Already a legend in the WorldSSP fraternity before he joined Kawasaki in 2012, Sofuoglu has re-written the record books in recent times on his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. Not only is he the only rider to have won five WorldSSP titles (2007, 2010, 2012, 2015 and last year in 2016) but he also holds the record for race wins in this class, ending his latest championship-winning season with 38 in total. He is simply the most successful WorldSSP rider there has ever been, and at the age of 32 is back to try to climb the heights again in 2017.
Kenan Sofuoglu
Date of birth:
25 August 1983
Kenan’s unique approach of not worrying about anything but race set-up in practice as long as he qualifies on the front row has netted him 94 front row starts in 116 career WorldSSP races. He has a record haul of 78 podiums.
The best rider ever to have come from Turkey, where he began racing on a 600cc machine, he subsequently won his national championship in 2002. With friends already in Germany and with support from his family he took part in the IDM German Superbike scene and was an instant star. He was victorious in a one-make championship before being picked to spearhead Yamaha’s Superstock 1000 series efforts in 2004 and 2005. He came so close to winning that championship title in 2005, only to lose it on the final lap, that it redoubled his determination to succeed when he moved into WorldSSP racing in 2006.
He has raced in other categories but his true abilities have shone brightest in WorldSSP, where his aggression, pace and eventual recovery from a mid-season dip in form put him third in his rookie year.
The year after, as lead rider in his team, he cleaned up and won the title, but a move to full Superbike status the following year was less successful and he swapped back to a WorldSSP bike for the final round in Portugal. He won the race, took pole and the fastest lap.
He went third in 2009 as new talents Cal Crutchlow and Eugene Laverty arrived on a wave of youth and confidence. All the same, Kenan won the title again in 2010, after a great tussle with Laverty and Kawasaki’s Joan Lascorz.
He even rode in two Moto2 races in 2010, and was a full-time signing in that class in 2011. He fought to a podium on one occasion but he never settled in his new team and when the chance came to compete in the official Kawasaki Lorenzini team in 2012 he knew he could return to WorldSSP with a strong package.
The rest is very impressive history as he scored four wins on his way to title number three, securing the first Supersport Championship for a Kawasaki rider since 2001.
Riding for Kawasaki again in 2013 and 2014 he battled hard and won more races but it took his adoption into the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team in 2015 to land him his peerless fourth world title, despite some incredibly tough challenges in his personal life.
Repeating a title win with Puccetti again in 2016 he is the undisputed five star rider in this class. Back again with Puccetti and Kawasaki, Kenan’s appetite for winning remains high, his ambition always moving forward.
Career Resume
2016
Champion in FIM Supersport World Championship on Kawasaki
2015
Champion in FIM Supersport World Championship on Kawasaki
2014
8th FIM Supersport World Championship on Kawasaki
2013
2nd in FIM Supersport World Championship on Kawasaki
2012
Champion in FIM Supersport World Championship on Kawasaki
2011
17th Moto2 World Championship
2010
Champion FIM Supersport World Championship, two Moto2 races
2009
3rd in FIM Supersport World Championship
2008
18th in FIM Superbike World Championship, 1 race WSS
2007
Champion in FIM Supersport World Championship
2006
3rd in FIM Supersport World Championship
2005
2nd in the Superstock 1000 Championship
2004
3rd in the Superstock 1000 Championship
2003
Champion German R6 Cup
2002
Champion Turkish Supersport, class B