Oncu qualifies eighth in Superpole at Cremona

Located just a short distance from the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing headquarters, the Cremona Circuit is staging a WorldSSP round for the first time this weekend.

During this second Italian WorldSSP round, Can Oncu’s bike features the historic ELF livery, the same used in the 1980s by “Rocket Ron” Haslam. Iconic graphics that celebrate the partnership between Total Italia and Kawasaki Puccetti Racing.

In the morning’s session, the Turkish rider proved at ease on the Italian track and placed fourth with a time of 1’32”953.

The Superpole session that established the grid positions for tomorrow’s race ran under cloudy skies but on a dry track. Despite improving on his FP1 time, Oncu (1’32”403) qualified eighth, which means he will line up on the third row of the grid for tomorrow’s 10-lap race.

Cremona Circuit – Italy
Supersport World Championship
Free practice: 1) Huertas (Ducati) – 2) Caricasulo (MV Agusta) – 3) Navarro (Ducati) – 4) Oncu Kawasaki) – 5) Manzi (Yamaha) – 6) Tuuli (Ducati)

Superpole: 1) Huertas (Ducati) – 2) Manzi (Yamaha) – 3) Montella (Ducati) – 4) Caricasulo (MV Agusta) – 5) McPhee (Triumph) – 6) Schroetter (MV Agusta) ….. 8) Oncu (Kawasaki)

Can Oncu: “The free practice went really well, and we immediately found a good set-up. In Superpole we tried to change something but unfortunately this didn’t bring the desired results, and I finished P8, a positive result that won’t compromise the outcome of the race. I’m really motivated to do well and will give it my all, for me and the team.”

Fantastic fourth place for Rabat in Practice at Cremona

A historic day for the Cremona Circuit, which is hosting the production-derived championships for the first time. This is a home round for Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, in that the team’s HQ is located just a few miles from the track.

At this Italian round, Tito Rabat’s Ninja ZX-10RR KRT Factory Replica features the historic ELF livery, similar to that used in the 80s by “Rocket Ron” Haslam. Iconic graphics that celebrate the partnership between Total Italia and Kawasaki Puccetti Racing.

Overnight rain meant that the track was still damp for the morning’s first session. Together with his team, the Spaniard therefore elected to play safe and sit out the session.

The second session ran in the afternoon in fully dry conditions. Rabat was able to put in a very strong performance, setting a best of 1’29”976, with which he placed fourth overall. A result that confirms the competitiveness of both the rider and his bike, so ably prepared by the team’s technical staff.

Cremona Circuit – Italy
Superbike World Championship
Combined free practice results: 1) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 2) Petrucci (Ducati) – 3) Bulega (Ducati) – 4) Rabat (Kawasaki) – 5) Iannone (Ducati) – 6) Bautista (Ducati)

Tito Rabat: “We completed some test sessions at this track in May and I immediately felt comfortable. Today I had similar feeling, and the bike performed really well too. Today’s result is great, but we need to continue in this way tomorrow. I think we can take another step and move even closer to the front. At a track that is new to everyone, we have shown that we have the potential to run at the front, which makes me and the team very happy.”

Race One at Cremona ends with a crash for Tito Rabat

The Cremona Circuit in Italy today staged the second day of action making up round nine of the Superbike World Championship. Yesterday was a day to remember for Tito Rabat and Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, in that the Spaniard finished practice in fourth position with a time of 1’29”976. Today, in cool, sunny conditions, Tito was out for Superpole, the session that sets the grid positions for the weekend’s first two races. Able to improve on his best time by a second (1‘28”921), Rabat closed qualifying in tenth place. This strong result meant that he lined up on the fourth row of the grid for the afternoon’s 23-lap race.

The Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider made a very fast start and was not far from the frontrunners when he was unfortunately forced to run wide to avoid a rider ahead who braked early. This caused the Spaniard to crash at turn 10 and unfortunately, he was unable to rejoin the race. A real pity because Rabat had shown that the potential to score a good result.

Superpole: Superpole: 1) Bulega (Ducati) – 2) Iannone (Ducati) – 3) Petrucci (Ducati) – 4) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 5) Locatelli (Yamaha) – 6) Lowes (Ducati) ……..10) Rabat (Kawasaki)

Race 1 – 1) Petrucci (Ducati) – 2) Bulega (Ducati) – 3) Bautista (Ducati) – 4) Lecuona (Honda) – 5) Bassani (Kawasaki) – 6) Vierge (Honda) ………. DNF) Rabat (Kawasaki)

Tito Rabat: “I started well, but at turn 10 a rider in front of me braked too early and forced me off the racing line. My tyre ran over some dirt and I crashed, unable to return to the track. I’m really disappointed because I wasn’t able to express my full potential, or that of the bike, but we’ll try again tomorrow.”

An unlucky World Supersport Race One for Can Oncu at Cremona

Conditions at the Cremona Circuit were cool and sunny today as the ninth WorldSSP round continues. Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Can Oncu was on track yesterday for the free practice and Superpole. Setting a fastest time of 1’32.403 in the qualifying, the Turkish rider placed eighth.

