The 20-lap Supersport race at the Portuguese circuit of Portimao was a classic encounter, with up to five riders in the leading group at any one time, but with Sofuoglu just having to finish somewhere near the front he was happy to allow eventual race winner Jules Cluzel to keep the lead to the end.

Sofuoglu made a late push to ensure he would get in the podium on his own merit and not just as the new champion. After a tough but ultimately successful year on his Ninja ZX-6R he was most interested in sealing what is his third World Championship in this class without any last lap risk.

Kenan is the most successful rider in WSS history and allied to his Kawasaki Lorenzini Ninja ZX-6R he has been a potent force throughout the season, winning four races - so far. Kenan now joins Andrew Pitt as a rider who has won the WSS Championship on a Kawasaki.

The career statistics for Kenan are simply outstanding, with three titles (2007, 2010 and 2012), 48 podiums from 68 races, and a record total of 21 individual race wins. Four of those wins and nine of the podiums have come in his first year as a Kawasaki rider.

Kenan was joined on the podium by third place finisher Fabien Foret (Intermoto Step Racing) while Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki Lorenzini) battled hard to go sixth today and be sixth overall in the championship with one round to go.

Kenan Sofuoglu: “We knew that we did not have to come to Portugal to win the race to win the title. We had a few problems with set-up yesterday but we were in good shape today and I could take the lead. I made some mistakes and dropped back. I knew I only had to finish fourth but in the last couple of laps I thought I would try to take a podium so I finished second. Sometimes in the race I was thinking that I was already going to be World Champion, so I was asking myself why I had to take more risk, so I was careful, especially on the last lap not to attack Cluzel in the lead.

It was great to win the title with Kawasaki but it has not been an easy year for us. I have had some problems with my knee injury but we won the title with one race to spare and I am very happy to have done it with Kawasaki. They gave me a good opportunity
to win the title with them and finally I was able to give them the answer, so big thanks to them. I am very happy for them and Lorenzini. It is difficult to compare championships with each other but at one point this season I was very afraid because I had some bad luck but the last couple of races I knew could win the title without any mistakes in the final rounds. Winning races brings me confidence. To win the title in the first year with Kawasaki makes me very happy.”

In Superbike, Tom Sykes rode from pole to a convincing win in tricky drying conditions
in race one. In doing so, he took second place in the championship with only one
round to go.

Unfortunately for Tom and his team a race two technical problem prevented them from going for the double win, or another podium finish, leaving Tom both frustrated at being forced to retire but also clear in the knowledge that he has moved to second in the championship rankings.

Loris Baz took two good points scores in seventh place in each race on his Ninja ZX-10R and is now ranked 12th overall, with a total of 116 points.

Raceday dawned surprisingly wet, with some parts of the track underwater for a time, with residual wet patches and a generally damp surface putting the riders on rain tyre choices. The opening WSBK race was stopped after a few laps and the first part cancelled, with the final result being taken from a 16-lap restart.

Sykes’ team changed two settings on his machine and Tom was able to run out the race winner, for the third time this year, and get to within 14.5 points of leader Max Biaggi, who was fourth.

In race two, in dry conditions, Sykes was forced out when smoke appeared from his exhaust and with Biaggi scoring 16 points for third place, Biaggi moved 30.5 points ahead of Tom.

Previous second place rider Marco Melandri crashed out of the cancelled first part of race one and was unable to restart either race, so Tom is now eight points clear of Melandri with two races left at the final round in France.

For Loris Baz Portimao was to provide two top seven finishes, and very useful championship points, but a morning warm-up crash made the races painful the difficult to complete. He still made great improvements compared to his Superpole qualifying result of 12th.

In the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race Team Pedercini Kawasaki rider Bryan Staring took his third victory of the year in impressive style, winning by 1.722 seconds and as a result keeping his slim championship hopes alive. He is now 22 points behind the leading rider, 19 behind second place, so now Bryan needs to win and hope his two main rivals score very few points if any to take the title in France.

MRS Kawasaki rider Jeremy Guarnoni was a strong third, and is now fourth overall, one place and 13 points behind Staring.

Tom Sykes: “We have had some good luck today and also had some bad luck. Obviously on the good luck side in race one, in the first start, we were really struggling. We made two big changes to the bike after the red flag so on the restart it was a different motorcycle and I was able to do what I wanted with it.

I felt more comfortable. So a big thanks to the team and Kawasaki for the snap decision to make those changes. I was feeling confident for race two because we had done a lot of work this weekend and I definitely felt we could have had a very strong race. Honestly I felt I could have been top two in that second race, or maybe even better, but it is what it is. Everybody has seen today what happens in racing.

Melandri has been relatively on the pace this weekend and through a change of luck of his own he went out of two races. So anything and everything can happen. We had a win in race one, we had problems in race two, and that is what happens sometimes. We are racing at a very high level and sometimes you get dealt this card. I accept it even though it is hard to take having got to within 14.5 points of the lead after race one. I felt I could have reduced that gap again. But it was not to be, so what can you do? We got to France next, pick up where we left off and try to have a strong weekend.”

Loris Baz: “Race one was not so bad when it was wet because we had a problem at the beginning so we were lucky that the red flag came out. We had made a small change but the consequence was really big in the first start. So we were better in the real race. Race two could have been better but we have worked well and when I realised I could not follow Badovini I had to take it easy. I had a big crash in warm-up this morning, a big high-side in a downhill corner, which affected me in the races a bit. But last week if you had told me I would come here and take two seventh places, I would have settled up for that.”

Superstock victor, Bryan Staring, commented: “Today I am very happy with the victory. It was a great race for me; maybe Barrier played it a little safe in the final lap but it doesn't matter, we take the 25 points and the race win. I have to say a big thanks to my team as well as Andreani suspension and my Aussie friend Russell, for coming here. We have a mathematical chance of taking this and I will hold my head high and do my best. It was a great result for us today after a fairly average start; the end result is all that matters."

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