WorldWCR field makes history with Cremona test
23 WorldWCR riders have completed their first ever outing together ahead of next month’s inaugural round in Misano
The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship test at the Cremona Circuit concluded on Friday afternoon with Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) leading the time sheets with a big margin over her rivals. The 2018 WorldSSP300 Champion posted the only 1’41s lap time of the test to finish seventh tenths clear of her rivals ahead of the Championship’s inaugural season starting next month at Misano.
Carrasco led the times at the end of Day 2, which featured a fully dry day after yesterday’s afternoon rain, but had to fight with Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) for top spot, with the pair pushing each other closer to the 1’41s. The #22 of Carrasco smashed that barrier with a 1’41.446s, which she set in the seventh and final session of the day, while Ponziani’s 1’42.121s came in the fifth session. Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) was third and around half-a-second back from Carrasco. Times on Friday started in the 1’44s and 1’45s brackets but dropped rapidly during track action, with Carrasco finding more than four seconds as the day progressed.
With this test the first time riders were on track together for the WorldWCR, but at a circuit none of them had been on with the Yamaha R7, a pecking order might have started to form. Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) improved consistently throughout the test to finish in fourth place, ahead of Adela Ourednickova (DafitMotoracing) in fifth. Just a tenth separated the Spaniard, who had Jonathan Rea’s (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) Crew Chief, Andrew Pitt working with her on Friday, and Ourednickova. Tayla Relph (TAYCO Motorsport) was one of several riders who used the final 10-minute session to full effect, moving up the order to claim sixth with a 1’43.571s
Relph’s late surge meant Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) was demoted out of the top six and finished in seventh, ahead of Mallory Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) who also climbed up the order. Running in 15th until the final session, the American was classified in eighth after setting a 1’43.881s in the final moments of the test. Lucy Michel (TSL-Racing) was ninth with Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3), one of the few riders whose best times didn’t come in either of the final two sessions, finishing the day in 10th.
Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) finished just outside the top ten with a 1’44.147s, finishing the second day in 11th place. She was just a tenth ahead of South Africa’s Nicole Van Aswegen (Andalaft Racing) in 12th, whose best time of 1’44.213s came in the penultimate session. Ran Yochay (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) was 13th, setting her best time in the final session, with Ornella Ongaro (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) and Chun Mei Liu (WT Racing Team Taiwan) completing the top 15.
Just a tenth stopped Astrid Madrigal (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) claiming a top-15 spot, with the Mexican rider’s 1’44.986s unable to move her into the top 15 places. She did, however, have a big margin to Lena Kemmer (Bertl K. Racing Team) in 17th, with the Austrian rider around half a second back from Madrigal. Luna Hirano (Team Luna) came home in 18th, two tenths back from Kemmer, with Iryna Nadieieva (MPS.RT) and Andrea Sibaja (Deza – Box 77 Racing Team) completing the top 20. Alyssia Whitmore (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team), Mia Rusthen (Rusthen Racing) and Sara Varon (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) were the final classified riders; Varon’s day ended early with the Colombian rider’s time – a 1’48.067s – coming in the third session of the day and she did not set any times in any later sessions.
The 2024 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship will get underway with the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round at the Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli on June 14th-16th.
2024 WorldWCR calendar at a glance
1. Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, MWC “Marco Simoncelli” – 14-16 June
2. Prosecco DOC UK Round, Donington Park – 12-14 July
3. Pirelli Portuguese Round, Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – 9-11 August
4. Hungarian Round, Balaton Park Circuit* – 23-25 August
5. Acerbis Italian Round, Cremona Circuit* – 20-22 September
6. Prometeon Spanish Round, Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto – 18-20 October
* Subject to homologation
About WorldWCR
The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship, with six rounds in 2024, is a pioneering single-make series exclusively for aspiring female riders, featuring the Yamaha R7. A bold step towards inclusivity, the WorldWCR debuts in 2024, offering emerging talent an equal footing with the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Addressing disparities, it opens doors to benefits on and off the track. As a dedicated space for women in professional racing, the WorldWCR breaks stereotypes, increases representation, and inspires the next generation. Celebrating skill and passion, it establishes a new platform where talent takes centre stage and breaks barriers.
More, from a press release issued by Sekhmet Racing:
SEKHMET RACING CONQUERS CREMONA IN INAUGURAL WORLDWCR TEST
Dobbs inside top six as Whitmore makes debut on Yamaha R7
Cremona, Italy, May 18 2024
Sekhmet Racing’s Mallory Dobbs and Lissy Whitmore completed their first ever test for the new WorldWCR Championship at Cremona yesterday.
Dobbs ended the day sixth fastest overall in dry conditions after spending much of Thursday’s rain interrupted time sessions at the top of the time sheets.
Whitmore made big improvements on her first ever experience with the Yamaha R7 that will supply the one make series.
The test now gives the riders valuable data to process ahead of their inaugural round alongside the World Superbike championship in Misano on June 14-16.
