Kalinin Takes Podium Finish In Dramatic WorldSSP300 Race

2019-07-08 06:35
Championship leader Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGo Team) was ruled out by injury after falling in the wet qualifying session on Saturday, dislocating his shoulder, and being declared unfit to compete.

Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec) qualified 15th but then fell from contention in the first lap of the race, restarting to finish 19th from absolutely last place.

Scott Deroue (Kawasaki Motoport), in third place overall entering Donington, was unlucky to fall at a key time in his wet qualifying session. He was then was taken out by another rider in the last chance qualifying race and did not earn a grid position.

Despite all the issues for Kawasaki’s front-runners their main rivals only made up a little ground today, which leaves Gonzalez out front still on 108 points, Carrasco and Deroue second and third respectively - even thought they each have 65 points. Bizarrely, three riders have 65 points after Donington, as podium man Andy Verdoia joined Ana and Scott on that points total today.

Kalinin’s podium was an impressive result in what was a difficult dry-wet-dry weekend in England, and his third place lifted him up to 11th in the overall championship standings.

Despite missing some of the season through injury Dion Otten (MTM Racing Team Kawasaki) had a superb sixth place today, the best result of his rookie season.

Oliver König (ACCR Czech Talent team Kawasaki) was seventh, placing three Kawasakis inside the top seven places. Only 1.969 seconds separated König from the race winner Kevin Sabatucci. In all, nine Kawasaki riders scored points at the UK round.

After six races of the season have been completed there will now be a long summer break. The championship restarts at Portimao in Portugal, with raceday on Sunday 8 September.

Nick Kalinin, stated: “I did not expect to finish on the podium even if I was dreaming of it while relaxing before the race. It was a great race for me, for other guys maybe not because there were so many crashes. I was confident and pulling away, pulling away, taking riders one by one and now I am here on the podium. It is good to be here after a long gap since my last top three finish and I hope you will see me on the podium one or two more times this year.”

Ana Carrasco, stated: “I am a little disappointed with today's race because I honestly believe that I could have fought for the victory. I made a good start and I had advanced enough positions, but a rider fell in front of me on the straight and I was left well behind the leading group. I tried to come back quickly but before finishing the first lap another rider hit me at turn 11 and I fell. I'm a bit sad because it was a good opportunity to catch up to the championship leader and to have gone to the summer break much closer in the points. I will work very hard this summer to try to keep my opportunity for the title open until the very last race.”

Manuel Gonzalez, stated: “I am perfectly OK. On Saturday the qualifying was held in the wet. When I was in third position in my group I had a fall and I have dislocated my shoulder. I feel good, without pain, but now I'm just annoyed, because I wanted to run in the race but they do not give me the OK. Thanks very much to my ParkinGO Team for always thinking of me in everything, and thanks to all those who are calling and asking about me. I'm fine, I just wanted to race!”

Scott Deroue, stated: “Friday was good. I had the speed and we had made a step since Misano. On Saturday it was wet and the circuit was very slippery, but I had a good feeling in the rain. In Misano I had waited too long during Superpole and I wanted to attack more here. I was in sixth place in qualifying and had not had a ‘moment’ when I suddenly lost my bike in a place where I didn't expect to. Then you are suddenly in the Last Chance Race. I tried to save my tyres and control the race. It was going very well until a rider behind me crashed and involved me into his crash. Then the dream was suddenly over and you're on the sidelines on Sunday, unable to race.”

#NinjaSpirit

Source: Kawasaki Racing Team

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