16 Sep 2017 Alexander Cudlin penalized for jump start, losing second place in class - ZIC Superbike 1000cc Race 5

According to qualifying results, Daniel Falzon is on the pole position. Alexander Cudlin is in second position. Chinese superbike veteran Huang Shi-Zhao is third and these 3 occupy the front row.

The hot weather is a huge challenge for the drivers. The rays of the hot sun also bring more difficulty to the race. After the warm-up lap the race begins. Alexander Cudlin shoots off to the front ahead of Daniel Falzon. Huang Shi-Zhao makes a poor start and is down in fifth place. At turn 4, #7 Richard Forrest loses control and falls off. Forrest is thrown on to the gravel and seems to be slightly injured. On lap 4, #520 Daniel Falzon passes Angel Poyatos to take the lead. 1 lap later, he is 0.9 second ahead of Poyatos. Right now, the spectators focus is on whether local hero Huang Shi-Zhao can find a way pass Shinjo Masahiro. Their battle is drawing all the attention.

In the end, #520 Daniel Falzon crosses the line in first place, Angel Poyatos finishes second and Alexander Cudlin takes third place. Shinjo Masahiro finishes fourth just ahead of Huang Shi-Zhao. But later Alexander Cudlin is penalized 50 seconds for jumping the start. Therefore the riders behind him each gain a position.

After the race, Daniel Falzon said, "Today I am very happy. I started on pole position and finished first. Although the weather was very hot it is worth it. The atmosphere of the race is great and the competition is very strong. I love today's race."

Angel Poyatos said, "Today I am very happy to take second place. I want to thank my team and my teammate. Although the hot weather gave us many problems, to start fourth and finish second is already very satisfactory for me. I hope I can have a good performance tomorrow. I look forward to tomorrow's race."