Over the weekend that just ended, the final round of the 2022 Italian Speed Championship was staged at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola.
In the Superbike category Kevin Manfredi took to the track again to carry on the development of the GSX-R1000, with a bike born in 2017 and without the official support of the house, Spezzino and Penta Motorsport, thanks also to the help of the Andreani Group, have showed a growth that no one expected by positioning the Suzuki 1000 close to the leading positions.
After the excellent qualifying closed in seventh place behind the World Champion Randy Krummenacher, there was no lack of bad luck in Race 1 ...
On Saturday, when the traffic lights went out, driver number 34 made an incredible sprint fighting, throughout the first part of the race, for the fourth position up to the red flag that forced everyone to return to the pits. In the second restart, an electrical problem did not allow Kevin to line up on the grid and he was forced to start from the pits, thus finishing the race only in tenth position.
A super positive warmup with used tires on Sunday morning reopened the hopes of Ivan Goretti's entourage who once again made himself noticed among the protagonists in race 2.
After a perfect start Kevin came close to the top 5 attacking the reigning Italian Champion and MotoGP rider Michele Pirro, after having overtaken him he then tried to conquer the podium, but vanished at the end due to difficulties with the front tire that they forced to slow down a lot in the last 3 laps of the race.
Kevin: “A beautiful weekend the one spent in Imola, on a track that I feel very much mine and what a race Sunday was !!!
On Saturday we were fast but unlucky, so on Sunday we had to show that it was no coincidence that we were in the top positions, in the second race of the weekend we showed that we are there too.
It was a good fight with the top four, we took a big step forward compared to the best weekend of the year in the CIV.
I believed in it until the end, I thought I could make it to the podium but at the end I suffered a lot with the front grip and I had to settle for sixth place.
I am not satisfied with having had to settle but for sure we did a great test, no one in the paddock would have bet on this result in so few races, without tests and without official support from the house but we have always worked with our heads down every round, always trying to improve every aspect and slowly we succeeded.
I thank Ivan Goretti and the whole Penta Motorsport family for the commitment and passion shown this season. "
Kevin Manfredi concludes his first year of CIV SBK with an excellent performance, the winter break will be useful to recover energy and start preparing for the new sporting season.
Lo Spezzino and his staff are already at work to draw up the new programs for 2023.
Kevin thanks all the sponsors and technical partners of the 2022 season.
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