The 4.212km km long Autodrom Most is the ‘busiest’ on the entire eight round/16 race WorldSSP3000 calendar with 21 corners of all kinds packed into a single lap.

Track conditions were far from ideal on day one, and the relatively cool and occasionally wet conditions were a constant talking point for the entire weekend.

The top Kawasaki Ninja rider in Race One - and subsequently the weekend as a whole - was Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport), who secured the race win on Saturday. In Race Two the best Kawasaki rider proved to be David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI Kawasaki), in fourth place.

After a first day of wet and dry conditions in first practice and then Superpole qualifying on Friday 16 May, Saturday offered up a dry track surface to fight for points on. Ambient temperatures were only 16°C and track temperatures that did not quite reach 30°C.

Garcia once again showed his championship credentials with his close but assured victory in the first 12-lap race. He had been second in Superpole qualifying.

David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI Kawasaki) would prove to be second in the opening race - just 0.012 seconds behind Garcia - but he had started way down in 28th place on the starting grid after being sanctioned for going too slow on the racing line in practice. He was also hit with a long lap penalty for irresponsible riding in the opening race, but managed to complete that and yet still finish second.

The toughest final test for Garcia and Salvador in Race One proved to be another Spanish rider, Beñat Fernandez, on a Kove machine. He finished third, with Superpole Qualifying ‘winner’ Humberto Maier (Yamaha) fourth.

Antonio Torres (Team Prodina XCI Kawasaki) was seventh, but still only 0.641 seconds from the race winner.

Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (ZAPPAS-Deza - Box77 Racing Kawasaki) is yet another fast Spaniard in WorldSSP300 in its final year as an FIM World Championship before the new World Sportbike class arrives in 2026. He was ninth in a typically overheated and intense race.

Local hero Petr Svoboda (Kawasaki Junior Team by MTM) placed tenth, and was the last rider inside the leading group at the flag. Despite finishing tenth Svoboda was less than one second from being what would have been a popular hometown winner.

Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki) was in the top ten mix almost throughout but was run wide at the end after another rider blocked his path, leaving him 11th - and suddenly over four seconds behind the race winner. Carter’s team-mate, Mirko Gennai was 13th. The last Kawasaki points scorer proved to be Kevin Sabatucci (Accolade Funds Smrz Racing BGR Kawasaki), in 15th place.

Roberto Fernandez (Kawasaki Junior Team by MTM) was 19th and Daniel Mogeda (Pons Motorsport Italika Racing Kawasaki) a non-finisher.

After Garcia’s victory in the Saturday race he took the championship lead, which brought forth the obvious question - could he maintain or extend that lead before the end of the weekend? Finally, he could not, but he was once again fully involved in the leading action of the second race.

After setting the fastest lap time in the opening race, Salvador started Race Two from pole position, with Carter Thompson fourth, Osuna fifth and Garcia eighth. Race One best lap times, not finishing positions, determine the Race Two grid for the top riders.

In the second and literally final race of the whole Most WorldSBK weekend there were even cooler temperatures to deal with on Sunday 18 May. The track surface was confirmed as 21°C and air temperatures were only 13°C at what was supposed to be the start of the scheduled 12-lap race.

Suddenly, light rains and some damp patches arrived, making for a delayed start at 15.30, not the scheduled 15.15.

In what could be described as ‘unknown’ track conditions to start another multi-rider battle developed at the front of the 29-strong field of riders, but after a quick restart procedure had to be enacted after the delay, the race was run over only ten laps.

The final podium ranking did not feature any Kawasaki riders, but after the usual closely contested WorldSSP300 race, Salvador was only 0.167 seconds away from race winner Jeffrey Buis (KTM), and in fourth place.

Salvador headed up a run of four Kawasaki riders, from fourth to seventh, with Garcia fifth, Torres sixth and Thompson seventh.

Osuna Saez placed ninth, with this time around Sabatucci in 14th place and Gennai in 15th, making him the final points scorer for Kawasaki.

