Just two rounds remain in 2022 for the Finetwork FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship paddock and for the penultimate weekend of the season we take a trip to MotorLand Aragon, with just two titles left on the table after Jose Antonio Rueda (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) claimed the JuniorGP™ crown in Misano.
Rueda's early title win was just reward for his outstanding campaign this year and ahead of the action getting underway in Aragon, we now know the young Spaniard will be a Moto3™ World Championship rider next year in the Red Bull KTM Ajo ranks. However, while the title may already be settled, it doesn't mean the racing will be any less intense as the field aim to end the season on a high, while the chase for second in the Championship is also a tight one. David Salvador (Laglisse Academy) comes into Aragon one point clear of third place Syarifuddin Azman (SIC Racing), with Filippo Farioli (Aspar Junior Team) - another future Moto3™ World Championship rider - and Angel Piqueras (Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) also right in the hunt for the silver medal.
The Moto2™ European Championship riders will have two races to contest at MotorLand and leading the way by 40 points is Lukas Tulovic (Liqui Moly Intact JuniorGP Team). The German hasn't finished lower than second all season and got back to winning ways in Portimao's Race 2, and Tulovic has the chance to emerge as the Championship winner this weekend. Alex Escrig (Yamaha Philippines Stylobike Racing Team) is Tulovic's closest challenger but the Spaniard won't be racing after unfortunately being declared unfit after a testing crash. Senna Agius (Promoracing) will have high hopes of notching up another race win, the Australian is 54 points down on Tulovic and needs to be within 25 after Sunday's Race 2 to still be in with a shot of claiming the crown at the final round. And in the Stock class, Marco Tapia (Easyrace Team) leads the way by just five points over Alex Ruiz (FAU55 TEY Racing) with three races to go.
Two races also lie in wait for the Hawkers European Talent Cup riders, with Joel Esteban (Aspar Junior Team) sitting top of the standings after returning to the podium last time out in Portimao. The Spaniard's points advantage sits at 15 to Guido Pini (AC Racing Team), the Italian has scored points in every race this year but remains hungry for that first win. Dodo Boggio (Aspar Junior Team) remains firmly in the Hawkers ETC title race, the Italian is just 19 points back from teammate Esteban heading into the final three races of the season. Esteban can pick up the crown this weekend if he leaves Aragon with a 25-point lead.
On Saturday 8 October, the Hawkers European Talent Cup pole position trophy will be awarded in memory of Hugo Millan. The polesitter will stand on the podium at the end of the on-track activity scheduled for Saturday and will be presented with the trophy.
Five races of JuniorGP™ are coming up this weekend! Here's the full Sunday time schedule below (local time, GMT+2):
11:00 - Moto2™ ECh Race 1
12:00 - Hawkers ETC Race 1
13:00 - JuniorGP™ WCh Race
14:00 - Moto2™ ECh Race 2
15:00 - Hawkers ETC Race 2