Spanish rider Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) triumphed in an electrifying second WorldWCR race at the Misano World Circuit
Herrera, Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team), Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) built an early lead, this compact quartet battling it out for the podium positions throughout the twelve-lap thriller. The final lap proved decisive, Herrera and Sanchez breaking away from their rivals and fighting all the way to the line for the victory, with Maria snatching the win by just 0.085 of a second
Carrasco and Neila were embroiled in their own duel for third, a contest ultimately won by Ana, who crossed the line 0.047 of a second ahead of fellow Spaniard Beatriz. Local rider Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) ran a solitary race to round out the top five. Based on their fastest lap times in Saturday’s Race 1, it was Carrasco, Sanchez and Ponziani who formed the front row of the 23-strong Race 2 grid.
Suffering from acute gastroenteritis, Alyssia Whitmore (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) was ruled unfit to compete in Race 2. Mia Rusthen (Rusthen Racing) and Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) were unfit following injuries sustained in Saturday’s Race 1. Astrid Madrigal (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) and Chun Mei Liu (WT Racing Team Taiwan) crashed out of the race, while Emily Bondi (YART Zelos Black Knights Team) was forced to retire.
Herrera’s double win at this inaugural WorldWCR round sees her leading the championship with 50 points. Sanchez and Carrasco each have a tally of 36 points after the first two races, followed by Neila and Ponziani, both with 24.
Key Points:
Pole position: Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) – 1’49.390
Race 1 winner: Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
Race 2 winner: Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
Race fastest lap: Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) - 1’47.961 (Race 2)
P1 | Maria Herrera | Klint Forward Factory Team
“That was a tough race! It was difficult to pass Sara and I thought she might win, but I was able to stop the bike a little later and get past her in the end. I didn’t expect to win both the weekend’s races, to be honest and so I’m very pleased with these first results. With this bike, I think the potential is in your riding style. I didn’t make any changes to the bike over the weekend, as my goal was to learn and understand the bike and the championship. It was a nice battle today, I think, the group all pushing to the max. Hopefully, moving forward with the championship, we can grow this group of riders running at the front.”
P2 | Sara Sanchez | 511 Terra&Vita Racing Team
“My goal this year is to try and win the championship or at least be on the podium in every race, so I’ve achieved my objective here at Misano. The last lap was so tough; I tried to pass Maria through the long corner but then she got back past me. It wasn’t so easy with the tyres in the hot conditions today, and the bike tended to slide out of the corners, but it was the same for everyone and I did my best to manage the situation. I was pleased to be in the fight this weekend, and particularly against someone with Maria’s experience. Now we’ll focus on preparing for the next round at Donington.”
P3 | Ana Carrasco | Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team
“I’m not happy with third place but I think I did all I could today. I had some problems with front chatter right from lap one, particularly through the first sector, and was losing a lot there with respect to Maria. I tried to push but the front kept closing on me, so it was difficult to maintain that pace. I thought I might still be able to challenge for the win, but I lost ground when Neila passed me and couldn’t make up that time. The most I could do was pass Neila at the end for third. Starting the season with two podiums is quite good anyway, especially after a long time not racing, and so I have to be satisfied. Now we’ll focus on Donington where I hope we can take another step and fight for the victory again.”
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WorldWCR Race 2 Results
1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
2. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) +0.085s
3. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) +1.305s
4. Beatriz Neila (Ampito/Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +1.352s
5. Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) +14.711s
6. Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3) +25.014s
Championship Standings
1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) 50 points
2. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) 36 points
3. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) 36 points
WorldWCR will return to action at the Prosecco DOC UK Round from July 12th to 14th at Donington Park.
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