Rolfo wins incident-packed race with photo finish

Click here for full World Supersport race results from Phillip Island

Roberto Rolfo has claimed a dramatic maiden World Supersport race win by a photo finish against Lucas Mahias in a race which was initially red flagged and saw a number of front runners clash.

Rolfo carved his way to the front over the final two laps to set up a scrap against Mahias, with the pair sprinting to the line barging elbows and handlebars at the chequered flag.

Mahias had initially been given the race win on the timing screen, a prospective maiden race win for the new Yamaha R6, but the race decision was immediately under review for a photo finish.

The result handed Rolfo his first World Supersport victory by the narrowest of margins with GRT Yamaha's Mahias in second place.

Mahias was handed a post-race one-second time penalty for barging Rolfo off track down the finish straight but remains second overall/

Away from the drama at the chequered flag the race was incident-packed throughout with a number of race winner contenders involved in flashpoints.

Fighting for rostrum places Federico Caricasulo on the sister GRT Yamaha was involved in a last-lap clash with Jules Cluzel, who led the initial laps before being reeled in by the chasing pack, to see both riders fail to finish.

Their off enabled Anthony West to storm to a surprise World Supersport rostrum despite a nightmare race weekend with broken engines as he held off Puccetti Kawasaki's Kyle Ryde by one-tenth of a second at the finish line.

2016's wildcard superstar Niki Tuuli claimed fifth with a number of fallers ahead of him for Kallio Racing Yamaha but more drama unfolded behind him with PJ Jacobsen recovering from an off-track excursion to climb from last to sixth in the closing laps.

The initial race was red-flagged after Gino Rea and Robin Maulhauser were involved in a nasty collision during the opening laps in which debris and gravel was scattered on to the track to force the stoppage.

With a number of front runners failing to finish it saw unfamiliar names climb the final classification with Team Lorini Honda's Aiden Wagner claim seventh place ahead of Kazuki Watanabe, Nacho Calero and Lachlan Epis to round out the top ten finishers.