The WorldSBK grid at Jerez will be full of replacement riders, as injury takes its toll, not just on the regular riders, but also on possible replacements.
Sylvain Guintoli is to step in and replace the still injured and departing Randy Krummenacher in the Kawasaki Puccetti team for the rest of the season, the Swiss rider having previously fractured his wrist.
Guintoli will ride for the Puccetti team in both the remaining rounds this year, at Jerez and at Qatar.
The replacement ride is also something of an audition. Guintoli and Puccetti are believed to still be negotiating over a possibility the Frenchman could ride for them in 2018 in WorldSBK.
There is a replacement in Puccetti’s WorldSSP team as well. With Kenan Sofuoglu almost certain to miss Jerez and Qatar, Ant West will be riding one of the Puccetti bikes.
Leon Haslam had originally been scheduled to race Sofuoglu’s bike, but the Englishman fractured an ankle in a major crash in the final race of the BSB championship at Brands Hatch this weekend.
Photo: Bennetts Suzuki
This article was originally published on MotoMatters, and is republished here on Asphalt & Rubber with permission by the author.
Comments