Fantastic 2nd place for new father Odendaal, Sebestyen close to the points zone

The star of the Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team shone once again at Navarra, where Race 2 of the sixth round of the Supersport World Championship was held today. In a race that ended prematurely due to a red flag, Steven Odendaal took a splendid second place, repeating his result from yesterday, while Peter Sebestyen's comeback was halted at the foot of the points zone. 

Before Race 2 the riders of the reigning World Champion team took to the track for Warm Up, where they were able to test the final set-up changes to their Yamaha YZF-R6 bikes ahead of the race. With nine laps completed Odendaal took 5th position, while Sebestyen (with the same number of laps) 22nd. 

Race 2 got underway at 12.30. Starting from the second row due to Gonzalez's defection, Odendaal got off to another good start and immediately took first position. The South African rider remained in the lead of the race until lap 14, when he was overtaken by Aegerter. In the follwing lap the red flag came out, which prevented Steven from fighting back, and sanctioned the final classification and Odendaal's 2nd position. A great result, with which Steven can celebrate the birth of his first-born son Alexander, who was born during the night. 

Starting from 25th place, Sebestyen also quickly gained positions, crossing the line for the first time in 20th place. On the third lap Peter climbed up to 16th, but then slipped back to 22nd. This did not prevent the Hungarian rider from showing off again, recovering positions up to 17th, which was his final place due to the early end of the race. 

Thanks to today's result Odendaal strengthens his second position in the championship, with 210 points, while continuing to be in the fight for the title. The Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team is in second place in the team standings with 225 points. The team from Ravenna will be back on track on 3-4-5 September, at the French track of Magny-Cours. 

Race 2 results #NavarraWorldSBK 
P1 - Dominique Aegerter (Yamaha) 
P2 - Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team, Yamaha) 
P3 - Luca Bernardi (Yamaha) 
P4 - Federico Caricasulo (Yamaha) 
P5 - Jules Cluzel (Yamaha) 
P17 - Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team, Yamaha) 

Steven Odendaal: "It was a good race, I'm happy. I took the lead early on and then tried to impose my pace, but Aegerter managed to catch me up. I don't know if I could have won today, certainly the final would have been interesting. Anyway, I'm satisfied with today's race and the weekend as a whole, and today I have one more reason to be happy, as my beautiful wife Denisa has given birth to our first child. I'm over the moon. I didn't win the race, but I won something much more important". 

Peter Sebestyen: "Race 2 was the highlight of the weekend, regardless of the unsatisfactory result. I felt more comfortable with the bike than ever, which gives me great confidence for the future. The weekend as a whole didn't go as I had hoped, but I remain positive, aware of the value of both myself and the team". 

Fabio Evangelista (Team Principal): "Steven rode a remarkable race today, showing further improvement on yesterday's performance and making no mistakes: he behaved like a true professional, as it's not easy to stay focused after receiving such wonderful news as the birth of a son. It's a pity not to have seen the final duel between him and Aegerter, but we can still smile for many reasons. Peter found a set-up in Race 2 that seems to suit his riding much better, which gives us hope for the future. Unfortunately the race didn't go as hoped, also because of the starting position, but I am sure he will soon get what he deserves".