Round 3 saw the FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship head to beautiful Barcelona and the action did not disappoint. With six races on show, three were decided in the final corners with podium battles raging on to the very end.
In the FIM JuniorGP™ World Championship category, Jesus Rios (MRE Talent) and Alvaro Carpe (STV Laglisse Racing) took honours, while Dani Muñoz (Gas Up Racing Team) did the double in the Moto2™ European Championship. In the European Talent Cup, Marco Morelli continued to show what a future talent he is with victory, while Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Yamaha GV Racing) cemented his position atop the title standings in the Stock™ European Championship.
FIM JuniorGP World Championship
Jesus Rios made it three wins in four in the opening race of the day in the FIM JuniorGP™ class. The Spaniard was the Championship leader coming into Barcelona, and he extended his advantage after timing his attack to perfection in Catalunya. The #54 was joined on the podium by Marcos Uriarte (CFMoto Aspar Junior Team) and polesitter Adrian Cruces (Finetwork Team), but only after late heartbreak denied Eddie O’Shea (British Talent Team – Mlav Racing).
The Brit had led the action for much of the race, but a last lap Turn 10 scuffle saw him bunted wide and opened the door for Rios to go from P4 to P1 in the blink of an eye - a position he didn’t relinquish while Uriarte and Cruces took top three finishes.
In Race 2, Alvaro Carpe stunned CFMoto Aspar pair Uriarte and Morosi on the line as the Spaniard took victory in a highly compelling affair. The #83 started P12 on the grid, and bided his time as the lead changed hands on numerous occasions. A large group vied for honours, with a last lap crash for Eddie O’Shea denying the Brit once again, and then a separate incident that saw Race 1 winner Rios go down with Marcos Ruda (SeventyTwo Artbox Racing Team) and Rico Salmela (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact JuniorGP Team) caused havoc for the chasing pack.
That allowed the front three to escape in the final sector, with Uriarte, and now the new Championship leader, leading around the final corner, but on the run to the line Morosi poked his nose ahead of his teammate for second, while Carpe pulled out wide to secure a maiden win by just 0.025s.
European Moto2 Championship
Later in the afternoon, Moto2™ ECh were back on track as another Muñoz masterclass saw him do the double. The second race of the day followed a similar script, with Casadei struggling at the start and Muñoz, Navarro and Garcia breaking away, however, this time they were joined by Eric Fernandez (FAU55 TEY Racing) and Surra.
All five led the race at some point before Muñoz assumed control ahead of Navarro, and the two left the rest of the field in their wake and, in a repeat of Race 1, that’s how they finished.
The battle for the final podium position wasn’t over yet as Garcia held third ahead of a hard-charging Unai Orradre (STV Laglisse Racing) but on the penultimate lap it all changed as the #31 went from P3 to P5 and then out of the race as Orradre and Casadei, who had mounted another comeback, came steaming through. Garcia encountered technical difficulties and it was Orradre who claimed P3, with Casadei taking back the Championship lead ahead of Portimao.
European Talent Cup
In the European Talent Cup, Marco Morelli showed off his class to romp home to his second win of the campaign by 2.9s, with David Gonzalez (AC Racing Team) and Giulio Pugliese (CFMoto Aspar Team) joining him on the podium.
Morelli started from pole, and the Argentinian pulled the pin early to clear off into the distance to avoid a dramatic podium battle behind him. Carlos Cano (SeventyTwo Artbox Racing Team) came from the back of the grid and dragged a freight train of riders with him to catch Gonzalez and Pugliese in the podium places, and just as the Spaniard looked to make his move on the last lap, he was clipped by Valentin Perrone (Frando Racing VHC Team) and sent flying into the gravel to record a Barcelona blank. As a result, Morelli once again takes control of the Championship chase with two races coming up in Portimao.
Stock European Championship
As per usual, the Stock ECh rounded out the day’s proceedings as Lorenzo Dalla Porta sealed his second win of the campaign in scintillating style. Joining the Championship leader on the podium were Mario Mayor (Yamaha GV Racing) and Demis Mihaila (MDR Competition), with victory yet again decided on the final lap.
Mayor took the lead at Turn 1, and it looked like the Spaniard was set for a maiden win in the class, but a stunning Turn 12 move from polesitter Dalla Porta saw him fire it up the inside of the #82 for victory.