Following a one year absence the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve welcomed motorcycle fans from across the world over the weekend of 15-17 September by hosting the Prosecco Doc 2017 World Superbike Championships.
Despite major motorcycle races taking place in Britain and Spain the Autodrome still managed a significant increased attendance in excess of 30% over the 2015 figures as vehicles from across the country and Europe descended upon the Algarve track. The car park was packed with Spanish registered machines who had skipped the racing in Jerez to hop across the border.
The final total of 41.922 people over the weekend witnessed the fastest laps ever recorded around the Portimao circuit, a spectacular fireball, extremely close races plus a moment in history being made.
Each can claim to have been a witness when Ana Carrasco became the first female rider to win a world championship motorcycle race. The 20 year old Spanish rider, who has suffered in the past, finding herself cut up and hounded by the boys falling through the rankings proved she is ready to give as good as she gets. Head down, elbows out, she fought in the lead group eventually exploiting the slipstream to full effect, powering her Kawasaki Ninja out of the final corner overhauling the thirty-six boy racers to win round 10 of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship race by just 53 thousandths of a second in front of the enthusiastic crowd in the main stand.
Just eight thousandths of a second separated the winner from the field in the Super Sport series. Arriving in Portimao Frenchman Lucas Mahias led the world championship standings over defending champion Turkish rider Kenan Sofuoglo by just one point. The 18 lap race saw a number of crashes as the Autodrome challenged the riders, the lead changing a number of times before Sofuoglo moved his Kawasaki ZX-6R to the front. The frenchman put up a late fight but had to settle for second and goes on to the next round in his home country 4 points behind.
The Stock 1000 series was also incident packed eventually being stopped under red flag after 9 laps. Championship leader Michael Rinaldi struggled to get his Ducati on the pace finishing just 9th, dropping a number of points to his nearest challengers.
Pole man Florian Marino kept his title hopes alive finishing second. Cutting the deficit over the series leader to just eight points, inspired by the Sofuoglo victory, Toprak Razgatlioglu doubled the Turkish delight of the travelling fans aboard his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
A clean sweep of all races for pilots on Kawasaki's, the main event was somewhat of an anticlimax. Defending champion, the Northern Irish rider Jonathan Rae's dominance of the big class continued, aboard his ZX-10RR this time unchallenged as his nearest rival Britain's Tom Sykes had a spectacular fireball crash in practice at the top of the hill turn nine. Sykes, the 2013 champion, suffered a snapped little finger headed to Barcelona for urgent surgery.
The championship almost sewn up by Rea with a double win in Portugal, the runners up place remains up for contention. With Sykes out Welshman Chas Davies failed to capitalise crashing his Ducati just three laps from the finish whilst sitting in a comfortable second spot.
The undulating wide sweeping fast corners that is the Autodrome International of the Algarve is one of the favourite destinations on the racers calendar.
The race village, with it's hospitality and entertainment areas, pit lane walk and close racing leaves local race fans hoping that the venue continues to attract the premier racing events in the future.
Written by Jeff Morgan - Sports Correspondent
