The premiere edition of the WorldSBK Czech Round at Most is a success

10.08.2021 09:12

Most saw a phenomenal show during the World Superbike Championship weekend, and surprises, records and emotional seesaws were not uncommon in North Bohemia. Moreover, the winners podium became the scene for a moving marriage proposal!

 

The first-ever World Superbike Championship Czech round has turned out very well at Most. The spectators have seen marvellous battles while the home fans could celebrate local rider Oliver König’s greatest-ever achievement. Last but not least, the track record has been broken. The Most circuit has experienced one of the busiest race weekends – to the delight of the organisers, among others.

 

“Autodrom Most has done a great job over the past few months to be able to host the Tissot Czech Round, the first ever World Championship event taking place at this venue. The track, which I raced at back in 1997, is challenging and has character. It provides thrilling racing as we've seen in all classes. It's a successful debut for the Autodrom Most as a WorldSBK venue and we're looking forward building on this brilliant start in the years to come,” said Gregorio Lavilla, the WorldSBK Sporting and Organisation Executive Director and a former motorcycle road racer.

 

Obviously, the Autodrom Most organisers are satisfied. “This has been a new and interesting experience for us, which we appreciate very much. We have learned a lot of new things, which has pushed us forward a good deal. Even now, we are beginning to plan with the aim of improving even more next year. We have proved that we are able to handle a world-class event, and we believe we have strengthened the reputation of the Czech Republic abroad,” said Josef Zajíček, the Autodrom Most Chief Executive Officer.

 

On Sunday, the attendance reached the limit of 7,000 spectators permitted by the government, which is applicable for outdoor activities. Traditionally, the crowd included many fans from the neighbouring Germany. The races broadcast live worldwide were watched by as many as 250 million television viewers.

 

The Saturday race was marked by the Czech talented rider Oliver König contesting in the SSP300 class. In the race of his life, he celebrated his runner-up spot on the rostrum. However, he was dropped to third for exceeding track limits after a post-race penalty. In the Sunday race, König missed out on the victory stand, but even his sixth place in the world championship race is a very good result for the nineteen-year-old youngster. His compatriot, Karel Hanika, who was a wild-card entry in the WorldSBK premier class, retired from the Saturday race after a crash. On Sunday, he was going better finishing eighteenth in the class full of experienced rivals. A head-to-head battle for a trophy made of Bohemian crystal glass in the top class was fought between Scott Redding on a Ducati and Toprak Razgatlioglu riding a Yamaha. It was Redding who not only emerged victorious but also prepared a big surprise for everybody: he proposed marriage to his girl-friend right on the podium.

 

The Most track record was broken during the weekend. Toprak Razgatlioglu was the first to beat the existing record in 1m32.697s on lap fifteen of the Saturday race. This lap record was then smashed by Jonathan Rea in 1m31.996s during the Sunday superpole race.

 

After this successful superbike premiere, the spectators can look forward to another great event as a race weekend including the traditional FIA European Truck Racing Championship and European NASCAR series rounds will take place at Most from 27 to 29 August.

Other articles

Partners