Svoboda takes maiden victory in WorldSSP300 Race 1

Starting from 11th on the grid, Petr Svoboda claimed his first WorldSSP300 victory with a last lap overtake.

Samuel Di Sora was second despite having led most of the race. He crossed the finish line 0.481s behind the race winner. It was a first podium finish for Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez as he took third place, 0.062s behind Di Sora.

The opening race of the 2023 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship was a dramatic affair and not decided until the final corners of the 14-lap race as Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) claimed his first victory of his WorldSSP300 career in Race 1 at the TT Circuit Assen during the Pirelli Dutch Round.

Svoboda made his move into the chicane on Lap 14 of 14 to move ahead of Samuel Di Sora (Prodina Kawasaki Racing) after the French rider went defensive on the final lap and he also made a mistake in the second half of the final lap. It allowed Svoboda to make a move into the chicane and he was able to take victory by 0.481s ahead of Di Sora, whose second place gave him his 12th podium in WorldSSP300 which puts him level with 2022 Champion Alvaro Diaz and 2017 Champion Ana Carrasco. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) completed the podium as he finished just 0.008s away from Di Sora in second place. It was Perez Gonzalez’s maiden podium finish in WorldSSP300, and it also gave Kawasaki their first podium lockout since Portimao in 2021.

German rider Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) took a hard-fought fourth position in his first race for the Austrian manufacturer, less than half-a-second away from Svoboda at the end of the 14-lap race. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) took fifth after a strong opening race of the season, holding off the challenge from Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) with the Italian taking sixth spot.

WorldSSP300 action resumes on Sunday from 09:50 (Local Time) with the Warm-Up, followed by Race 2 at 15:15.

WorldSSP300 Race 1 Results
1. Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki)
2. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.481s
3. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) +0.489s
4. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.551s
5. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/A78 Latin America Team) +0.618s
6. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +0.768s

WorldSSP300 Championship standings
1. Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) 25 points
2. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) 20 points
3. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) 16 points

WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole Results
1. Matteo Vannucci | Yamaha | 1’51.220s
2. Lennox Lehmann | KTM | +0.584s
3. Samuel Di Sora | Kawasaki | +0.728s

P1 | Petr Svoboda | Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki
“I wanted to be in the first group soon as possible from the start and then make some pace to be at the front for the last five laps and then manage. I was second but Samuel did mistake in Turn 7, I think. And then I managed to overtake him and to stay in P1 and win. I didn’t expect to take the win, but I did! I’m quite surprised because in the past, I had no luck on Saturday and I was stronger on Sunday. But this year I want to change this and, we will see what will happen.”

For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport 300 News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport-300/

Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com