Herrara triumphs in a five-lap WorldWCR ‘sprint’ at Cremona

Race 1 highlights:
WorldWCR race 1 got underway as scheduled on Saturday, in dry conditions, but was red-flagged after six laps following an incident for Alyssia Whitmore (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team).

The race was restarted a few minutes later but shortened to just five laps. The new grid was based on the riders’ positions prior to the red flag, which meant that Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) got away from pole ahead of fellow Spaniards Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) and Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team), while Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team), Teyla Ralph (Tayco Motorsport) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) formed row two of the grid.

With only five laps in which to shine, the frontrunners wasted no time off the line, with Carrasco again taking an early lead. Herrera was able to pass her on lap three, but the race was far from over, with Maria, Ana and Sara battling hard and fast and taking the race all the way to the line.

It was championship leader Herrera who ultimately secured the 25-point prize today, crossing the line just 0.075 of a second ahead of Sanchez who, in turn, finished a mere 0.122 of a second in front of Carrasco.

Separated from the podium sitter by just a few seconds, Italian Ponziani boosted her points tally in crossing the line fourth, followed closely by the group comprising Neila, Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) and Relph.

Rounding out the top ten today were wildcard Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motor Sports), Astrid Madrigal (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) and Mallory Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team), with the top ten representing six different nations.

Local rider Ponziani set the fastest lap of the race, completing lap three in 1’41.235, which will give the Italian the advantage of starting Sunday’s Race 2 from pole position.

Sara Varon (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA), Lena Kemmer (Bertl K. Racing Team) and Whitmore crashed during heat one, meaning that none of them were able to line up for the restarted 5-lap race. Assessed at the medical centre, Whitmore has been diagnosed with a minor head injury, a suspected concussion and an injury to her right thumb. The rider has been transferred to Cremona hospital for further assessments.

Championship Standings:
With 154 points in the bag, Herrera continues to lead the way, 16 points clear of her closest rival. Carrasco and Sanchez maintain second and third in the championship, with 138 and 128 points

Key Points:
Pole position: Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) – 1’41.152
Race 1 winner: Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
Race fastest lap: Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) – 1’41.235

P1 | Maria Herrera | Klint Forward Factory Team
“I think this was the hardest race so far, but I also enjoyed it. Just five laps, so a bit short, but we were strong in braking and able to battle hard against Sara, who was also really strong on the brakes. On the last lap, I did well through sector one and set up the final corners well, but I still need to do more to improve along the straight, so we’ll look at the data and see what can be done there, and also decide if there’s anything we want to change on the bike for tomorrow’s Race 2. Overall, I feel I have good power but there are areas in which I can still improve, personally speaking.”

P2 | Sara Sanchez | 511 Terra&Vita Racing Team
“Another second-place finish, and so close to the win! It was tough today, and I had another close battle with Maria and Ana. I’m happy in that I was lying top three for the whole race, but I’d love to take a win of course, also as a morale boost, as we’re so close! We didn’t make the best start on Friday, and I had work to do to find feeling with the bike and the track, but then I made quite a good start in today’s race and was able to run at the front and fight hard. Let’s see what we can do in Race 2 tomorrow.”

P3 | Ana Carrasco | Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team
“I’m not so happy today because before the red flag I felt I had it all under control and that victory could be mine. Once the race restarted it was not so easy, and we only had five laps. Honestly, I expected to win today, as my pace was good and I was pushing hard. I didn’t really expect Sara to pass me on lap three and it was hard to start the final lap in third position, as I had little opportunity to try to pass Sara and Maria again. But it’s another podium, so that’s not bad. I expect tomorrow’s race to be similar, with a close group of four or five riders. I’ll keep working with my team this evening to see if we can find something extra for tomorrow’s Race 2, when I’ll go all out to try and win.”

WorldWCR Race 1 Results
1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
2. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) +0.075s
3. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) +0.197s
4. Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) +5.113s
5. Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +5.382s
6. Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) +6.418s

Championship Standings
1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) 154 points
2. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha Team) 138 points
3. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) 128 points

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Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com/en/news/wcr

©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of WorldWCR