Herrera fights off stiff competition to snatch WorldWCR Race 1 win

Race 1 Highlights:
The first of the WorldWCR races making up the third Portuguese round ultimately rewarded championship leader Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) but she had to work hard for her prize today, beating fellow Spaniard Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) to the line by just 0.060 of a second.

The eleven-lap race, which ran in torrid conditions, quickly turned into a four-way battle for victory, with Herrera, Sanchez, Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) breaking away from the rest of the field and continuously exchanging positions as they exploited the slip stream.

Carrasco ultimately got the better of Neila in the battle for third, the pair separated by just 0.009 of a second across the line.

The fastest lap time, a 1’53.691, was set by Sanchez on the very last lap as she went all out in an attempt to catch Herrera. Her Race 1 lap time means that Sara will start from pole in Sunday’s Race 2.

Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) rounded out the top five, despite the best efforts of Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) and Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno), who ultimately had to settle for sixth and seventh respectively.

The points scored today see Herrera extend her championship lead, leaving her closest rivals with everything to play for in Sunday’s Race 2.

Hanks-Elliott (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team), Kemmer (Bertl K. Racing Team), Bondi (YART Zelos Black Knights Team), Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) and Nadieieva (MPS.RT) all suffered crashes and were unable to complete the race.

Key Points:
Pole position: Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) – 1’54.609
Race 1 winner: Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
Race fastest lap: Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) – 1’53.691

P1 | Maria Herrera | Klint Forward Factory Team
“I expected this kind of close racing to be honest. Sara was very quick already in qualifying and so I knew we’d have a real battle on our hands today. The temperatures were high, so the grip dropped a little at the end of the race and I was losing a little time through the fast corners, but I was able to manage the situation. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow; I’ll be second on the grid which is a good position because there’s an opportunity to pass through the first corner if I can get away well. I want to analyse the data because I think I can do more in terms of my rhythm. If there’s a little less wind for Race 2, we can perhaps do a little better.”

P2 | Sara Sanchez | 511 Terra&Vita Racing Team
“I’m really happy, also because I made a really bad start that put me down in fourth. I knew I had to react fast and push so that the leaders didn’t get away. I was able to get back into second and then fight hard all the way to the line. I made a couple of mistakes on the very last lap as I pushed to try and reach Maria; it was close, but I couldn’t quite take the win. I was still able to set the fastest time on the last lap though, and we’re pleased to be on the podium again of course. Tomorrow I’ll start in pole, so let’s see if we can do a little more, especially if I can make a better start.”

P3 | Ana Carrasco | Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team
“Another great fight between the four of us. The pace was so fast compared to the times we were seeing yesterday, and I had to push really hard. I don’t know if I could have won today but I was in a good position up until about two laps from the end, after which I had a few gearing issues that caused me to lose a little. I really wanted to be on the podium and so I pushed hard to make up the ground and then hold off Neila to secure third. I’m pleased because despite the technical problem I was able to fight for victory and finish top three. Hopefully we can find a solution for tomorrow’s Race 2, which I imagine will see us involved in a similar battle.”

WorldWCR Race 1 Results
1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
2. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) +0.060s
3. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha Team) +2.253s
4. Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +2.262s
5. Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) +26.707s
6. Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) +26.919s

Championship Standings
1. Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) 113 points
2. Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha Team) 97 points
3. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) 88 points