WorldSSP – Norrodin fights back to finish just outside the points in WorldSSP race 2 at Imola

The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team has completed round seven of the Supersport World Championship at Imola. Riders Adam Norrodin and Tarran Mackenzie made up many positions in the day’s Supersport race, but while the Malaysian rider crossed the line sixteenth, his British team-mate unfortunately failed to reach the finish line.

After a tough race 1 on Saturday, made more difficult by the extreme heat at the Imola circuit, the two riders were back out for Sunday’s second 17-lap Supersport race in similarly challenging conditions, with an air temperature of 37°C. From row nine, Mackenzie did not make the best start and slipped back several positions to find himself behind team-mate Norrodin, twenty-eighth. The pair made up many positions during the first half of the race, both doing well to avoid mistakes and gradually increasing their respective pace through the central phase of the race. Mackenzie set his fastest time, a 1’54.9, on lap six and was up into twenty-first by the mid-race point, immediately behind team-mate Adam, twentieth.

After the Brit retired on lap ten, the Malaysian continued to fight, battling the heat and nearest rival Abe to finish the race an eventual sixteenth. A good result considering his starting position and the number of riders who failed to complete today’s Supersport race.

Adam Norrodin P16

“Today we finished the race collecting important data, with our target of keeping to improve always in mind. I didn’t make such as good start as I did yesterday and couldn’t make up as much ground early on, but I did my best to make up some positions. The overall result is better than yesterday, I’m generally happy with how we worked over the weekend and today we’ve clocked up more mileage to have more data to work with. We have things to improve of course and so will continue to chip away and work to gradually move in the right direction.”

Tarran Mackenzie Retired

“This morning was quite positive in that when I ride alone, I feel I can maintain quite good pace. But once in the race, my rivals accelerate away and it’s not easy to stick with them. But the positive is that I can do it by myself and don’t have to follow anyone else. Hopefully we have a few better things coming for Most, so we remain positive and will with any luck have something to smile about in the Czech Republic.”

Full Results *Courtesy of WorldSBK