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The official race report service of Kawasaki Racing Team.

28 September 2017

Three To Go For WorldSSP Leader Sofuoglu

Round ten of the 2017 WorldSSP championship will take place this coming weekend at Magny Cours in France with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Kenan Sofuoglu leading the championship points table for the first time. Kyle Ryde (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is looking to score strongly and enhance his overall championship position.

Having won five of the previous six races and finishing second in the other, Sofuoglu has overcome his unlucky start to the season in peerless fashion and took the points lead for the first time at the recent Portuguese round.
 
Kenan, a five-time world champion and 43-time race winner in this class, is now four points ahead of his nearest rival Lucas Mahias. Sofuoglu has been on the podium six times before in France, with two of those visits being to collect a winner’s trophy.
 
Young British rider Kyle Ryde will continue to try to work his way back to the kind of early season form he displayed in finishing fourth in the opening round in Australia, and then fifth at the subsequent event in Buriram, Thailand.
 
Qualifying well is Kyle’s first goal at Magny Cours, to enable him to run inside the leading group in the early laps. He is currently tenth in the championship rankings and aims for a top ten race finish at least this weekend.
 
Given the location of Magny Cours in the centre of France the well-attended race meeting can sometimes be affected by changeable Autumnal weather, but little can dampen the enthusiasm of the local fans, no matter the conditions.
 
After Magny Cours two more well-known WorldSSP championship circuits, Jerez and Losail, will host the final dramas of this intense and exciting 12-round season.
 
Kenan Sofuoglu, stated: “Now we are approaching the end of the season and this is the most exciting time of year. The championship right now is very close, and we are leading it, but it does not mean so much to me until we get the title. Now all my focus is on Magny Cours and I will try my best to win the race. There are only three races left and I am just planning to do my best. In the end, if we get the title, that is my bonus but my goal is to win the races. It is still the same goal and still the same plan as every race so far. Magny Cours is normally a good track for Kawasaki. It has smooth parts and very hard braking areas, which is good for my bike. Now I am just waiting to get started.”
 
Kyle Ryde, stated: “I am looking forward to the weekend, even if the weather forecast says it is probably going to be wet. This weekend is all or nothing for me. I have to do a good job. Looking back at the last race it was a shame that I crashed while in a good position in Portugal but I like the track at Magny Cours. I finished 12th there last year so this time I am looking at a top ten finish.”
 
Michael Canducci (3570 Puccetti Racing FMI Kawasaki) arrives in France in 15th place overall, with Kazuki Watanabe (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) two places behind.
 
Part-time ESS rider Rob Hartog (Team Hartog Jenik Against Cancer Kawasaki) is now 19th overall, Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) 21st.
 
Nacho Calero (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) holds 27th place, Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki) is 28th and Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) lies 34th.