It was an electrifying Saturday at Donington Park as the second WorldWCR round continued. Team MotoXracing again demonstrated its grit and potential with riders Roberta Ponziani and Ornella Ongaro.
The two riders were on track on Friday for free practice and Superpole, both finishing inside the top ten. Roberta did particularly well, just as she did at the Misano season-opener, setting a fastest time of 01’41”728 that assured her of a spot on the second row of the grid. Ornella finished a solid P10 and was ready to do battle in the race.
The riders headed back out this morning for a ten-minute warm-up. Roberta again confirmed her speed, further lowering her time to place third (01’41”21), which augured well for the afternoon’s race.
Race 1 got underway at 12:20 local time. Both riders started strong, with “Roby #96” part of a group of five that broke away and battled for the podium, while Ornella fought hard right from turn 1 to close in on the top 5. After twelve intense laps, Roberta crossed the line fifth, while Ornella finished an impressive seventh.
Tomorrow the riders will complete another short warm-up at 09:20, before returning to the track for Race 2 at 12:20. Expectations are high!
“I’m pleased with our riders’ performance in Race 1, considering that neither of them knew this track. I think we have the potential to do even better in tomorrow’s Race 2.”
“On Friday I focused on learning the track, a new one for me, and I was pleased with the way the weekend started. Scoring a second row start in qualifying was perfect in terms of allowing me to get away well in the race. We made a few changes to the bike in morning warm-up, and I was able to lap even quicker. It was just a pity that I touched the kerb on the very last lap of the race, losing ground as result. But I have to say it was a really fun race and we know we have the pace to do a little more tomorrow.”
“I’ve fallen in love with Donington! I love the track and the fans are so supportive here. I’m working hard to adapt to the bike, seeing as I was used to riding a 1000. I’m pleased with seventh place. It’s a national holiday in France right now so I’ll do all I can to score a strong result tomorrow. A special thanks to my sponsors and team.”
