Race Week Wrap – WMX Round 3, F1 Academy Round 2, 12 Hour Spa-Francorchamps, and GNCC WXC Round 6 Hoosier. Great results were achieved across all disciplines with Women shining bright presence on top of podiums in Spain, Belgium, and Indiana, USA.
Hitting her stride in both WMX Round 3 motos, New Zealand’s Courtney Duncan delivered solid results going 1-1 to take the overall victory, along with the Red Plate. Race-craft tactics of limiting mistakes on unforgiving hard pack track, along with remaining patient and ready to pounce when opportunities occurred, Duncan confirmed her seasoned, experienced status amongst competitive class.
Home crowd favourite Daniela Guillen produced another fighting performance going 3-3, moving the Spanish rider to 2nd Overall in the Championship. Dutch rider Lynn Valk re-newed her taste of success which seemed to be mis-placed over past 2 Rounds, claiming P2 in Race 2, and taking her first podium spot for the season.
For sure, unfortunate incidents abound with defending WMX Champion Nancy van de Ven taking one-too-many spills in both races, along with WMX 6x Champion Kiara Fontanesi who hit the ground hard on Lap 1 Race 2 after finishing P2 in the first Race. Australia’s Charli Cannon showed impressive speed leading the opening laps in Race 2, along with Lotte van Drunen, Larissa Papenmeier and Sara Andersen working hard to make top 10 overall.
F1 Academy Round 2 threw number of curve balls at the all-female grid with pole sitter Marta Garcia’s best lap time deleted due to track limits infringements elevating Spanish rival Nerea Marti to P1 for Race 1 of 3. Taking advantage of change in grid line-up, MP Motorsport Hamda Al Qubaisi starting from P2 made the pass on Marti to take overall victory in R1.
Reverse grid for R2 presented Prema driver Bianca Bustamante a chance to prove her talent starting on front row, which she indeed capitalized on taking victory ahead of Swiss driver Lena Buhler and Hamda Al Qubaisi. Of note, Hamda’s sister Amna finished R2 in P4.
R3 confirmed Marta Garcia has fierce determination to cement her winning performance even under pressure from Nerea Marti and British driver Abbi Pulling who completed the final race in P2 and P3 respectively. Best lap times remain close between Marta, Marti, and Al Qubaisi, with mere 8 tenths difference.
Buggyra Racing Team driver Aliyyah Koloc completed 3-driver line-up for the 12 Hour Spa-Francorchamps race in Belgium, taking the overall win in GT4 class. Adding to Aliyyah’s list of achievements in endurance circuit racing, next up will be behind the wheel in T1 category in South Africa’s Rally Raid Championship on May 12 – 13.
AmPro Yamaha rider Rachael Archer carved her way to victory amid the muddy lines of America’s GNCC WXC race The Hoosier, taking the win in Round 6 of 12 and extending her lead on the Championship table. Banging out 4 wins in a row from 6, Archer remains hell-bent on not only defending her 2022 WXC Championship Title, but also sending clear message that the 21 year old from good-ole-NZ punches above her weight no matter what occurs along the way.
Header photo: Courtney Duncan winning 2023 WMX Round 3. Image: MXGP
Words: Sharon Cox.
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