bLU cRU Riders Out for Victory in Misano

Following on from Galang Hendra Pratama’s stunning victory in Brno, the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Challenge riders march on to Misano for Round 6 of the 2018 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship this weekend.

Galang Hendra stormed to his second WorldSSP300 victory in Brno – and the first for the bLU cRU riders this season – in incredible fashion at the last round, winning by over 4.7 seconds despite the race ending prematurely after a red flag. The 19-year-old Indonesian sensation is aiming to fight for victory once more in Misano alongside fellow bLU cRU rider Dennis Koopman, Hugo de Cancellis and local hero Luca Bernardi.

Galang Hendra Pratama (Yamaha Pata | Semakin di Depan | Biblion Motoxracing Team) leads the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Challenge with 43 points and is eighth in the overall championship standings after his brilliant weekend in Brno. Having shown incredible promise throughout his rookie season in the WorldSSP Championship season, he delivered on his potential in some style in Brno. Completely dominating the action in the Czech Republic despite it being his first visit to the track, he topped every session, qualified on pole and when the race was red flagged, was leading by an incredible 4.7 seconds over his nearest rival. It was Hendra’s second WorldSSP300 victory after his win as a wildcard in Jerez last season and showcased to the world his amazing talent. He is now determined to continue this form in Misano, another track he has never raced at before.

16-year-old local hero Luca Bernardi (Yamaha Pata | Trasimeno Team) had charged from 27th on the grid to 21st by the time the race in Brno was red-flagged, unfortunately being denied the chance to make it three consecutive point-scoring finishes in a row. Bernardi is currently second in the challenge and 20th in the overall standings with 6 points and hopes to use his local knowledge of the Misano track to his advantage as he looks to secure his first WorldSSP300 top-ten finish.

Dennis Koopman (Yamaha Pata | Semakin di Depan | GRT Team) was 23rd in Brno when the race was prematurely ended. The 21-year-old Dutch rider is currently third in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU challenge and 23rd overall with 3 points and has been buoyed by a superb performance in the Dutch Supersport 300 races in Assen at the Dutch TT where he finished as the leading Yamaha rider in both races.

Hugo de Cancellis (Yamaha Pata | Toth – YART Team) just missed out on securing his first championship point in Brno after battling from 22nd on the grid to 16th during the race before the red flag brought an end to proceedings, equaling his best result of the season. The 16-year-old French rider has shown superb improvement in 2018 and is looking forward to getting back in action at Misano where his aim will be to record his first point-scoring finish.

Sadly, Joep Overbeeke (Yamaha Pata | Trasimeno Team) – in agreement with Yamaha and his team – will not be at the race in Misano due to personal reasons.

The Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli is a fast, flowing, and technical track located next to the picturesque town of Misano Adriatico in the province of Rimini, North East Italy. A firm favourite with riders and fans alike, it held its first event in 1972 and the iconic track is 4.226km in length, consisting of ten right and six left-handed corners, plus has a start-finish straight of 510m. The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Challenge riders are in action at 11:45 am on Friday morning for FP1, while qualifying starts at 11:30 am on Saturday with Sunday’s race at 2:20 pm.

Alberto Barozzi

Yamaha Motor Europe bLU cRU Racing Manager

“Finally, after the three-week break, it is time, once again, for the bLU cRU riders to return to action on track! It will be a pleasure to meet again the all bLU cRU boys and their team staff. The Misano circuit has been the scene of some amazing WorldSBK battles in the past and I’m sure in WorldSSP300 it will be the same. As usual, the race will be hotly contested right up to the chequered flag. Our boys are ready and motivated to produce their best performances, plus a revised FIM technical rule will be introduced (which takes into account the combined weight of the bike and rider) in order to create a level playing field, as much as possible. I’m genuinely excited to discover what will happen and I believe it will give our young talented bLU cRU riders a chance to showcase their talent. To have the bLU cRU riders on top is our mission!”