Once again today, Oncu’s ZX 6R Kawasaki features the historic ELF livery, marking the solid, almost ten-year partnership between Total Energies and Kawasaki Puccetti Racing.

Having completed morning warm-up today, the Turkish rider lined up on the third row of the grid for Race 1. He made a very fast start but came into contact with other riders as he entered a corner and was forced off track, crashing as a result. He rejoined the race in last position but was able to maintain a good rhythm. Though able to make up ground, the group ahead was a good way off and so he ultimately decided to return to the garage to change the tyres and try to set a fast time that would guarantee him a strong grid position for tomorrow’s Race 2 (the first nine positions on the Race 2 grid are decided based on the fastest lap times set in Race 1). Having set the sixth best time in today’s race, Oncu will start from row two tomorrow.

Cremona Circuit – Italy
Race 1: 1) Huertas (Ducati) – 2) Manzi (Yamaha) – 3) Montella (Ducati) – 3) Schroetter (MV Agusta) – 4) Booth-Amos (Triumph) – 5) Mahias (Yamaha) …… 22) Oncu (Kawasaki)

Can Oncu: “Luck is just not on our side right now. I got off the line well and was making up positions when I came into contact with three other riders and crashed through. I rejoined the race and tried to catch up, but the frontrunners were too far off. In the end I decided to come back into the garage and change the tyres to set a good lap time, which will allow me to start from the second row of the grid for tomorrow’s Race 2.”

Tito Rabat scores his best results of the season so far

Today’s two races at the Cremona Circuit have concluded the ninth WorldSBK round. This was a very important round for Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, a home round and an opportunity to meet with sponsors and supporters.

Tito Rabat’s Ninja ZX-10RR KRT Factory Replica featured the historic ELF livery, similar t9o that used back in the 80s by “Rocket Ron” Haslam, to mark almost ten years of collaboration between Total Energies and Manuel Puccetti’s team.

In yesterday’s Superpole, Rabat did very well to qualify tenth. Unfortunately, he was unlucky in race 1 and crashed during the course of lap one. Keen to make up for that, he was back on track this morning for the ten-lap Superpole Race. Tito got away well when the lights went out and moved into the chasing group, maintaining a very strong pace throughout the race to cross the line a strong tenth.

The Spaniard confirmed both his own abilities and the competitiveness of his bike in race 2, once again placing P10 to ensure his best results of the season so far.

The next WorldSBK round will run on 27-29 September at Motorland Aragon in Spain.

Cremona Circuit – Italy
Campionato Mondiale Superbike World Championship

Superpole Race: 1) Petrucci (Ducati) – 2) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 3) Iannone (Ducati) – 4) Bulega (Ducati) – 5) Lecuona (Honda) – 6) Bautista (Ducati) ………..10) Rabat (Kawasaki)

Race 2: 1) Petrucci (Ducati) – 2) Bautista (Ducati) – 3) Bulega (Ducati) – 4) Gerloff (BMW) – 5) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 6) Lecuona (Honda)……..10) Rabat (Kawasaki)

Tito Rabat: “We’ve had our best Superbike weekend yet, with two top ten finishes in today’s races. We’re finally seeing the results of all our hard work, and everything worked well. I need to thank the whole team because the bike was badly damaged in yesterday’s crash, but our technicians did a great job of repairing it so that I could score two great results today. I can’t wait to get to Aragon, one of my home tracks, to confirm everything we’ve done here in Italy.”

Eighth for Can Oncu in World Supersport Race 2 at Cremona

The ninth WorldSSP round has now concluded at the Cremona Circuit in Italy, just a few miles from the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing HQ, meaning that the team was able to meet its sponsors and supporters.

Once again today, the team’s ZX-6R featured the historic ELF livery, similar to that used in the 80s by “Rocket Ron” Haslam, to celebrate the almost ten-year relationship between Total Energies and Manuel Puccetti’s team.

In Saturday’s Superpole, Can Oncu placed eighth, but then crashed out of race 1. Able to rejoin the race, the Turkish rider eventually finished twenty-second but also set the sixth fastest lap time. According to the new regulation, this meant that he lined up on the second row of the grid for today’s second race, which ran in dry conditions over a distance of 20 laps. After making a good start, Can battled hard in the leading group before ultimately crossing the line in eighth place.

The next WorldSSP round will run on 27-29 September at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain.

Cremona Circuit – Italy
Supersport World Championship

Race 2: 1) Manzi (Yamaha) – 2) Huertas (Ducati) – 3) Booth-Amos (Triumph) – 4) Schroetter (Ducati) – 5) Debise (Yamaha) – 6) Caricasulo (MV Agusta) 7) Navarro (Ducati) – 8) Oncu (Kawasaki)

Can Oncu: “We ran a better race today than we did yesterday. We were able to maintain good pace, and I tried to stick with the riders in front. We’ll try to improve even more at Aragon next week but are pleased because we’ve taken a step forward with respect to some of this season’s races. I felt good and when we looked at the data at the end of the race, we saw that we were a lot quicker than before. It was great to be riding with the frontrunners again, even though this isn’t one of our favourite tracks. We get on better at tracks like Aragon and so I hope to be able to have more fun next weekend.”