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SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Moscow, Russia
8 stage, 19-21 July 2013
Wednesday, 17 July
To pass the test of fame could be much harder than to pass any other. Russian team Yakhnich Motorsport and its racers - World Supersport championship leader Sam Lowes and Imola podium holder Vladimir Leonov, came back to Russia to continue their battle for place on the podium: crowd of thousands of spectators already saw how Sam and Volodya did it last year.
Russian round of World Superbike appeared in calendar in 2012, the first race was in late August and it was a great success. First of all, teams, racers and organizers of the championship highly appreciated Russian hospitality and quality of the new sport facilities. Second, motorsport fans from all over Russia saw Vladimir Leonov standing on the podium – great gift for every fan!
Since last visit to Moscow Raceway Yakhnich Motorsport reached a kind of turning point in its life: after round at Moscow Raceway the team began to use engines by its own design, which gave a great result and determined the way of development – in technical and organization terms – for the whole season and next year. Now a Yakhnich Motorsport racers runs Yamaha YZF-R6, assembled by the team engineers, who made the best bikes in WSS championship this year.
Sam Lowes and Vladimir Leonov began 8th round in a great position. Sam won four races in a row, from weekend in Assen to Portimao. In Imola he minimized losses from unsuccessful restart and finished second. Second race in Italy brought even more than just a victory – first double podium (Leonov was third) confirmed, that the series of slow starts finished and now it’s time to fight for prizes. At the moment Sam Lowes holds the record of pole positions in World Supersport: he have 6 first places out of 7 starts. Leonov also very consistently shows speed in Top-5.
And both of them stunningly started last year’s campaign to conquer Moscow Raceway. Lowes started from first row of the grid. The only thing that held him in the race was a false start and next drive through pit lane, which immediately cost him 10 places on that tough battle. Leonov started 7th, quickly got third place and held it till the end of race. He crossed the line far ahead of the next rival Sheridan Morais. Vladimir shared podium with Kenan Sofuoglu, who became that season a three-time champion of WSS, and Jules Cluzel, who now competes in WSBK.
Moscow Racewas was a brand new circuit for everyone in 2012. The track was officially opened only June 15, just two months before WSBK race. There was no chance at all to learn it before official test days, held on inaugural weekend of World Superbike. Leonov and Lowes were among five racers, who did it better. But now things will be different. Much more difficult and easier at the same time.