Talented Italian rider Roby Rolfo, Toseland's Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, will be out for his first podium of the year at Lausitz, Max Neukirchner riding for Suzuki Germany is ninth overall going into his only home race of the year, and the pre-Lausitz top ten is completed by the aforementioned Kagayama. Behind the top ten the roll of talented riders continues unabated, with privateer
Michel Fabrizio on the DFX Corse bike, having scored a podium again this year, in 11th. Former championship challenger
Regis Laconi on the PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse is now leading his Kawasaki team-mate
Fonsi Nieto, Jakub Smrz riding the Caracchi Ducati is 14th and 15th placed rider, Shinichi Nakatomi riding for the Yamaha YZF Team is ready to score more points.
A couple of old faces re-appear on new bikes for Lausitz, as
Karl Muggeridge is joined in the Alto Evolution squad by former WSS race winner Yoann Tiberio, and a man rapidly earning he title ‘Super-sub' - Steve Martin - replaces the still-injured Alessandro Polita in the Celani Suzuki team. Luca Morelli on the DFX Honda Corse and Dean Ellison riding the Pedercini Ducati complete the regular roll call of riders, with Martin Bauer riding for Holzhauer Racing Promotion and Jiri Drazdak on the Yamaha Junior Pro SBK Team providing some one-off wildcard spice.
After
Brands Hatch Kenan Sofuoglu on the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda was crowned 2007 World Supersport champion, and it is fitting that his adopted country of German is the venue for the first stop of his whistle-stop championship celebration. Sofuoglu moved to Germany from his native Turkey to further his career, and he can be sure of many supportive fans in the Lausitz grandstands - and they can be sure that Sofuoglu will be keen to take more wins to underline a stellar year.
