamburini R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 32.256
10 117 Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 59.797
11 89 Maurin A. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'04.127
12 121 Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1'23.612
RET 4 Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR
RET 18 Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR
RET 5 Lundh A. (SWE) Honda CBR600RR
RET 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R
RET 99 Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R
RET 10 Toth I. (HUN) Honda CBR600RR
RET 69 Enjolras J. (FRA) Triumph Daytona 675
RET 31 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675