A thrilling encounter between the top two in the Championship made Race 2 a thrilling encounter at the Circuito de Navarra.
The FIM Supersport World Championship’s first visit to the Circuito de Navarra provided more enthralling drama as Championship contenders Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) battled it out for Race 2 honours at the Pirelli Navarra Round in a shortened encounter after Red Flags were deployed on Lap 15 of the planned 20.
Starting from seventh on the grid, Simon Jespersen (Kallio Racing) got the jump to lead the race on the opening lap of the 20-lap race as the Danish rider gained six positions off the line, although his lead did not last long as Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) claimed the lead with a move at the right-hander of Turn 11. Jespersen tried to fight back but had a huge moment on the exit of Turn 11 which allowed Odendaal to keep the lead.
In a familiar story to Race 1, Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) found himself shuffled down the order in the early stages of the race but was able to fight back after getting past his rivals, although had to close down a gap of almost two seconds to Odendaal as he looked for his second win of the weekend. On Lap 8, Aegerter attempted to make the pass at Turn 15 but Odendaal was able to respond on Lap 9.
After four laps of not being able to pass Odendaal, Aegerter looked to make the move on Lap 13 into the final corner and briefly got ahead, although Odendaal was able to re-pass on the run into Turn 1. Aegerter did not lead Odendaal lead for much longer, though, as he made a move at Turn 3 – just one lap before Red Flags were shown after a crash for Borja Gomez (Yamaha Ms Racing) at Turn 1; Gomez taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the incident and will be transported to Estella Hospital for further assessments, with Gomez having multiple contusions but is conscious.
It meant Aegerter claimed victory to extend his Championship lead over Odendaal, with the gap between the two now 47 points. Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) claimed another podium in his rookie WorldSSP campaign after fighting his way back through the field.
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After being relegated to fifth at the end of the opening lap, Luca Bernardi recovered third, his fifth podium of the season.
P1 Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
“It was, again, a big battle from the start. My start was a little bit better today but still we were battling a lot with many riders. I think the fans enjoyed it. I could close the gap to Steven. It was not so easy to overtake him. Sad that the race was Red Flagged, I hope the rider who crashed is okay. No wheelies, no burnouts for the fans but I hope you enjoyed it. We took the maximum out of this weekend and we will have some espresso tonight with them and I can’t wait to relax, after three hard weeks racing, a little bit at home with friends and family.”
P2 Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team)
“I tried a different strategy today and unfortunately it didn’t work out. We just didn’t have the pace this weekend but it’s all about the long run and being consistent, getting the maximum points we can. We just missed a little bit and I’m sure we’ll catch them in the next one. Sad that the race ended early, but I hope that the rider who crashed is okay. Not nice to end that way.
P3 Luca Bernardi (CM Racing)
“I’m happy for this second podium here. We did a good job with the team. I had a good feeling with the bike. I’m a little bit sad for this Red Flag but this is the race. Next time, we try to take another podium and I’m happy.”
WorldSSP Circuito de Navarra – Race 2
1. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
2. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.294s
3. Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) +2.264s
4. Federico Caricasulo (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing) +3.700s
5. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) +3.965s
6. Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +5.624s
Championship Standings (after Race 2, Round 7)
1. Dominique Aegerter (SUI) Yamaha (257 points)
2. Steven Odendaal (RSA) Yamaha (210 points)
3. Philipp Oettl (GER) Kawasaki (156 points)
For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/
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