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The official race report service of Kawasaki Racing Team.

2 Október 2017

Guarnoni Wins At Home As Deroue Loses Podium Chance

Jeremy Guarnoni (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) secured his fifth STK1000 career race win, and his first of the year on the Ninja ZX-10RR, after thrilling race at his home circuit of Magny Cours.

With championship challenger Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) missing from the Magny Cours round after suffering a dislocated shoulder joint in practice, the pressure of expectation fell on Guarnoni. The French rider did not disappoint in front of his passionate home fans.
 
Starting the first lap of Sunday’s 15-lap race in fifth position, after also having qualified fifth on Saturday, he held off long-time race leader Florian Marino by 0.414 seconds, finding his best pace when it really counted. Jeremy is now fifth in the championship.
 
This was the fourth STK1000 race win for the Ninja ZX-10RR in 2017, after three previous victories for Razgatlioglu.
 
The Turkish rider is working hard to be fit for the final round of the championship, which will be held at Jerez in Spain on 22nd October. He is currently 14 points from the championship lead, in third place overall, so he still has everything to play for.
 
Illia Mykhalchyk  (Triple M Racing Kawasaki) was fifth at Magny Cours, Xavier Pinsach (ETG Racing Kawasaki) was 17th and Wayne Tessels (Agro-On Benjan Kawasaki) 18th.
 
Jeremy Guarnoni stated, “This is my home track but it is not my favourite. Maybe it is because this is my home round but I think I rode really well and the bike was perfect all weekend. We were fast. It has been a difficult season so far for me so to win this race was really important and I am really happy. Thanks to Kawasaki and the team because the bike was perfect.”
 
In the WorldSSP300 championship race in France, the penultimate round of the year, Scott Deroue (MTM HS Kawasaki) finished ninth, leading the second group of riders across the line after another thrilling race. He had qualified seventh in readiness for the 12-lap race on Sunday 1st October.
 
The competition is close in this championship at every single round, even in its first year of existence, and Deroue was in a mix of up to ten riders for the lead.
 
He was to lead for a short time but his last lap podium challenge was halted in the final kilometres of the race when a technical issue slowed his pace and he crossed the line ninth.
 
Deroue had won the two opening rounds of the series on the Ninja300, and Ana Carrasco (ETG Racing Kawasaki) also took a famous victory in the previous Portuguese round.
 
With one round left to run Deroue is fourth overall and is now just too far away in the championship points to win the overall title.
 
Scott Deroue: “I had a good start and could easily stay amongst the leaders. Halfway through I was hit by Valle when I was braking, so I couldn't turn in. I lost ground to the front men, but fortunately I was able to close the gap. Everything was possible towards the end, but in the last lap my bike was faltering. That’s racing. Now I need to focus on the last race of the season. Hopefully I can show everybody that a fight for the podium is possible again.”
 
The finale for both STK1000 and WorldSSP300 classes will be held on Sunday October 22nd, at Jerez in Spain.