Busca (Italy) 29 April 2023 – The multiple-time World Champion Thomas Chareyre (TC4R1 Racing Team) showed his style on the first day of the GP of Piemonte with an astonishing pole position. Thomas dominated Race One from the first to the final lap.
Time practice & Superpole S1GP
The qualifying of the GP of Piemonte was very hard fought from the first minutes, with the top ten riders being just one second down. At the end of the time practice Lukas Hollbacher (KTM MTR) reached the first position followed by two TM bikes: Thomas Chareyre (TC4R1 Racing Team) and reigning Champion Marc Reiner Schmidt (L30 Racing TM Factory). The others who made it to the top six and battled it out for the pole position were Marcus Class (Husqvarna) and two young riders, Youry Catherine (Gazza Racing) and Steve Bonnal (TC4R1 Racing Team).
The Superpole was very intense. Marc Reiner Schmidt and Thomas Chareyre improved their performance and the time set in the qualifying, with the French rider who eventually took the lead. After setting the best time, Lukas Hollbacher was the last rider to get to the track but a few mistakes, like a high side at the last corner, forced him to finish in sixth place.
Thomas Chareyre won the first Metzeller Superpole and came home with a 500 Euro prize money.
S1GP Time Practice Top Ten:
HOLLBACHER Lukas (AUT, KTM) 1:16.868; 2. CHAREYRE Thomas (FRA, TM) 1:16.967; 3. SCHMIDT Marc Reiner (GER, TM) 1:17.218; 4. CLASS Markus (GER, Husqvarna) 1:17.471; 5. CATHERINE Youry (FRA, Honda) 1:17.508; 6. BONNAL Steve (FRA, TM) 1:17.569; 7. SITNIANSKY Milan (CZE, Honda) 1:17.673; 8. BUSSEI CANONE Giovanni Sebastiano (ITA, Honda) 1:17.722; 9. SZALAI Tim (FRA, Husqvarna) 1:17.942; 10. SAMMARTIN Elia (ITA, TM)
CHAREYRE Thomas (FRA, TM) 1:16.596; 2. SCHMIDT Marc Reiner (GER, TM) 1:16.812; 3. CLASS Markus (GER, Husqvarna) 1:17.427; 4. BONNAL Steve (FRA, TM) 1:17.790; 5. CATHERINE Youry (FRA, Honda) 1:17.966; 6. HOLLBACHER Lukas (AUT, KTM) 1:18.142;
S1GP Last Chance
The Last Chance was full of twists and turns, as this session determines the very last available positions to join the three heats. The race director announced a wet race, but riders decided to line up regardless, using slick tyres. At the start, American rider Nicky Reimer took the lead but lost several positions because of a mistake. He had to work his way up to recover and win the race.
S1GP Last Chance Top Ten:
1. REIMER Nicky (USA, TM) 11 laps in 15:58.309; 2. CATORC Giani (FRA, KTM) +00.307; 3. BEISCHROTH Colin (GER, TM) +00.968; 4. PEARCE Bronson (USA, TM) +08.206; 5. TRIMOULET Maxime (FRA, Husqvarna) +09.623; 6. MONTI Jacopo (ITA, Honda) +10.869; 7. DI CICCO Daniele (ITA, Honda) +16.606; 8. HAUFE Nick (GER, Husqvarna) +29.378; 9. MARQUES Carlos (POR, TM) +30.304; 10. VERTEMATI Michael (ITA, Vertemati).
Race One
As the red lights blinked off Lukas Hollbacher (KTM MTR) took the lead after the first corner, but Thomas Chareyre (TC4R1 Racing Team) sprang into action and moved up to first place. The first lap of the race offered a good twist when a crash without consequences affected Marc Reiner Schmidt (L30 Racing TM Factory) while he was in third place and then Hollbacher. Thomas Chareyre opened the doors to success thanks to a phenomenal race pace which allowed him to create a gap over rivals and win the race.
Marc Reiner Schmidt was the author of an amazing recovery; in fact, thanks to a storming session, he climbed up the standings and ended up second. Steve Bonnal (TC4R1 Racing Team) and Marcus Class (Husqvarna) battled it out for the third spot throughout the whole race. Class slipped during the penultimate lap so the French rival moved to the third position. The best Italian rider to cross the finish line was Elia Sammartin, sixth.
S1GP Race 1 Top Ten:
CHAREYRE Thomas (FRA, TM) 15 laps in 19:29.051; 2. SCHMIDT Marc Reiner (GER, TM) +06.442; 3. BONNAL Steve (FRA, TM) +15.275; 4. HOLLBACHER Lukas (AUT, KTM) +20.280; 5. CLASS Markus (GER, Husqvarna) +21.810; 6. SAMMARTIN Elia (ITA, TM) +25.329; 7. CATHERINE Youry (FRA, Honda) +26.179; 8. SZALAI Tim (FRA, Husqvarna) +26.394; 9. SITNIANSKY Milan (CZE, Honda) +26.610; 10. BUSSEI CANONE Giovanni Sebastiano (ITA, Honda) +35.369
Complete results available HERE.
SUPERMOTO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP – GP of Piemonte – QUICK FACTS
Circuit length: 1847 mt (1602 mt asphalt, 245 mt Sky-section)
Temperature: 20°
Weather conditions: Cloudy
The FIM Supermoto Worldchampionship will be broadcasted delayed, by clicking HERE you will obtain the full tv list