Mahi Racing’s Kenan Sofuoglu was the quickest rider in the first World Supersport free practice outing at Portimao this morning. The triple champion was able to successfully hold off the charges of Pata Honda’s Michael Van Der Mark and Reparto Corse’s Jules Cluzel throughout the 45 minute session.
Initially it was Sofuoglu who set the pace at the start of the session with a 1’47.096 on only his third lap, with Van Der Mark hot on his tail. But the young Dutchman was not hanging around and clocked a 1’46.976 after 15 minutes and went straight to the top - to head the free practice timesheet.
The Turkish rider was not going to let the young pretender get in his way and after two minutes went four tenths quicker to regain his place as the quickest rider so far out on the Portuguese track, and the former triple champ kept bettering his lap time to 1'46.400, while many riders retreated back to the pits.
With 12 minutes remaining CIA Insurance Honda’s Jack Kennedy set a 1’47.101 to push his Honda to third on the timing-screens knocking Cluzel and Pata Honda’s Lorenzo Zanetti back down the field. But fellow celt DMC Panavto-Yamaha’s Kev Coghlan also wanted a taste of the provisional front row and a 1’47.232 put him fifth after 38 minutes out on track.
But Cluzel lapped a 1’46.760 to edge ahead of Kennedy with only 30 seconds left of the first free practice session, and the Dubliner fell back to fourth, with Coghlan completing the top five. Rolfo and former MCE British Superbike rider, PJ Jacobsen rounded off the top ten.
