One of the biggest names ever in the World Supersport class, Kenan Sofuoglu, has just announced on an interview with SpeedWeek news portal that he is tired of politics and wants to return to race motorcycles. The Turkish rider, five-times World Supersport champion, has left the racing world last year following serious hip injuries, cutting short his career while trying to secure a sixth world title.
It was on May 5th, 2018 that Kenan Sofuoglu announced his retirement, and following that announcement the Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan, one of his biggest fans invited Sofuoglu to join his Government. Pushed by his family to abandon motorcycle races because of the risk of injuries, Sofuoglu accepted the invitation to join the Turkish government, making a promise to his wife that he wouldn’t race anymore.
With 43 race wins under his name, and almost a year after retiring, Kenan Sofuoglu traveled to Buriram, Thailand, where he watched the latest World Superbike round. Although not racing anymore, Sofuoglu still manages the career of Toprak Razgatlioglu in the Turkish Puccetti Kawasaki team in the Superbike class, and while attending the event, he spoke to team owner Manuel Puccetti over the possibility of racing again on a Kawasaki in the World Supersport class.
Bored with politics, the former Supersport champion is looking for challenges in his life, and that much he confirmed to German website SpeedWeek
“I’ve just spoken with Manuel Puccetti about the possibility of doing a wildcard at the Imola race. It’s Puccetti Kawasaki home race, there are many fans of the team and sponsors there, and I like that track. If Kawasaki agrees, I want to do that wildcard. Officially I’ve renounced to get back on a race bike, but I need goals in my life. For the first time in my life, I’ve got no goals. This deal isn’t 100% done, we are still talking about it. I told Puccetti to prepare things, and I’m sure he will be ready by then. We don’t have to wait long for the Imola round, in May, and we will have a decision three or four weeks before the race”.
At 34 years of age and now totally recovered from the hip injuries, Kenan Sofuoglu is ready to be back on the seat of a race bike in the World Supersport championship. And we’re sure he still has what it takes to fight for top positions!