Donington Park 12-14th July 2024
Spaniards Ana Carrasco and Maria Herrera shared the wins in the UK in two more unforgettable WorldWCR races !!
Round 2 of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship took place at Donington Park and the racing was just as frantic as it had been at Misano. The wins were split between Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) and Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) at the Prosecco DOC UK Round after two more incredible last-lap fights, with multiple riders in contention once again fighting for the win.
In Race 1, Carrasco led the field from pole position, and it turned into a five-rider group for the win over the course of the 12-lap battle. The #22 diced with her rivals but ultimately had a strategy for the final lap, ensuring she was ahead on Lap 12 and just keeping enough of a gap to Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha), Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) and Herrera behind to claim her first WorldWCR win, and her first win since Race 2 at Misano in WorldSSP300.
Discussing her win, Carrasco said: “The race was a bit crazy”. After Superpole, I didn’t expect there to be a big group of five riders. I thought two or three but, in the end, the group was bigger, so the fight was even more difficult. I tried at the beginning to push to make a gap to them, but it was impossible because the slipstream here is really important. I was having fun in the group, trying to have a good position for the whole race. On the last lap, I decided to go to the front, because at this circuit you can have some moments that put you out of the fight. My strategy was perfect, I was in front for the whole last lap. In the last two corners, I expected someone to overtake me, but it was easier than I expected!”
In Race 2, Neila led the way from pole position after her fastest lap in Race 1, but Carrasco and Herrera soon pulled a gap over the rest of the field. Again, the race came down to a final lap shootout between the two Spaniards with the #6 able to come out on top, despite revealing she almost came off her Yamaha R7 at the final corner. Carrasco tried to pass her rival under braking at Turn 11 for P1 but went slightly wide, allowing the #6 to cut back and keep the lead before claiming victory.
Reacting to the last-lap fight, Herrera said: “I’m really happy to win but also in this way. I battled hard in the whole race. I pushed from the beginning to the limit. I wanted to create a gap. I know in a group of five riders, it’s difficult for me to finish at the front. I enjoyed the battle a lot. I was thinking about how I could manage the nerves and the confidence in the last lap. At the final corner, I almost… didn’t crash, but I was low as I felt the front close a little bit!”
WorldWCR returns in a few week’s time on the 9th - 11th August at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal.
Courtesy of Phil Baines Photographic
ARTICLE SPONSORED BY SPONSORS4RACING
