The Barni Spark Racing Team rookie lives the SBK dream. Andrea Locatelli breaks the engine of his Yamaha, red flag and race over. Second position for Toprak Razgatlioglu, third Alvaro Bautista
He only had to replace the injured Danilo Petrucci of the Barni Spark Racing Team, but Nicholas Spinelli did more, winning his first Superbike race on his debut in the production-derived world championship on the legendary Assen circuit. Starting like a rocket from eleventh place, the rookie managed to move into first position by coming out from behind and taking the lead from Andrea Iannone. On a wet and at times dry track, Spinelli drives with maximum concentration and immediately pulls ahead of his pursuers, elusive and manages to accumulate a substantial advantage, just over 24 seconds. In the meantime, positions begin to change behind the Barni Spark Racing Team rider, with Alvaro Bautista, Aruba.it Racing Ducati and Toprak Razgatlioglu’s BMW moving up, lap after lap eroding Spinelli’s lead, but with seven laps to go the blow scene, red flag, engine failure for Andrea Locatelli, Pata Prometeon Yamaha, and oil on the track. With two thirds of the race completed, Nicholas Spinelli lives his SBK dream and wins in race 1 ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista. Box number four for Remy Gardner, the Australian’s R1 precedes the Kawasaki of Alex Lowes, Jonathan Rea and Michael van der Mark. Eighth Scott Redding, ninth Axel Bassani, Xavi Vierge’s Honda closes the top ten. Eleventh Nicolò Bulega. Out of the running were Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Andrea Iannone, who crashed in turn 3 after just four laps while occupying the top positions.
The news
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Twenty-one laps to tackle. Although the circuit is wet, some sections are dry, almost all the drivers enter the track with slick tyres, some prefer intermediates. Starting from the front row, as in Superpole, Jonathan Rea, first pole aboard the Yamaha, Nicolò Bulega and Toprak Razgatlioglu. Seventh Bautista ahead of Rinaldi, Iannone and Locatelli. Rea starts well followed by Iannone, the Abruzzo rider passes the Yamaha rider, Rea goes alongside, Spinelli surprisingly takes over and takes first place, Bassani third ahead of Razgatlioglu, the Northern Irishman from Yamaha fifth, Locatelli sixth ahead of Bautista, Bulega thirteenth. Spinelli extends his lead, after two laps his lead over Iannone exceeds 15 seconds. Bassani passes Iannone, is second, Spinelli still leads, more than 18 seconds on Bassani. Locatelli overtakes Iannone in third, Bautista sixth ahead of Razgatlioglu, Rea tenth. Rinaldi is twentieth after a pit stop. With seventeen laps to go Locatelli moved into second position, Spinelli lapped with a 24 second lead. Iannone crashes in turn 3. Bassani overtakes Locatelli, second, the BMW Turk fourth followed by Bautista, Bulega twelfth. Spinelli continues to ride alone, followed by Bautista and Razgatlioglu. Locatelli loses positions, the Bergamo native is seventh ahead of Rea, thirteen laps to go. With twelve laps to go Spinelli leads with more than 19 seconds ahead of Bautista, then Alex Lowes and Razgatlioglu, seventh Bassani, tenth Locatelli. Spinelli’s lead drops to 14 seconds, Bautista tries to recover, ten laps to go. Dry track, times drop. The gap drops to nine seconds, with eight laps to go. Bautista and Razgatlioglu close in on Spinelli, the Turk overtakes the world champion and gains second place. Red flag seven laps from the end due to track conditions, engine failure of Andrea Locatelli’s motorbike and oil on the track, race over, Spinelli wins. Two thirds of the race completed, as per the rules the race is over.
SBK Assen: Race 1 ranking
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Here is the result (top ten) of the first race (14 laps) of the Superbike weekend:
SBK Assen: riders ranking
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The rider rankings (top five) of the Superbike world championship after the first race of the weekend:
SBK Assen: constructors’ ranking
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he constructors’ ranking of the Superbike world championship: