Spanish resident British rider Kyle Smith (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) scored a brilliant win at Losail, by only 0.006 seconds, from the new WorldSSP champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) after a tough last lap battle for the final race win of 2016.
Smith led for much of the 15-lap race under the floodlights, and was passed by Sofuoglu at one stage, but he reasserted himself and won a desperate drag race to the line.
Kyle Smith and Sofuoglu over the line, WSS race, Qatar WSBK 2016
Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) finished the race third and in doing so went second in the championship, overtaking Randy Krummenacher (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who could only finish fifth in the race today.
Fourth place in the race – and also in the championship – was taken by PJ Jacobsen (Honda World Supersport Team).
Kyle Smith and Sofuoglu, WSS race, Qatar WSBK 2016
Ayrton Badovini (GEMAR Balloons – Team Lorini Honda) caught up to the leaders and finished sixth. Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) was seventh and Christoffer Bergman (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) eighth. Ninth, in his stand-in capacity for the official MV Agusta Reparto Corse team, was Massimo Roccoli. Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25 MV Agusta) finished his race tenth, after leading it early on.
In the final championship points, Sofuoglu has 216, Cluzel 142, Krummenacher 140 and Jacobsen 135. Smith ends his year fifth, with 125.
By Gordon Ritchie
Krummenacher, Sofuoglu, Jonathan Rea and Sykes, Qatar WSBK 2016
Sofuoglu, Kyle Smith and cluzel, WSS race, Qatar WSBK 2016