Kenan Sofuoğlu
Sofuoğlu in 2007
Nationality	Turkish
Born	(1984-08-25)25 August 1984 (age 41) Kuzuluk,Akyazı,Sakarya Province, Turkey
Motorcycle racing career statistics Moto2 World Championship Active years 2010–2011 Manufacturers Honda Championships 0 2011 championship position 17th (59 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 16 0 1 0 0 70 Superbike World Championship Active years 2008 Manufacturers Honda Championships 0 2008 championship position 18th (54 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 23 0 0 0 0 54 Supersport World Championship Active years 2003,2006–2010,2012–2018,2021 Manufacturers Yamaha,Honda,Kawasaki Championships 5 (2007,2010,2012,2015,2016) 2018 championship position 31st (3 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 126 43 85 34 30 2036

Kenan Sofuoğlu (born 25 August 1984 in Kuzuluk,Akyazı) is aTurkish parliamentarian and former professionalmotorcycle racer. He holds a record fiveSupersport World Championship titles (2007, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016). Sofuoğlu also competed at theSuperbike World Championship in 2008 and at the Moto2 World Championship in 2010 and 2011.

Sofuoğlu announced his retirement from racing in May 2018,^[1] and became an elected politician in June 2018.^[2] He made a brief comeback appearance at theImola, Italy, World Championship event on 13 May where he qualified in third place but entered thepit lane immediately after thesighting lap, choosing to withdraw from the race.^[3]

Sofuoğlu suffered injuries in a crash atPhillip Island, Australia, earlier in 2018, exacerbating his previous pelvis fracture from a crash during practice atMagny-Cours, France, on 30 September 2017,^[1] which initially appeared to have ended participation in the2017 season.^[4] After a period of only five weeks, he returned to participate in the last meeting atQatar,^[5] finishing the race in third place and totalling enough points to finish second in the championship.

Sofuoğlu also competed in Moto2 for the Technomag-CIP team, having made his debut at the end of2010 and remained with the team for the2011 season.^[6] He previously won the Supersport World Championship withTen KateHonda in2007 and2010. He raced in the World Superbike Championship for Ten Kate in 2008, but with limited success.

Racing for Kawasaki in 2012, Sofuoğlu claimed his third Supersport World Championship at the Portuguese Grand Prix, in the penultimate race.^[7]

As a five-time champion, Sofuoğlu is the most successful rider to have competed in the Supersport World Championship and holds many records in the class.^[8]

After winning Class B of the Turkish Supersport Championship in 2000 and the German Yamaha R6 Cup in 2002, Sofuoğlu moved into the European Superstock Championship, finishing second and third in two seasons. Subsequently, Sofuoğlu entered theSupersport World Championship full-time in 2006 after three races in 2003. Sofuoğlu dominated the2007 season, winning five of the first eight races, and broke the record for the most wins in one season. These included a two-lap charge from sixth to first atMonza, and a win on his first ever visit toDonington Park, in the wet. He also won atLosail,Spain andAssen,Netherlands. He clinched the championship with three races to go, by finishing second atBrands Hatch, becoming Turkey's first major motorsport world champion.^[9]

Sofuoğlu then signed withTen KateHonda for three more years. For 2008 he rode a 3rdTen KateHonda CBR1000RR in World Superbikes, as part of a junior team. He was not successful, and returned to Supersport with the team for 2009. This time the team struggled to matchCal Crutchlow's Yamaha and the Parkalgar Honda ofEugene Laverty, leaving Sofuoğlu to fight for third in the standings. He opened 2010 with a succession of podium finishes, leaving him in a 3-way championship battle with Laverty and Motocard Kawasaki'sJoan Lascorz. He eventually claimed the title, finishing on the podium in every race.

For 2013, as the world champion, Sofuoğlu had the option of riding for the Italian Pedercini Team but he opted to join the Indian Mahi Team owned byMahendra Singh Dhoni.^[10]

Towards the end of the 2010 season Sofuoğlu appeared in Moto2 at thePortuguese Grand Prix, with the Technomag-CIP team, replacingShoya Tomizawa, who had died in an incident atMisano. Sofuoğlu was fourth fastest in practice, which put him on the front row after qualifying was rained out. The race marked his first ever dry laps on the bike, but he led for the majority of the race before finishing the race in fifth despite having to try to adjust the handlebars of the bike while racing.^[11] Sofuoğlu remained with the team in 2011, riding one of the team's Suters.^[6] His best finish was 2nd place at Assen.

