WorldWCR: Race 1 Highlights: A scorching 12-lapper at Donington Park rewards Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team), who crosses the line 0.1 of a second ahead of closest rival Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) to score her third WorldWCR race win of the season.
The final laps brought a three-way battle between championship leader Herrera, polesitter Neila and local hero Chloe Jones (GR Motosport), the high temperatures on track only adding to the excitement as the trio went all out in the Donington sunshine.
Hungry for results at her home track, Jones wasted no time when the lights went out, up into third on lap one. With no intention of settling, the English rider battled both Neila and Herrera in the final stages before securing third place, just one second behind Maria.
Second across the line today, it is Spaniard Neila who will start Sunday’s Race 2 from pole position after setting the fastest lap in Race 1.
Losing ground off the line, a gritty Sara Sanchez (Terra&Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) worked hard to make up the deficit, climbing from fifth to third before relinquishing a position to place fourth.
French rider Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94-YAMAHA) scored her first top five result of the season, running an impressive race to finish less than five seconds from the front.
A chasing pack comprising Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team), Team Trasimeno’s Jessica Howden, and Ornella Ongaro (Ornella Ongaro Racing Team) closed within three tenths of each other, placing sixth, seventh and eighth to bag solid championship points.
Despite suffering from a respiratory illness, Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motorsports) made a rapid start and quickly climbed to sixth. Gritting her teeth through the second half of the race, the New Zealander did well to finish inside the top ten, in ninth place.
Disqualified from Superpole due to a technical infringement, Cremona race winner Roberta Ponziani (Klint Forward Racing Team) fought hard from the back of the grid, making up an incredible fifteen positions to finish an admirable tenth and score more important championship points.
Making her first appearance in WorldWCR this weekend, Australia’s Tara Morrison (Tara Morrison Racing) crossed the line eighteenth.
An early crash for Diva Racing’s Mallory Dobbs prevented her from completing Race 1
Championship Standings:
- Herrera consolidates her championship lead with today’s win and now holds 115 points.
- Neila is not far behind, with a tally of 97.
- Ponziani and Sanchez position third and fourth, with 75 and 69 points respectively.
Key Points:
Pole position: Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) – 1’39.687
Race 1 winner: Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team)
Race fastest lap: Beatriz Neila – 1’38.964
P1 | Maria Herrera | Klint Forward Racing Team
“The race was a bit difficult. I tried to build a gap early on, but I couldn’t really do that and just had to try and manage my braking. That’s been an issue for me this weekend, so it was hard for me to keep pushing. We definitely want to improve in that area for tomorrow’s race. I enjoyed the battle, and it was good to have Chloe up there with us, but I was keen to push and secure points for the championship. We want to try and win again tomorrow – it’s not easy at this track and I expect another hard battle, but I think we can do it.”
P2 | Beatriz Neila | Ampito Crescent Yamaha
“The race was crazy, and that last lap was just amazing. I realized I was lying fourth and knew I had to try to pass both Sara and Chloe. I was able to get it done and finish second, and I’m really happy about that. I’ll also start tomorrow from pole, so that’s great news too. We had a great battle today, the race seemed to pass so fast! I think Race 2 will play out in a similar way, though I hope to finish with a better result!”
P3 | Chloe Jones | GR Motosport
“It feels amazing! My aim was to reach the podium and to do it home is just unbelievable. It’s amazing to have everyone here supporting me, my parents, my team, the fans. I believed I had the pace to score a top three finish, but I tend to be a bit slow to get going at the start of races, so I knew if I could work on that I’d have a good chance to run in the top five. The girls at the front have so much experience; I learned so much off them in today’s race and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to do that. I’ll start from further up the grid in tomorrow’s race and my team already have a plan for the bike so I can’t thank them enough; let’s see what we can do in Race 2.”
Race 1 Results
1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team)
2. Beatriz Nelia (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) +0.155s
3. Chloe Jones (GR Motorsport) +1.044s
4. Sara Sanchez (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR Team) +1.426s
5. Lucie Boudesseul (GMT94-YAMAHA) +4.837s
6. Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) +21.691s
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©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of WorldWCR
