2012 WORLD SUPERSPORT - ROUND 3 - JUST BIKES

2012 World Supersport - Round 3

Despite qualifying back in 21st place, the PRORACE Honda CBR600RR rider proved to be unstoppable in the wet conditions at the iconic Dutch circuit. By lap 8 of 21, Lanzi had taken the race lead and would go on to win by 12.054 seconds and lap everyone up to 12th place. What made Lanzi's performance even more impressive was the fact that this was not only his first ride with the PRORACE squad, but also his first ever World Supersport race!

Polesitter Sam Lowes led the race early, but put his Bogdanka PTR Honda on the deck twice, firstly on lap 6, then again two laps later, ending his race. Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) started from the front row of the grid, but couldn't match the wet pace of Lanzi and had to settle for second, ahead of the first ever Russian rider to take a Supersport podium, Vladimir Leonov (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha).

After qualifying second, Australia's Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Honda) fought the wet conditions and finished a distant fourth.
"I got a pretty good start in the race but, it was so wet that I had quite a few slides and scary moments in the early stages and that sort of knocked my confidence a little bit," said Parkes of the treacherous conditions at Assen that also claimed a few Superbike riders.
"I tried to stay in a podium position but couldn't stay with the two guys in front of me. Then I saw the gap was 22 seconds and I thought 'I can't go with them, I just have to stay on'.
"So I took good points for the championship and now we are back there in the battle. Of course, it would have been great to take a podium at the team's home race, but sometimes you have to think that 13 points is better than the gravel trap."

The other Aussie in World Supersport Jed Metcher (Yamaha) qualified well in twelfth place, but crashed out in the greasy conditions on the opening warm-up lap.

Sofuoglu shares the championship lead on 45pts alongside Fabien Foret, who failed to finish at Assen. Sam Lowes retains third in the championship, despite his Assen DNF, while Parkes is fourth.

Race: 21 laps
1 Lorenzo Lanzi Honda 42:56.376
2 Kenan Sofuoglu Kawasaki +12.054
3 Vladimir Leonov Yamaha +14.460
4 Broc Parkes Honda +23.884
5 Alex Baldolini Triumph +47.063
6 Jules Cluzel Honda +49.755
7 Andrea Antonelli Honda +53.850
8 Twan van Poppel Yamaha +1'42.505
9 Roberto Tamburini Honda +1'53.053
10 Stuart Voskamp Suzuki +1'57.442

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (AFTER THREE OF 13 ROUNDS):
1 Sofuoglu 45
=1 Foret 45
3 Lowes 31
4 Parkes 29
5 Leonov 26
6 Lanzi 25
=6 Quarmby 25
8 Baldolini 24
9 Cluzel 23
10 Tamburini 20
22 Metcher 6