During training for the2017 Supersport World Championship in early February, Sofuoğlu broke afinger bone. He had to undergo two operations. Just before the first round of the championship in Australia, he performed a two-day test, but was not ready to race because of pain when braking, and decided not to start. He flew back home to undergo another operation, and stated that he would miss the opening two rounds, but would be present again in Spain, the third round of the championship.^[12]

On 30 September, Sofuoğlu broke hispelvis in three places after a crash during theSuperpole session of a championship race in France.^[13] The same day, he was flown to Istanbul, Turkey for medical care byair ambulance. His doctor stated that Sofuğlu could be discharged from the hospital in 5–6 weeks if everything went right.^[14] Sofuoğlu confirmed the recovery period as 12 weeks.^[15]

After a period of only five weeks he returned to participate in the last meeting atQatar,^[5] finishing the race in third place and totalling points for second place the championship.

Sofuoglu announced his retirement from racing on the build-up to the fifth round of the 2018 season at Imola after sustaining another injury at Phillip Island. This is in addition to a crash at Magny-Cours in the previous year, when he suffered a hip injury.^{[citation needed]}

2004 - 3rd, Superstock European Championship,Yamaha YZF-R1
2005 - 2nd, FIM Superstock 1000 Cup,Yamaha YZF-R1

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position; races initalics indicate fastest lap)

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position) (Races initalics indicate fastest lap)

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position) (Races initalics indicate fastest lap)

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position, races initalics indicate fastest lap)

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position, races initalics indicate fastest lap)

Sofuoğlu was elected in June 2018 as aJustice and Development Party (AK Party) parliamentarian for theSakarya Province.^[2]

On 4 July 2018, theTurkish parliament's opening day for the 2018–2019 session, Sofuoğlu arrived driving aLamborghini Aventador, which he parked in a space reserved for an opposition deputy.^[16] This drew criticism about the "luxury car" but Sofuoğlu—who also owns twoMercedes SUVs, aFerrari, and aFiat 124—responded that the critics have taken aim at him because of his party affiliation and the car was only an excuse.^[17] Sofuoğlu has stated he gives his elected deputy's salary to charity.^[18]

Sofuoğlu is the third child of İrfan Basri Sofuoğlu and his wife Nurhayat.^[19] He has one sister and two brothers. His father is a motorcycle repairman with his own garage. Two of Sofuoğlu's brothers, who were also local motorcycle racers, have died in accidents. Sofuoğlu's eldest brotherBahattin, himself a domestic Turkish motorcycling champion, died in a traffic accident in 2002. His next eldest brotherSinan died during a race training incident at theİzmit Körfez Circuit in May 2008.^[20]

Sofuoğlu speaks German, French, English and Turkish.^[21] Sofuoğlu is a practising Muslim, and observes daytime fasting duringRamadan. His bike number 54 stems from his home town's (Sakarya Province in Turkey)license plate number. He has noted that his riding style uses too much upper-body effort, causing him to tire on the bike.

On 3 September 2014 he married Julia Looman, after a two-year engagement. After the wedding ceremony in his hometown Sakarya, the couple flew to Barcelona, Spain.^[22]

On 14 March 2015 Kenan Sofuoğlu became the father of a son named Hamza, who was born in the Netherlands. On 2 May 2015 the infant suffered acerebral hemorrhage during a family holiday inAlanya. He was transferred to Istanbul, and underwent surgery.^[23] Hamza died on 25 July 2015, aged four months, and was buried in the family grave atAkyazı, Sakarya.^[24]

Since then, the couple has welcomed four more children into the world. Mahir Sofuoğlu, born 19 April 2016, Zayn Sofuoğlu, born 11 April 2019, Lila Sofuoğlu, born 26 May 2021, and Rayen Sofuoğlu, born in 2023.

• Sofuoğlu family

Wikimedia Commons has media related toKenan Sofuoğlu.

• Kenan Sofuoğlu at MotoGP.com
• Kenan Sofuoğlu at WorldSBK.com

• 1983 births
• Living people
• People from Akyazı
• Sportspeople from Sakarya Province
• Turkish motorcycle racers
• Supersport World Championship riders
• Turkish Sunni Muslims
• Moto2 World Championship riders
• Superbike World Championship riders
• FIM Superstock 1000 Cup riders
• 21st-century Turkish sportsmen
• Sofuoğlu family
• Members of the 27th Parliament of Turkey
• Justice and Development Party (Turkey) politicians
• Deputies of Sakarya
• Turkish sportsperson-politicians

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