After not being in FIM Supersport World Championship action since the Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen, Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) will be back on his ZX-6R machine during a test with his World Supersport team at the Cremona circuit. It will be a key milestone for the one-time race winner as he returns to WorldSSP machinery for the first time since the Assen crash and he is looking at Magny-Cours for a potential return to competitive action.
The #61 suffered a left forearm fracture in a Turn 1, Lap 1 crash with Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and has not raced since as he recovers from his injuries. He team will visit the Cremona Circuit in Italy to give Oncu his first taste of WorldSSP machinery since the crash as they evaluate a potential return for the Mandalika race winner at Magny-Cours. The French Round takes place next weekend while Oncu’s test is Friday, 1st September.
Oncu had been billed as a potential title contender heading into his fourth season in WorldSSP and won his first race in the Championship in Race 1 at the Indonesian Round, before following that up with fourth in Race 2. That came a week after he secured third in Race 2 at Phillip Island as he started his season in sublime fashion, leaving the opening two rounds of the season third in the standings, 23 points behind Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team).
However, after taking seventh in Race 1 at Assen, Oncu’s season unravelled when he was taken out by Montella on the opening lap of Race 2. Oncu was declared unfit with an arm fracture while the #55 received a double Long Lap Penalty for the next round in Barcelona. The #61 will return to WorldSSP machinery for the first time since that crash tomorrow as he eyes a potential Magny-Cours return.
Manuel Puccetti, the Team Manager, previewed Oncu’s test. He said: “Finally we bring Can Oncu back to the track! His serious arm injury forced him into a long recovery period, in which Can underwent many hours of physiotherapy and long specific training sessions for the injured arm. He has already ridden on Kenan Sofuoglu’s private track with a 300cc bike, together with Toprak Razgatlioglu, Bahattin Sofuoglu and his brother Deniz, but he hasn’t yet climbed onto his 600cc bike, which is a heavier bike. At the moment, we don’t know if he is able to return to racing and for this reason, we have organised this test on Friday at the Cremona Circuit, after which we will know if we can deploy him, as we hope, in the next round at Magny-Cours.”
If the test goes the way both team and rider would like it to and Oncu does travel to Magny-Cours, the 20-year-old will have to undergo the necessary medical checks on Thursday ahead of track action so he can be declared fit to ride.
Watch all the action from WorldSSP in 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 50% off!
Source: WorldSBK.com