A big weekend for women racing Opening Rounds in Extreme E in Jeddah, GNCC WXC in South Carolina, and E-Xplorer in Osaka, Japan. From 3 very different parts of the world, women produced race performances across categories varying in scope and scale with results that mark the start of the 2024 season.
Extreme E Opening Rounds 1 and 2 in Jeddah, put all behind the scenes development of all-electric cars to the test, with 8 women vying for top honours with their respective Teams and male driver’s, making for exhilarating action from qualifying to Final Race results.
For sure, there was plenty of elbows out as all competitors pitched their goals from green flag to chequered, with defending Extreme E 2023 Champions Mikaela Ahlin Kottulinsky and Johan Kristoffersson winning Round 1, ahead of new line-up of Cristina Gutierrez and Mattias Ekstrom for Neon McLaren XE.
Whether Spanish driver Laia Sanz and Fraser McConnell were more than keen to make-up-for the Team’s runner-up in Extreme E 2023, the Acciona Sainz XE driver’s certainly put paid to any uncertainty that they have the speed, endurance, and tenacity to equal competition on the track, taking Round 2 win on Sunday.
If the Opening Rounds were glimpse of the final season of Extreme E all-electric racing – before the inauguration of the new hydrogen based Extreme H Championship in 2025 – all women will push their capabilities behind the wheel, nailing valuable points across 10 Rounds. Current Championship standings are: Rosberg Racing 41 points, Acciona Sainz XE 39 points, and EON Veloce on 33 points.
The Opening Round of America’s Grand National Cross Country Championship Women’s Series highlighted the essence of how these tenacious women have pin-pointed preparations and training during the off-season to Round One at the weekend.
From taking time out to enjoy, relax, and rejuvenate after racing a rigorous 9 months calendar, to perfecting the art of peaking physical fitness and mental focus – not too early nor too late – these women have certainly set new bench-marks for producing winning performances on the track.
WXC defending Champion Rachael Archer, knows more than any, that keeping the balance between ready to race and sustaining healthy well being is achieved through making all learning curves count, from one season to the next.
Add in the pure enjoyment of being back home in NZ over the break, and it is hard to fathom how the 21 year old pulled out stunning win at the Opening Round at Big Buck, with new bike and new Team – Rocky Mountain Red Bear Kawasaki. No doubt, the season will be battle of conviction, with Korie Steede on Rockstar Energy Husqvarna taking 2nd, and Brandy Richards on FMF KTM Factory Racing taking 3rd.
The Opening Round of FIM E-Xplorer pitched the enduro skills of 8 female rider’s, competing in gendered pairs within 8 Teams, at Osaka, Japan, in the weekend. Having gained momentum from the inaugural season in 2023, the electric off-road motorcycle series of 8 Rounds, has given rise for women to further their race-craft and portfolio with premier racing Teams.
Hard Enduro rider, Sandra Gomez, displayed her vast array of skills – which include racing Trials Women GP and Trials Des Nations – to take the overall win in the Women’s classification. A mere one point behind in 2nd, was Italian rider Francesca Nocera – who has foundation racing skills in WMX and more recently Enduro, with Gravity Team rider, Tanja Schlosser rounding out top 3.
Points were close all round – between Teams and rider’s, with additional bonus that women have the ability to dove-tail racing E-Xplorer with alternative Series, as is the case for Nieve Holmes who competed in 2023 ISDE for Great Britain, and Jessica Gardiner who raced 2023 International six-day-enduro event for Australia.
Big weekend for all women, who take each race as important as the next. And, 2024 season has only just begun.
Header photo: Extreme E Opening Rounds in Jeddah Image: Extreme E.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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