The Biker Place

Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider, Kenan Sofuoglu, took victory in today’s opening 2009 World Supersport championship race in Australia. The Turkish rider beat team-mate Andrew Pitt by just six one hundredths of a second after 21 laps of the 4.445km Phillip Island circuit, while Anthony West made it an all-Honda podium with third place.

World Superbike Kenan Sofuoglu Signed Photo 12x8 2010. £24.95 Auction Ends: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 14:54:39 BST   | Watch this Item

World Superbike Kenan Sofuoglu Signed Photo 12x8 2010. £24.95 Auction Ends: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 14:56:54 BST   | Watch this Item

World Superbike Kenan Sofuoglu Signed Photo 12x8 2010. £24.95 Auction Ends: Tuesday Sep-07-2010 14:58:16 BST   | Watch this Item

The Ten Kate Honda duo had planned to maintain a relatively slow pace early in the race in order to preserve the rear tyres on their CBR600RRs. But the race turned out to be a thrilling encounter with less than a second covering the top ten riders at the halfway point.

However, the leading trio opened a one-second gap from the chasing pack by the end of the race, resulting in a hard-fought battle for the final podium places. Andrew Pitt dedicated his second place to victims of the recent bushfires in Australia and has pledged his prize money to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal Fund.

Kenan Sofuoglu – winner

Andrew went very fast at the beginning while I found myself down in around tenth place. I tried to ride as slowly as possible because we were worried about the rear tyre but I had to ride really hard to get back to the front and to get past Andrew and Anthony. I think Andrew and I actually touched at one point, which probably scared Ronald a bit! But I’m so happy to win, especially after setting the fastest lap in qualifying for pole position yesterday. My team has been fantastic to give me such a good bike and it’s been a great start to the championship.

Andrew Pitt – second

It was a strange old race, really – we were riding so slowly for most of it, just to make the tyres last. Everyone was tripping over one another until the last five laps, but that’s what we’ve been working on – trying to be there when it really matters. I just found myself in the wrong place going into the final lap but big congratulations to Kenan, he had a great ride today.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

It’s the best possible start to the season for us and big compliments to the whole technical crew, who have had quite some issues to resolve regarding race set-up and the preservation of the tyres. They and the riders managed this in the best possible way. These results were achieved on the 2008 CBR600RR, so we can’t wait to get to Europe, when we’ll start racing the ’09 model, which we believe will be even stronger.

Results – 2009 World Supersport championship, round one, Phillip Island Australia
1 Kenan Sofuoglu TUR (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda)
2 Andrew Pitt AUS (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda)
3 Anthony West AUS (Honda)
4 Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha
5 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Honda
6 Mark Aitchison (AUS) Honda

Next round: Losail, Qatar – 14 March

Share this on: