WorldWCR: Neila takes the Race 2 win after Herrera receives a 6-second penalty post-race
Another action-packed WorldWCR race sees championship leader Herrera cross the line first before being demoted to second and awarding title rival Neila the race win. The championship battle continues on to final round Jerez.
Race 2 Highlights:
Hungry for results after an unfortunate DNF in Race 1, Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha) had her work cut out from tenth on the grid. Climbing all the way to third by lap seven, a dogged Neila crossed the line second but was promoted to the top step of the rostrum following a penalty for title rival Herrera.
Polesitter and Race 1 winner Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) led for the best part of Race 2. Though the championship leader finished first, she subsequently received a 6-second penalty for her involvement in a last lap crash for Paola Ramos (Klint Racing).
Today’s race result means that the WorldWCR championship remains open, with leader Herrera now holding a 44-point advantage over Neila and with 50 points still up for grabs.
Lying fourth for the best part of the race, Ramos’ Klint Racing teammate Roberta Ponziani moved up into third following an incident for another rider on the last lap. With this second podium of the season, the Italian moves into third in the general standings with one round to go.
Fourth on the Race 2 grid, home rider Chloe Jones (Monster Energy Crescent Yamaha) was determined to bank important points at a track she knows so well. A solid P4 for the Brit, who closes in on fifth place in the standings.
P5 on Saturday, Hadden Racing’s Sara Sanchez defended herself well at the front of a large group of riders to repeat her Race 1 result in this second race.
Keeping out of trouble within a compact chasing group, Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) secured P6 ahead of Astrid Madrigal (Pons Italika Racing), who, despite a nasty crash in morning warm-up, was able to demonstrate consistently fast pace to boost her points tally with a seventh-place finish.
Keen to make up for a crash in Race 1 but conditioned by her grid position, Australia’s Tayla Relph (Full Throttle Racing) finished ninth ahead of Justine Pedemonte (GMT94 Yamaha) who rounds out the top ten in this final race of the Prosecco DOC UK Round.
Lying fourth in the general standings, Ramos put in another gutsy performance, taking an early lead and battling until the very last lap before a crash through Turn 6 ruled her out of the race, denying her a likely podium.
Rookie Muklada Sarapuech (Yamaha AD78 FIMLA by EEST NJT Racing) suffered a similar fate, crashing through Turn 9 after lying fifth for the best part of this race. Transferred to the medical centre, the Thai rider has sustained a left shoulder contusion.
Championship Standings:
- With 226 points in the bag, Herrera leads the WorldWCR championship with one round to go
- Neila remains in the running for the title, second overall and separated from rival Maria by 44 points (182)
- Roberta Ponziani moves up into third in the classification with 118 points, while rookie Ramos chases just one point behind (117)
- Despite today’s DNF, Thai rookie Sarapuech retains fifth place overall (99)
Key Points:
- Tissot Superpole: Maria Herrera – 1’39.061
- Race 1 winner: Maria Herrera
- Race 2 winner: Beatriz Neila
- Race fastest lap: Paola Ramos – 1’38.908 (Race 2)
P1 | Beatriz Neila | Ampito Crescent Yamaha
“I’m happy because although I was telling myself I could do it before the race started, I also had a few doubts of course. It definitely wasn’t easy from tenth on the grid, but I worked my way up and, in the end, I finished first. It’s been a tough 24 hours; yesterday was horrible but today brought another race and another chance. Fortunately, I didn’t feel pain during the race due to the adrenaline, but my right leg is quite painful now I’ve got off the bike. The important thing is that the championship remains open until the end; it will be difficult considering the points’ difference, but I never give up. I want to get to Jerez in a positive frame of mind and enjoy the last round without overthinking the championship.”
P2 | Maria Herrera | Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR
“I think I ran the perfect race today, honestly. I felt better than I did in Race 1, despite windier conditions. The wind made it hard to manage the pace and the gap, but when Paola moved to overtake me, I could see she was fast and knew I had to try and close the door. I knew Paola and I had impacted but I didn’t know until after the race that she had actually crashed. The point where Paola tried to pass is a difficult one, so if you try to overtake on the limit, you risk crashing. So, the championship is still open. I wanted to secure the title here but that wasn’t possible, and not due to my racing but due to the penalties. I don’t really understand the penalties, but we turn the page and look ahead to the final round at Jerez, a track I really like.”
P3 | Roberta Ponziani | Klint Racing
“A very difficult weekend for me. We struggled to find the right setting for the bike on Friday and that meant I was behind in qualifying. We tried to make a big change for Race 1 and that worked, but I still had difficulty battling with Muklada and couldn’t quite reach the podium unfortunately. Today we made another adjustment and that allowed me to lap with better pace over the first half of the race, but then the front became more difficult to manage in the later stages, and I almost risked a crash. I tried to stay upright, knowing I needed the points, and in the end, I was lucky to be ‘gifted’ third on the last lap. I’m pleased to be third in the standings, but it’s going to be a long three months until the Jerez round!”
Race 2 Results
1. Beatriz Neila (Ampito Crescent Yamaha)
2. Maria Herrera (Terra & Vita GRT Yamaha WorldWCR) +5.874s
3. Roberta Ponziani (Klint Racing Team) +7.298s
4. Chloe Jones (Monster Energy Crescent Yamaha) +9.746s
5. Sara Sanchez (Hadden Racing Team) +10.130s
6. Pakita Ruiz (PR46+1 Racing Team) +11.788s
Fastest lap: Paola Ramos, 1’38.908s – new lap record
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