Sofuoglu wins at 2013 Phillip Island World Supersport

QUALIFYING
Lowes qualified quickest, his 1'32.545 the better of Sofuoglu and his MAHI Kawasaki team mate, Fabien Foret. Behind these three on the front row, the second row of the grid was made up of Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport), Jack Kennedy (Rivamoto Honda) and David Salom (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpress).

Two local wildcard entries for this round, veteran Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Racing Team) and Josh Hook (Team Honda Racing) outqualified fellow Aussies and full-season entrants for 2013, Matt Davies (Team Honda PTR) and Mitch Carr (AARK Racing Triumph).

RACE
Foret bogged down badly on the startline, giving up a big margin to the riders around him. By the end of the first lap, the Frenchman had dropped to 14th place. At the head of the field, Sofuoglu was leading from Lowes and van der Mark.

At the end of lap 3, a big crash on the exit of Turn 12 involved Russian Vladimir Leonov (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha) and Raffaele De Rosa (Team Lorini Honda). While neither were seriously injured, the pair were amongst nine retirees in the race.

At the head of the field, the next ten laps saw a titanic struggle between Lowes and Sofuoglu, the lead changing numerous times before the Kawasaki rider was able to pull away from the Brit in the closing stages of the reduced distance 15-lap race.

In third behind the duelling pair, van der Mark was keeping a distance between himself and the chasing pack led alternately by Roberto Rolfo (ParkinGO MV Agusta Corse) and Foret, who had recovered from his disastrous start and made up almost ten places by lap 9.

In the last three laps, Sofuoglu's exceptional work rate made sure of the victory, including a new lap record on the last lap - 1'33.298 - which was also more than a second quicker than Foret's 2011 lap record. The victory adds to Sofuoglu's previous successes at Phillip Island in 2009 and 2012, and he has now won 32 WSS races in an outstanding career that is yet to show any signs of slowing down.

Despite finishing second, it was still a sensational start to the season for Lowes, as it was for third-placed van der Mark, the 2012 European Superstock 600 champ who was making his World Supersport debut at Phillip Island. The 20-year-old Dutchman even held the lap record for a while, but lost touch with the leaders in the last few laps.

Van der Mark finished 6.771 seconds behind Sofuoglu, with Foret and Salom in fourth and fifth. After his poor start, Foret charged back through the field, but couldn't close the gap to the podium frontrunners. The Frenchman led a gaggle of Kawasaki riders, who filled positions four through seven.

An unlucky Rolfo, one of only two MV Agusta riders in the 2013 field, was forced to withdraw following a technical problem on his F3 on the penultimate lap, after earlier battling for fourth position.

Mitch Carr was the leading Australian in 16th, ahead of Hook and Davies, who finished 17th and 20th respectively. Curtain retired with mechanical problems after four laps.

RESULTS - World Supersport - 15 laps

1. Kenan SOFUOGLU Kawasaki 23'32.480
2. Sam LOWES Yamaha +1.899
3. Michael VAN DER MARK Honda +6.771
4. Fabien FORET Kawasaki +11.095
5. David SALOM Kawasaki +12.076
6. Luca SCASSA Kawasaki +12.943
7. Andrea ANTONELLI Kawasaki +23.968
8. Lorenzo ZANETTI Honda +24.536
9. Massimo ROCCOLI Yamaha +24.782
10. Jack KENNEDY Honda +24.809

16. Mitch CARR Triumph +38.271
17. Josh HOOK (W) Honda +43.352
20. Matt DAVIES Honda +51.343
DNF. Kevin CURTAIN Yamaha

Fastest Lap: Sofuoglu in 1'33.283 average 171.543 kph.

Images: IRPR