Conditions proved to be difficult for riders up and down the WorldSSP300 Championship paddock with numerous incidents across the day at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours but it was Tom Booth-Amos who topped the day’s running ahead of the Pirelli French Round after two Free Practice sessions.
Booth-Amos set a time of 2’09.900s to top the time sheets in WorldSSP300 at Magny-Cours as he posted the fasted time of the day ahead of Scott Deroue (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) as the Dutchman looks to regain some ground on teammate Jeffrey Buis in the Championship standings with just two rounds to go. Hugo de Cancellis (Team TRASIMENO) was third fastest after putting in a late lap at the end of Free Practice 2.
Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) made it four different nationalities in the top four as he put his Kawasaki Ninja 400 in fourth place, holding off a late challenge from French rider Tom Bercot (ProGP Racing); the Frenchman falling down to fifth right at the end of the session after being briefly top. Three French riders were in the top six with Enzo De La Vega (Machado Came SBK) in sixth place.
Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300) was in seventh place after having a crash at Turn 9 in Free Practice 2; one of numerous riders to come off their bikes in tricky conditions. Filippo Rovelli (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) was the highest-placed rider from Group A in eighth place despite a crash in Free Practice 2, with Polish rider Daniel Blin (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300) and Eunan McGlinchley (Team# 109 Kawasaki) completing the top ten.
Alvaro Diaz (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300) finished the day in 11th place, just ahead of Ukrainian Nick Kalinin (Battley-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) and Victor Rodrigue Nuñez (EAB Ten Kate Racing) in 12th and 13th respectively. Felipe Macan (Team Brasil AD 78) finished in 14th place despite a crash on the exit of the final corner at Turn 17, fending off Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) who completed the top 15.
Championship leader Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) could only manage 19th place over the two sessions and will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing Friday ahead of Saturday’s Tissot Superpole and Race 1. Mika Perez (Prodina Ircos Team WorldSSP300) and Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) were just ahead of Buis despite both crashing in FP2 with both able to get back to their machines.
2. Scott Deroue (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) +0.736s
3. Hugo de Cancellis (Team TRASIMENO) +0.895s
4. Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) +1.084s
5. Tom Bercot (ProGP Racing) +1.250s
6. Enzo De La Vega (Machado Came SBK) 1.265s
