Thai rider Somkiat Chantra secured 13th place in race two, adding points in the "World Superbike 2026" at Misano, Italy. The event took place at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.
The 7th round of the World Superbike Championship 2026 held its second race late Sunday night, 14 June, at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Italy.
This weekend was a key test for Honda HRC and Thai rider Somkiat Chantra, who had recently tested at this circuit several weeks prior. This track provided them with more setup data than any other venue.
On Sunday morning, Somkiat finished 15th in the Superpole Race. He and his team used every session to gather additional setup data to improve performance for race two.
Race two consisted of 21 laps. Starting from 19th on the grid, Somkiat had a poor start dropping to 21st, but after an incident in the first corner, he quickly overtook to 18th, then climbed to 14th by lap four.
After six laps, Somkiat aggressively advanced to 13th place, which he held to the finish, crossing the line 31.979 seconds behind the winner. This was his best result of the 2026 season, earning 3 points in this race and bringing his total to 8 points, moving him up to 20th in the championship standings. His teammate, British rider Ryan Vickers, finished 18th, 65.902 seconds behind.
After the race, Somkiat said, "Today we started with the Superpole Race by adjusting some settings, which improved the bike and my feeling, allowing me to push harder. In race two, we aimed to stay with the group and maintain position. Our speed was very good, and I was able to compete throughout the race."
"However, in the final laps, I began having front tire issues. The bike's feel decreased, and with the track surface very hot, the front tire temperature rose, preventing me from pushing further. I decided to hold my position. Our next goal is to break into the top ten."
The next round of the World Superbike Championship 2026 will take place from 10-12 July at Donington Park Circuit, United Kingdom.