In a remarkable turn of events at the TT Circuit Assen during Race 1 of the Dutch Round, Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team) made a bold tyre choice that ultimately paid off. Opting for intermediate tyres on a drying track, the Italian rider, in his WorldSBK debut, clinched a stunning victory. Filling in for the injured Danilo Petrucci, Spinelli quickly surged to the front of the pack, leading every lap until a red flag halted proceedings. The race stoppage, triggered by a technical issue for Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), secured the Barni Spark Racing Team’s maiden WorldSBK triumph.
Joining Spinelli on the podium were Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). However, the red flag on Lap 14 thwarted their chances of victory, despite their remarkable efforts to close a gap of over 20 seconds at one stage.
Earlier in the day, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) navigated treacherous wet conditions to claim pole position in Superpole. The Northern Irishman secured his 44th pole position and his first for Yamaha, setting himself up to lead the field in tomorrow’s ten-lap Tissot Superpole Race. Despite starting from the front row, championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had to settle for 11th place, maintaining a slender one-point lead over Razgatlioglu and Bautista.
Spinelli, elated by his unexpected victory, expressed, “It’s incredible because this is my first race and I am in front of Toprak and Bautista! It’s really incredible. The first time I rode a Superbike was in Friday Practice but this bike is very strong. I have tried to approach this weekend step by step and session for session. I don’t have experience with this bike. I told my team that I didn’t know which tyre to use and the team decided to go for the intermediate. I had a gap of 25 seconds but by the last lap the gap was closer! When I saw it was four seconds I thought ‘no! It’s over for me.’ When I saw the red flag it was very lucky for me but that’s the race! I’m happy for this win because it’s very incredible.”
Razgatlioglu, reflecting on the race, commented, “Firstly, congratulations to Spinelli. I needed just one more lap but the race finished like this. I was enjoying this race a lot. The first laps were exciting because the first sector was wet and we were sliding. You are trying to stay on the line for this. I needed a victory here for BMW but in the end we finished in second position. We will see what happens tomorrow but everyone is working hard for the best position possible.”
Bautista, describing the race as “crazy,” remarked, “It seemed like the first half of the race was about relaxing and not making a mistake but the second part of the race was attacking at 100% or even 120%! It was crazy. In the beginning there were a lot of overtakes all around the lap. It was crazy but I enjoyed this race a lot. The red flag meant that we missed the last seven laps and I think it was going to be a good battle for the victory with Toprak. In any case I’m happy and congratulations to Spinelli because it was incredible. It was a really good tyre choice.”
WorldSBK Race 1 Results
1. Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +1.979s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.089s
4. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +4.851s
5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.147s
6. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +5.376s
Championship Standings
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 92 points
2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 91 points
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 91 points
WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Results
1. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 1’42.650s
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.094
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.353s
WSSP Huertas hunts them down to win
In a gripping display of skill and strategy at the TT Circuit Assen, Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) clinched his second victory of the World Supersport season. Starting the race on slick tyres, the 18-lap event posed a significant challenge for the Spaniard as track conditions gradually improved. Despite initially dropping to 20th position, Huertas exhibited patience and determination as he steadily worked his way through the field. Seizing the lead on the penultimate lap, he delivered a masterful performance to secure victory ahead of Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team).
Debise, who opted for wet weather tyres at the race start, led for the majority of the event, showcasing consistent pace amidst the challenging conditions. However, he was ultimately edged out by Manzi in the closing stages. Tom Edwards (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) claimed the top spot among the WorldSSP Challenge riders, finishing in fifth position. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) crossed the line in sixth place but set the fastest lap of the race, securing pole position for Race 2 tomorrow.
Reflecting on his victory, Huertas expressed his elation, stating, “I’m incredibly happy! This was a difficult day because it wasn’t easy to make a strategy in this race. I have the best team and they decided to go with the slick tyres and we won the race. I managed the race perfectly. I was calm in the early laps and when it started to dry I was incredibly fast. We’ll see what the conditions are tomorrow but I’ll try and win again.”
WorldSSP Race 1 Results
1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +8.149s
3. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +9.180s
4. Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +9.291s
5. Tom Edwards (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) +14.695s
6. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +19.375s
Championship Standings
1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 85 points
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 76 points
3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 76 points
Maiden victory for Mogeda in WorldSSP300
In a thrilling five-lap showdown, Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kawasaki) clinched his maiden WorldSSP300 victory. Despite starting from the fifth row of the grid, Mogeda showcased impressive speed, swiftly advancing to the front of the pack. He secured the win on the final lap, with the top eight riders separated by less than a second. Unai Calatayud (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team) secured his first podium finish, claiming second place.
Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) crossed the line in third and now leads the Championship by six points. Mogeda’s strong performance also earned him a spot on the front row for Race 2, having set the second fastest lap of the race. Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) secured pole position with the fastest lap.
The race concluded under red flag conditions following a crash involving Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing), who collided with Julio Garcia (KOVE Racing Team). Buis sustained a concussion and was deemed unfit for Race 2.
Reflecting on his victory, Mogeda expressed his delight, stating, “I’m very happy with my first victory. It’s an amazing feeling. The conditions were difficult so I needed to stay calm. This win is very special for me and to do it with Team #109 is incredible. We did an amazing job and this is the result of our hard work. Tomorrow’s race will be difficult because all the riders are very fast here. The goal is to repeat today’s win and I will give it my 100%.”
WorldSSP300 Race 1 Results
1. Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kawasaki)
2. Unai Calatayud (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team) +0.083s
3. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.086s
4. Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.658s
5. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.660s
5. Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) +0.670s
Championship Standings
1. Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) 44 points
2. Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Retro Traffc Kawasaki) 38 points
3. Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) 37 points
Pictures Official WorldSBK Press Release
