IN
THE
WIND
P38
Having not scored in the first
three races (two injury call-offs
and one rider who took him out
were to blame), Sofuoglu has
taken just six races to get to the
top, by four points.
"If you win races after a really
good fight you enjoy it more,"
said the five-time world cham-
pion. "This one was a very good
race for everybody because
Lucas Mahias and me we are
also fighting for the champion-
ship, and we fought today in
Portimao."
Sofuoglu leads the title race
from the second place rider
in the Portimao race and the
overall series now, Lucas Mahias
(GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP
Team). The combative French-
man ended up only 0.080 sec-
onds behind.
The original five-rider fight had
Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insur-
ance Honda) in it and he finished
third, on his own eventually, just
over two seconds back.
Sheridan Morais (Kallio Race
System Yamaha) followed up
his race win in Germany on the
new R6 with fourth place, and is
overall third in the points. Cluzel
is fourth.
Patrick Jacobsen (MV Agusta
Reparto Corse) was fifth in both
race and championship, not able
to keep the pace of the leading
three but close behind Morais.
"I just could not stay with them
and was struggling in the race,"
Jacobsen said. "I don't know why
but the speed on the straight-
away from them was quite high. I
did the best job I could possibly
do myself, and for the bike. The
tires seemed okay at the end and
I could still do a 1:46. But I just
could not stay with those guys."
Gordon Ritchie
Kenan Sofuoglu (1) won the
SuperSport race and is now the
new points leader.
