#WorldWCR leader Carrasco sends out a signal on Friday at Estoril

Current WorldWCR championship leader Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) and rival Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) gave it their all as they battled it out in Friday’s Superpole at Estoril Circuit.

Carrasco ultimately came out on top to secure a very important pole, her second of the season, with the Spaniard making the best possible start to this penultimate round of the season after proving at ease in both the wet practice and dry qualifying.

Title contender Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) and fellow Spaniard Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha), who just snatched third in the final seconds, will join Ana on the front row for Saturday’s Race 1.

A well-deserved spot on row two goes to Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team), Teyla Ralph (Tayco Motorsport) and Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team), the Australian and the Italian both on a roll after securing their first podium finishes at the recent Cremona round.

Astrid Madrigal (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) and Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) follow close behind, with just half a second separating the third-placed rider from Ruiz in eighth.

Rounding out the top ten are Mallory Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) and Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno), both of whom bounced back after crashing in the morning’s wet practice.

Portuguese rider Rafaela Peixoto (RP27) wildcards at her home track this weekend and qualified twenty-third, while Jamie Hanks-Elliott again substitutes for Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing’s Alyssia Whitmore. The British rider crashed in the final stages but nevertheless placed twenty-first.

A very wet morning practice session brought crashes for Ourednickova (DaftMotoracing by Smrz) – who also suffered a fall in qualifying – Howden, Dobbs and Bondi (YART Zelos Black Knights Team), while it was Relph who set the fastest time (2’06.801), closing two seconds clear of Ruiz, with Carrasco placing third.

P1 | Ana Carrasco | Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team | 1’51.706
“I’m really happy because I didn’t know I was on pole until after I finished! I decided to go straight out on slicks at the start of the session as we could see the track was drying fast, and that strategy, although a little risky, paid off in the end. My second pole of the season; I’m very pleased as my team did a great job in difficult conditions today, and it’s important to start on the front row here, also with a view to the championship. The free practice also went well but ran in full wet conditions; I felt good anyway, both this morning and also in the dry Superpole, and I think we can take another step tomorrow. I’d prefer a dry race but feel I’m ready even if it turns out to be wet, so let’s see what we can do.”

P2 | María Herrera | Klint Forward Factory Team | 1’52.065
“A strange day as the practice ran in full wet conditions and I didn’t have the best feeling and then Superpole brought mixed conditions. I went straight out on slicks, to avoid having to switch tyres mid-session and was able to finish second in the end, which is a good position for tomorrow’s Race 1. To be honest, I don’t know the track very well and am still trying to understand how to be fast through certain sections. If we have a dry race tomorrow, I think there’ll be four or five of us fighting; if it’s wet, I’ll need to be quicker and more consistent, as I struggled in practice this morning. As for the championship, I plan to take it race by race. The goal, as ever, is to win races.”

P3 | Beatriz Neila Beatriz Neila | Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha | 1’53.613
“This is the first time I’ve qualified on the front row, so I can say I’ve had a great Friday. The qualifying was a little difficult as the track was pretty damp when we began and then quickly dried out. Anyway, I was able to secure third, so I’m very happy with that. I think I have a chance to reach the podium tomorrow and will be doing my best to fight.”