In Race 2 of the FIM Supersport World Championship at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) took a classy win, holding off a late charge from Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) to secure maximum points in the second race of the day. An eventful weekend at the Motul French Round for Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) saw him finish the race in third place and still in the championship lead, though now by a reduced advantage of 14 points over Montella.

MONTELLA’S LFYING START: Italian determined to make up ground

Montella made a great start getting up into P2 from sixth place on the grid on the opening lap, determined to claw back as many points as possible after a costly penalty which had seen him finish Race 1 sixth after a long lap penalty. White flags were briefly shown as the riders began lap 2 with light rain falling at Magny-Cours, though Montella was not perturbed and took over in the lead on lap 3. Huertas had dropped back at the start but fought his way up to fifth by the end of lap 2, before joining the fight at the front. By lap 5 Montella was leading by 2.5s, with Huertas by then up into second. 

MANZI ON THE CHARGE: fast pace from the Yamaha rider

On lap 14 Manzi took over in the lead from Montella, with Huertas close by in third. Montella got back in front with three laps to go, with Huertas running wide at Turn 5 on the last lap and therefore having to settle for third. In the lead Montella had to keep it absolutely full gas to hold on for a vital win over Manzi, with the Yamaha rider setting the fastest lap of the race, his 1’40.027 being a new race lap record.

CAREER BEST FINISH FOR BOOTH-AMOS: fourth place for the Briton

Whilst Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) may have finished the race over 12 seconds behind winner Montella it was still a superb performance from the Briton as he notched the best result of his WorldSSP career, with Spaniard Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) just behind him in fifth.  Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) took sixth place, whilst French wildcard

Corentin Perolari (CBO Racing Honda France) will be happy with his seventh place finish. Rounding out the top ten, meanwhile, were Race 1 winner Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team), pole man Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse).

FRENCH HEARTBREAK: Debise and Mahias crash out

Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) crashed on the first lap and then there was big disappointment for the Magny-Cours crowd at the end of lap 13, when the two Frenchman Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) crashed out together at Turn 13, making it a frustrating end to their home round. Mahias was later declared unfit with a A/C joint separation and right collarbone fracture.

The top six from WorldSSP Race 2, full results here:

1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team)

2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.171s

3. Adrián Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +1.380s

4. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) +12.230s

5. Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +12.626s

6. Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +14.148s

Fastest lap: Stefano Manzi, Yamaha – 1’40.027 (new race lap record)

Championship standings:

1. Adrián Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 289 points

2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 275

3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 239

4. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) 162

5. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 148

6. Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) 139

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