Fernandez finished 16th. Luckless locals Svoboda and Filip Novotny (Accolade Funds Smrz Racing BGR Kawasaki) no scored in the second race at their home circuit of Most. Svoboda had gambled on using a rain tyre for Race Two after the delayed start, but it did not work out and he retired.

In the championship points Buis leads with 100 after his Race Two win, but Garcia is only three points behind with 97. Beñat Fernandez has 96 and Salvador 77. Torres is sixth with 58 points and Thompson seventh with 57.

In the Manufacturers’ championship Kawasaki took over the lead at Most, with 114 points to KTM’s 110.

The Teams’ Championship is headed up by Team Prodina XCI Kawasaki with 135 points, Team Prodina Racing Sport Kawasaki is third with 97 and MTM Kawasaki is sixth with 67 points.

The WorldSSP300 riders will have their next race at the always popular Misano World Circuit ‘Marco Simoncelli’, between June 13 to June 15.

Rider Comments

Julio Garcia (Prodina Kawasaki Racing Sport), stated: “It was a really tough and hard-fought race on Saturday. I think we showed great determination, especially when the wind was very strong and we couldn’t immediately increase the gap. But in the end we did a great job and we won. I’m super happy for the race and for the whole team. Race Two was a very difficult one; we didn’t do the best we could. The bike was good but group races are always difficult to interpret. Now we are focused and looking forward to the next race in Misano.”

David Salvador (Team ProDina XCI Kawasaki), stated: “I’m really satisfied with this race, even though it was a bit strange for me. Starting from the last position on the grid is never easy, but I managed to find a good pace and come back to second place. The team did an exceptional job, the bike is going really strong and that makes the difference. Congratulations to Julio for the win, it’s nice to share the podium with him. Sunday was a complicated day. At the beginning it seemed possible to aim for the podium, but in the end it didn’t go that way. I made some good overtaking moves, but then the race became a bit strange, with several riders racing quite aggressively. I gave it my all anyway. Now we’ll see each other in Misano, but first we have a test to continue working towards the next race.”

Carter Thompson (MTM Kawasaki), stated: “In the final corner, right in front of me, someone tried to close to close the door. He hit my front wheel and I nearly crashed. Then I went into the gravel. We definitely need to improve (our set-up) a bit as it’s definitely not the best at the moment. It was a strong weekend even if we didn’t get the podium in the races. In both races I was fast and in the front group but finally things didn’t go in our direction. It’s a shame but we are working hard in the right direction and we can look confidently to Misano.”

Antonio Torres (Team ProDina XCI Kawasaki), stated: “We completed the first race, which turned out to be quite complicated, even though the weather was on our side. I felt comfortable in the group, always fighting for the top positions. Unfortunately, on the last lap a rider cut me off and I found myself on the wrong side of the track, thus finishing in seventh position. We still brought home the result, plus we continue to build step-by-step and learn from the best. Most was a positive weekend in which we managed to improve every time we went out on track. Sunday’s race was more complicated, because it started raining just when we were on the grid, then it stopped, creating a bit of confusion. We also received a penalty that I tried to serve as quickly as possible to not lose contact with the group. I tried to give my best. The last lap was quite chaotic, but in the end we close an overall positive weekend.”

Petr Svoboda (Kawasaki Junior Team by MTM), stated: “Not the home weekend we were expecting but I’m happy with my first top 10 of the year. I could fight at the front in Race One and was great to be back there. In Race Two we tried a gamble with rain tyre after the red flag, but it didn’t work out.”

Mirko Gennai, stated: “The second race didn't go badly when analysing lap times. We had a good pace and we were in the front group; too bad that a rider started to hinder us and we lost ground. On the last lap a rider in front fell while I was 10th and to avoid him I almost stopped, losing another five positions. We'll make up for it in Misano!”

#NinjaSpirit