The battle for the Number 1 plate in the inaugural Spanish Flat Track Championship (RFME Copa de España de Flat Track) has narrowed to a three-way battle between Ferran Cardus (Grau Suzuki), Franc Serra (Honda Alonso) and Nico Terol (NicoGas Honda), the three separated by 13 points and with only two rounds to go as the series returns to the Ricardo Tormo Circuit of the Valencian Community for the second time this year.
Former 125cc World Champion Terol led after winning the Madrid short track, but Cardus and Serra shared first and second places at Rancho Canudas with Cardus winning the oval track event and Serra taking the TT. Terol, seventh and fourth at Rancho Canudas, dropped to third.
Returning to the fray for race five of the seven-race season is Britain´s seventeen-year-old hotshoe Ollie Brindley. Brindley battled Terol for the win in Madrid until he caught his steel shoe in a rut and suffered a fractured ankle, causing him to miss the next two races.
With Brindley back, riding the NoyesCamp Kawasaki that took American Brad Baker to a pair on wins in the season opener in Valencia, and with fast, young Gerard Bailo (Suzuki Catala) coming off strong rides to fourth and fifth at Rancho Canudas, the top three will not have things all their own way.
After the Valencia round riders will need to recalculate their positions because the series rules count only the six best results of each competitor. Riders scoring points in all seven races will automatically have their single worst score subtracted from their total.
In addition to cash and the prestige of the title, the eventual Pro Flat Track Champion will be invited to the opening round of the newly branded American Flat Track Championship in Daytona and provided with a competitive machine for the new .6 mile TT course.
Ferrán Sastre Set to Clinch Rookies Title
Seventeen-year-old Ferran Sastre (NoyesCamp Kawasaki) with five wins in five starts, need only qualify for the Main and make the start in order to take the class title.
Injury to Massana leaves Cano and Navarro to Contest Master Class Title
Guillermo Cano (ESR Bikes) sits atop the Master Class (for riders 35 years and older) with a eleven point lead coming from two wins and three seconds. Vicent Navarro (Suzuki Grau) also has two wins to go with a third and two fourths. A recent crash in a regional event resulted in a knee injury for the third contender, Lluis Massana, who is out for the season.
Watch Valencia II on Sunday, October 9
The race will be run midday Saturday but fans in Spain and around the world can catch up when the race is available via this link at 8 PM Spanish peninsular time one day later, on Sunday October 9.