In Superbike race one Sykes was the leader for every lap in the final race classification, and although he had been passed by Marco Melandri near the end of the scheduled 20 laps, the red flag was shown for an oil spill and two subsequent crashes just behind the leading trio.

Sykes was awarded the race one win on the count back rules, which discount the lap the race was stopped on. As he was the leader on lap 17, Tom took the win.

In race two Sykes found his machine set-up not quite as effective as it had been in race one and although he was in the leading group throughout he could not get to the front. Another red flag, for a crashed machine’s spilt oil, stopped the race at the 18-lap stage this time, with Sykes fourth and only 1.189 seconds behind the winner.

KRT rider Loris Baz had been on strong form all weekend but suffered a high-speed crash going into the final chicane in morning warm-up. He was taken to hospital where it was found he had suffered a fractured C2 vertebra but without suffering any neurological complications or spinal injury. After reaching hospital he was awake, alert and making jokes with his medical team.

In another Kawasaki high point, Leandro Mercado (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) scored his first ever win in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup category in the 11-lap race in Germany and in doing so is now third in the championship, with two races remaining.


Tom Sykes: “It is very difficult to tell if I could have come back at Marco in the last two laps of race one but when he passed me I was preparing to push the pace a bit more. I am sure all three or four of us in the front group were able to improve our lap times right at the end but the decision to stop the race has gone in our favour for a change. I will take the result and I am very happy for the 25 points. I went to bed last night expecting probably a few more points in race two but it is racing and things like this happen."

In a thrilling Superpsort race Kawasaki Mahi Racing Team India riders Fabien Foret and Kenan Sofuoglu had very differing fortunes the Nürburgring as Kevin Coghlan (Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini) scored his first WSS podium in third.

Foret finished an eventual convincing second and was in a podium place for the whole 19-lap race, tucked in behind Sofuoglu on lap one until Lowes went past a lap later. By half race distance Foret had a 3.4 second advantage over the following rider, and realising he could not affect the pace of the race winner Sam Lowes he rode to take the 20 points for second place.

Sofuoglu set a new lap record twice, the final new best coming on lap eight, a 1’58.072 in his pursuit of race leader Lowes. Kenan, behind in the points battle before raceday started, was determined to win and simply pushed too hard.

He was unable to restart after he fell at turn 11. Kenan ended his day 54 points behind Lowes with only three rounds to go, but the next race is on home soil in Turkey, where he expects
to challenge hard for the race win.

After coming from a bad start to take a podium finish Kevin Coghlan (Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini) gave himself and his team a first podium in their current form. The Scot has come close to a top three finish before but this time it was his turn to make the leap upwards. He pushed hard when it counted to hold off the attentions of Lorenzo Zanetti on the final lap.

Fabien Foret: “I tried to stay with the two boys at the front but I had my moment also where I was close to crashing, two laps before Kenan did and at the same corner. For me that was it. The pace was quite high so I could not catch up so I just concentrated on riding too the finish. I did not think today I could not do any better than I have done.”

Kevin Coghlan: “I had a bit of a bad start but then I managed to work my way through and in the last couple of laps I had enough pace to get past Russo and Zanetti. We have had some pace all year and some crashes mixed in with good results but the team have been supporting me and pushing me on. I hope we can get a podium or two more before the end of the year."

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