Tayla Relph makes great first steps at opening WorldWCR Test

WorldWCR Cremona Test

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 and Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) had been trading places for top spot, with the pair pushing each other closer to the 1’41s before Carrasco went on to smash 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 Ponziani. 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.

This test was 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. Predictably, 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.

Tayla Relph

“The test went far better than we were expecting right from the first session. Ted (Collins) and I have been training extremely hard in Australia, so it’s safe to say I put in the work to get these results. I have spent the past five months learning this YZF-R7 inside out, and I think that really paid off.

“The top eight girls over here are fast… and ride quite differently. I have had to really change my riding style to actually make the most of the track and get the most out of the track, and of course, I had to learn the new style of the YZF-R7; you ride it somewhat half like an R3, but mostly like an R7.

“We led plenty of sessions and even topped the very first WorldWCR session, which was a pretty cool feeling. On the first day, it rained, and we managed third overall in the wet. So we showed strong pace in all conditions, which is another positive.

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“We now fly to France, which is where I’ll be basing myself. Ted and I will be testing an R7 at Misano on the 29th of May, prior to the opening round of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship getting underway on the 14th of June.”

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 Entry List

 2024 WorldWCR calendar

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