#14 Mallory Dobbs
“It was really good. We’re not quite where we want to be, but at the end of the day we’re still really positive and we chipped away at it all weekend. We set our fastest lap time on our last session of the day, so I really can’t complain.
My homework is just understanding the setup and figuring out my riding style for this bike. Coming from a supersport bike and coming to this bike is obviously a little different so it’s a new riding style that I have to retrain myself to do. We’re going to prioritise getting more seat time on the R7.
The R7 is super fun! Riding in the rain yesterday was the most fun I’ve had in a rain ride. The bike was planted, and the tyres were great. It’s a fun bike to ride. The competition is so steep that everything we’re looking for now is minute things. There’s no straight answer. It’s just very minute, different things around the race track to figure out.
It’s very European and it’s cut throat. These women came here to win and everyone has a purpose and it’s very business like in the paddock. The competition is steep. You look at P1 to P20 and they’re only 6 seconds apart and it’s really cool to see because that will make it an entertaining championship to watch.
For Misano, I want to be up at the top but we only get 25 minutes of free practice before the superpole and I’ve never been there before so I’m playing the MotoGP game and trying to figure it out. But it will be a big ask to really be at the top right out of the gate. We don’t get a lot of track time so hopefully a top 10. I’d love a top 5 but it’s hard to say! ”
#34 Lissy Whitmore
“My test was successful! I surprised myself more than anything, and I’m really happy with the progress we made. There’s still a long way to go, but it’s there and we can do it. My biggest takeaway is really taking the time to get used to a new bike so quickly. It’s not something that is one of my strong points, and now i’ve done it. I’m almost there and I’m really happy with that. The bike is fantastic. It’s completely different from anything else I’ve ever ridden before and it’s really nice in between from the biggest thing I ride and the littlest thing I ride! So it’s really good.
I’m so excited for Misano. It’s been really nice getting to know the people I’m going to be riding with. Gaining everyone’s trust to know that you can trust everyone on track. Because that’s a big part of it. Trusting the people you’re riding with, because at the end of the day you’re all out there doing something quite dangerous so you want to know that they’re not silly. I’m looking forward to it. It’s one of the most iconic tracks I’ve dreamed about riding on – Jerez was the first one, Misano was the second one – So we’re going to have a really good time!
I’ve made a real point of speaking to people this week, and I always have because I know what it’s like to be one of few. I’m the only Brit here, Mal is the only American and there’s also people who are the only Japanese, the only Taiwanese, the only Australian – things like that, so I just want to get along and feel comfy around them and just to know that we’re all in this together and we’re going to have a great time!
The team and Mallory have been great to work with, it’s amazing and I’m really pleased to see that she’s got on so well. It’s really good to have that person to look up to and show me where I can progress to. It’s really great to see the possibilities as well of the team. ”
Maddi Patterson, Team Principal
“Firstly, the championship, it is nothing but healthy. The competition on track was within close times and everyone is finding their feet. The commitment of this grid to their goals is brave and I’m proud to be apart of that story.
My riders did exactly what I wanted them to. Talk about setting the pace! 0.05 off P5 in a practice qualifying session is nothing to be laughed at. I’m immensely proud of the ‘Unknown American’ Mallory Dobbs. She is the most hard on herself, she is always looking for that little bit more, wherever she can find it. But there’s no doubt in my mind that she gave the championship favourites a run for their money. She is capable and I know she is the one to watch this season.
Lissy did exactly what I asked her to do. Before this test, she’d never thrown a leg over an R7 and she improved every single session with the support of her technician Graeme Parker. That was never an accident. Her lap times were consistently within a 105% qualifying time of the leader and put her in good pace. Everyone has a first time on a new bike and I know the pressure will be immense for her, but she is proving to me what I already knew to be true – give her the tools, show her how it works and give her the support she needs – she can only get better from here.
As a team, we’re looking forward to getting to Misano and finally putting rubber to road for the thing that matters most, championship points.”
Let’s race!
About Sekhmet Racing:
An International Motorcycle Racing Team founded in 2024 by Maddi Patterson as a part of her agency PHNX Powersport Promotions, based in Europe. Sekhmet Racing is a multi-discipline motorsport team operating and competing in the FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship and working with motorcycle manufacturers in road/circuit racing globally.
About the FIM WorldWCR Championship:
The 2024 FIM Women’s Motorcycling World Championship (WorldWCR Championship) will comprise six rounds and one pre-season test, all integrated within the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.
1. Emilia Romagna Round, Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” – June 14th-16th
2. UK Round, Donington Park Circuit – July 12th-14th
3. Portuguese Round, Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – August 9th-11th
4. Hungarian Round, Balaton Park Circuit – August 23rd-25th
5. Italian Round, Cremona Circuit – September 20th-22nd
6. Spanish Round, Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto – October 18th- 20th
During each Round, the action will unfold as follows: Superpoles on Friday, Race 1 on Saturday, and Race 2 on Sunday, offering fans a full weekend of adrenaline-pumping racing.
Yamaha, with their Yamaha YZF-R7 model, will serve as the single manufacturer for the Championship.
