PARKALGAR HONDA’S Eugene Laverty took a hard-fought second place in an epic battle for the victory while his team mate Miguel Praia scored 10th, his career best result, at the eighth round of the World Supersport Championship at Misano in San Marino, Italy.
Eugene was leading when the race was red flagged after eight laps. The restarted 14-lap race was a constant battle with eventual race winner Cal Crutchlow on a Yamaha, with both riders going under the 1m 39seconds on a last super-fast lap. Miguel slotted into 10th place with four laps to go and was never going to give it up. The next round of the World Supersport Championship is at Donington Park in the UK in one week’s time on Sunday, June 28th.
Eugene: “I am still reasonably happy with second. In the first half of the race I sliced through from a bad start and 13th to the lead in just three laps. Then in the delay, we made a small change to my Parkalgar Honda and it worked very well. In the second half it was much easier to follow Cal Crutchlow, so much so that when sitting behind him I thought I was being held up but when I took the lead I couldn’t get away. He passed me again and I thought I’d go for plan B which was to get into the final corner and drive out to challenge Cal at the line. I had deliberately held back at that corner in previous laps because I was quicker than him there. Then on the last corner I got in well but got on the gas very early, I may have been too eager, and the rear wheel simply spun up. It was a good race and the lap times at the end were unbelievable, Cal and I are streets ahead of anyone else. I am looking forward to Donington Park next weekend; I’d like to win at home for the team.”
Miguel: “Finally we have got into the top 10, this is my best ever race result since joining the World Championship and I am very happy. My Parkalgar Honda is fantastic and the team did a mega job to get me out in the race with such a good set-up after a crash in warm-up. Thank you to my whole Parkalgar Honda team, this is a historical moment for the Portuguese as we have never had a rider this high in this Championship before. Now I will go to Donington which is a good track for me and the home of the team organisation. I scored a podium in British Supersport last year and for sure now we know we can compete I want more than the top 10.”
Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “It is a shame to be beaten but what a fantastic race that was - Eugene and Cal are the two best riders in the Championship and one of them will win the title this year. Congratulations to Cal on taking the win; but Eugene is only 14-points behind in the standings so it is game on with all to play for. I also think the race is another lesson for Kenan Sofuoglu, never once did Cal or Eugene touch - at least not until the cool down lap when Eugene collided into Cal when congratulating him, resulting in an embarrassing fall. Big congratulations to Miguel for his best ever finish and it is yet another goal achieved by Parkalgar Honda, getting a Portuguese rider into the top 10. It was a great job by Miguel and I am sure he will beat this result again in the races to come, he has the bike, team and ability to do so.”
Race Result
1 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 36′51.032 (151,377 kph)
2 Laverty E. (IRL) PARKALGAR HONDA CBR600RR 0.263
3 Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 16.289
4 Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 20.894
5 Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 21.615
6 Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 22.272
7 West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 25.099
8 Foret F. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 26.374
9 Nannelli G. (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675 34.558
10 Praia M. (POR) PARKALGAR HONDA CBR600RR 49.578
Championship Positions (after eight of 14-rounds)
1: Crutchlow 160
2: Laverty, PARKALGAR HONDA 146
3: Sofuoglu 108
4: Lascorz 86
5: West 75
6: Pitt 73
17: Praia, PARKALGAR HONDA 18.
