Kawasaki Puccetti Racing’s Kenan Sofuoglu dominated the Tissot-Superpole 2 session to start from pole position in Sunday’s race.

Kawasaki Puccetti Racing’s Kenan Sofuoglu showed strong form on Saturday in Germany, dominating the entire Tissot-Superpole 2 session to start from pole position in Sunday’s race. Sofuoglu improved his combined time of yesterday by two tenths. Finnish wildcard Niki Tuuli from Kallio Racing seriously impressed the field and proved he’s a strong contender for the podium this weekend by securing a first row start in second position. GRT Racing’s Gino Rea came home in third to lock out the front row of the grid.

“This morning I was worried about the rain,” said Sofuoglu after the qualifying. “But in the wet we did a good time. It was getting dry step by step, but I didn’t think we could reach the lap time of yesterday. Then I improved again with the lap record of the track. It looks like things are going very well. My team have done a good job, they made a really good package with the suspension and it helped me to get a good result.”

“I’m quite surprised,” exclaimed Tuuli. “I have only raced in Finland this year in small races. This weekend has been perfect for me. Yesterday I had a big crash but the second practice was better and now I’m quite surprised. I have a good feeling and I think the race tomorrow could be good.”

“That is what we are aiming for ultimately, a front row start,” said Rea. “I was a little bit frustrated with myself in the session because it took me too long to get back to grips with the bike. It was a very small adjustment but obviously with the wet this morning I had my head in ‘wet mode’. It took me a bit too long, but I just stayed out there because I knew I had more to give and more to find in my riding. The tyre started to go down on the last few laps and I wasn’t able to improve my time on the last lap or the lap before, but the pace is really good.”

CIA Landlord Insurance Honda’s Christoffer Bergman took fourth position to head the second row of the grid ahead of Kawasaki Puccetti Racing’s Randy Krummenacher. MV Agusta Reparto Corse rider Jules Cluzel filled out the second row of the grid in sixth position.

Tissot-Superpole 1 graduate MV Agusta Reparto Corse rider Lorenzo Zanetti finished the session in seventh ahead of GEMAR Balloons – Team Lorini rider Ayrton Badovini in eighth with PJ Jacobsen for Honda World Supersport Team locking out the fourth row of the grid. Profile Racing’s Luke Stapleford made it home in tenth with Federico Caricasulo of BARDAHL Evan Bros. Honda Racing coming in P11. Bergman’s teammate Kyle Smith was the other Tissot-Superpole 1 graduate to finish the decisive second Superpole 2 session in P12.

Ilya Mikhalchik was the first European Supersport rider home for the DS Junior Team in Tissot-Superpole 1 and will start from P14 on the grid ahead of Sunday’s race.

Racing will officially recommence for WorldSSP tomorrow at 11:20 local time (GMT+2).

WorldSSP Tissot-Superpole 2
Kenan Sofuoglu Puccetti Racing Team 1’40.778
Niki Tuuli Kallio Racing 1‘41.337
Gino Rea VFT Racing Team 1’41.370

Credits : Photos and content courtesy of Dorna WSBK Organization Srl