Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) won both the Magny-Cours race and the 2006 World Supersport Championship after a stunningly dramatic afternoon of action in his home country of France. The 22-lap race was delayed because of the late finish to SBK Race One, and as Charpentier and Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) led the running order in the early laps, the championship leader, Kevin Curtain, fell on lap eight. Curtain needed to finish only eighth in the race to win the series, but Charpentier was now clear to win both race and title - and did so in some style, from second placed Sofuoglu and Broc Parkes, Curtain's team-mate. In taking his second title in as many years, Charpentier made history by becoming the first rider to score back-to-back WSS title wins.
Charpentier finished on a points total of 194, Curtain an eventual second on 187 and Sofuoglu went third overall, on 157. Between them, the Winston Ten Kate Honda riders scored eight poles, eight wins and Charpentier scored the fifth straight Riders' Championship for Honda and the team.
What did you think as soon as they showed you on the pit board “number 11 out” ?Sebastien: I almost didn’t believe it. For a couple of laps I was really emotional, I was seeing the objective closer and closer, but I knew that the race was still long and that behind were Kenan and Parkes, who were trying to score the first position. Kenan has been fantastic in the last two races and for this reason I have to thank him.
Sincerely, did you think you could have won the championship, even if Curtain only needed to finish in eight place?Sebastien: I have to admit that all weekend long I was a bit agitated, maybe because I was a bit afraid to lose the title for only a few points, and it would have made me really sad, after we all know how the season went. I have won six races, with today’s, and nobody has done the same. The crash in Brno complicated my season, but I think this has made the championship much more enjoyable for everyone, but most of all for me and my team.
A comment to Sofuoglu’s seasonSebastien: I think Kenan has had a really good first season in the Supersport World Championship. Surely next year he will be one of my biggest rivals, and this will help to make the championship much more fascinating. At the beginning I had some difficulties, but he had to understand the method of work of the team. In the second half of the Championship he has demonstrated his real value.
How was your psychological approach to this race?Sebastien: I was definitely a bit agitated. But this helped me concentrate from the first to the last lap of this magnificent French weekend. I still can’t believe it !!! It has been much harder to overcome the psychological barriers to come back from injury. For this I have to thank my wife Cathy who has been close to me in the many hours between the hospital and the physiotherapist.
After two World Supersport titles don’t you want to try new experience?Sebastien: No. I have found a fantastic team and together we want to reach many goals. I think I owe them a lot and I hope that next year I will make it as fun as this year. Surely, between the two titles, this is the most emotional - because won it just like this, suddenly. I really want to thank everyone who has supported me.
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