Supersport stars shine in the BSB: Can Öncü (Yamaha) wins at Thruxton

Whilst Oli Bayliss has been competing in the British Supersport Championship since the third round of the season at Knockhill as a replacement for the injured Macadam Triumph rider Bradley Perie, Can Öncü made his debut in the highly competitive national series last weekend at Thruxton with the McAMS Yamaha team. In preparation, the 23-year-old was able to complete a short test on the iconic circuit in the Yamaha R9 previously ridden by Ben Currie, who is also injured.

Both World Championship riders impressed across the board and battled at the front in both races. Öncü’s BSB debut, in particular, could hardly have gone better. Finishing second in Race 1 behind Luke Stapleford (Ducati) and winning the second race, the Turkish rider scored the most points. Bayliss wasn’t far behind, securing third and second places respectively. The top three were separated by just 0.5 seconds in each race!

It is now looking increasingly likely that Öncü will also compete for McAMS Yamaha at Cadwell Park from 29 to 31 August and, like the son of three-time Superbike World Champion Troy Bayliss, will make the most of the long summer break in the 2026 Supersport World Championship. Cadwell Park is that iconic circuit with the spectacular jump. In 2022, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Yamaha’s Superbike World Champion, graced the track with a demonstration lap.

The final third of the World Championship season gets underway at Magny-Cours from 4 to 6 September. Öncü (178 points) is in fourth place, 113 points behind leader Albert Arenas (Yamaha), whilst Bayliss is only 13th in the championship with 71 points. The Australian is eyeing a move into the top category of the BSB in 2027.

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