WorldSSP: Nicolo Bulega does the Donington double

Nicolo Bulega wins the second World Supersport race at Donington after a magnificent ride.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)  was on pole position after securing pole in qualifying. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) started the race in second place ahead of Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha).

Yari Montella was the rider who got the holeshot off the line, getting ahead of Bulega and Manzi. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) was behind with Ducati dominating at the front. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was the top Kawasaki in fifth place ahead of fellow Kawasaki rider Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing).

Stefano Manzi jumped into second position onboard the Yamaha, as at the front Bulega began to build a gap. Bulega  1’29.018

Manzi crashed at the Melbourne Hairpin Loop, causing the Italian to drop down to tenth position. Stefan Manzi then began an incredible recovery ride, battling his way through the field.

Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo Racing) made his way through the order after a poor qualifying due to a crash. Booth-Amos battled his way into seventh position, ahead of De Rosa (Orelac Racing Verdnatura).

Stefano Manzi had to complete a long lap penalty due to irresponsible riding earlier on in the race. Manzi re-joined the race behind Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) in ninth position.

Eugene McManus (Completely Motorbikes Triumph) had his second crash of the race, bringing his WorldSBK debut to a premature end.

With six laps remaining Manzi was catching up to Booth-Amos with concerns starting over the rear tyre grip. Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) began to have rear tyre issues himself, as he began to drop rapidly down the order in the closing stages.

The gap at the front was now over four seconds, with nobody able to respond to Bulga’s Ducati V2. 

Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) had a massive high side when exiting Goddards. The MV Agusta rider was taken to the medical center for a check-up after the race.

At the line, it was Nicolo Bulega who took the race win at the line, taking the race win by over two seconds. Yari Montella came home in second place finishing in front of Federico Caricasulo in third. An all-Italian podium in the second and final race of the weekend for the Supersport class.

Adrian Huertas came home in fourth, ending the race as the first non-Ducati machine onboard the ZX-6R. Stefano Manzi was fifth after a dramatic race, as he found his way through on Booth-Amos. Debise was behind in seventh position, after a tough race for the Frenchman.

Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)  was the only MV Agusta who finished the race, as he came home in eighth. De Rosa was in ninth with Glenn Van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) rounding out the top 10.

Rhys Irwin (Astro-JJR Suzuki) ended his WorldSBK wildcard in the points, finishing the race in 15^th. He finished ahead of John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) and Jack Kennedy (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team). Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team)  had another tough race, ending his home round in 23^rd place.

Image credit: Ducati Media