CEV Motorland 2012 Photo Gallery

Over the past weekend we witnessed the race of the Spanish Speed Championship, held at the Motorland circuit in Alcañiz (Aragon). This world-class circuit welcomed us with open arms on our first visit there, and both the circuit organization and the local people were outstanding.

The races at the circuit were full of surprises and scares. The Stock Extreme race, the first of the day, began with problems on Xavi Forés’ bike, discovered just a few minutes before leaving the pit box. When he reached the grid and had to remove the fuel tank, he had to leave the grid and start from the pit lane. The bike could not be repaired, as it was an electrical fault (the ECU), and there was no time left. The Valencian rider apparently summoned all his courage and raced with only two of the four cylinders working.

The race went on, and at the front Barragán was fighting for victory, although Carmelo Morales unleashed his claws and snatched the top spot from him. Completing the podium was Xavier Del Amor, who, with his Suzuki, managed to keep the rest of the rivals at bay. In the privateer class, Antonio Alarcos won the subcategory and was able to join the trio of champions on the podium.

In the Moto2 race, Jordi Torres dominated from start to finish. True, at the start he lost a few positions, but this is something the rider has already come to accept: he knows it is not his strong point, but what matters is crossing the line first. Second place went to Román Ramos, on the Ariane, a bike that achieved its first victory in the intermediate category and which, from now on, promises a great deal in Román’s hands.

The third rider on the podium was Kenny Noyes, the Latin American rider, who had been suffering from enormous vibration problems throughout the weekend. Although he did not manage to eliminate them, he did improve and ultimately secured a third place that he had already signed for before the race. The privateer rider who reached the podium was Santi Hernández, Yonny’s brother, who stood on the podium for the first time this season and came very close to taking the third step of the overall standings.

It is the first time I have seen all the podium riders wearing a smile of satisfaction, each one for a goal achieved.

The last category, Moto3, is the closest to the world championship and the breeding ground for all the young riders who will one day form the grid of the premier championship. It began with a serious accident, which should probably have stopped the race, but race direction did not see it that way. We have already expressed our astonishment at this, so we will not dwell on it any further.

The battle between Luca Amato, Alex Márquez and Juanfran Guevara was intense, and they finished in exactly this order in the race. Alex continues to look for points toward the championship, but his rivals are not making things easy for him at all.

Now, in about a month, we head to Montmeló. We will have to see what this sprint championship has in store, where every race brings a different set of circumstances.

Photos | Plusmoto.com (Gloria Lobato, David Gómez, Alejandro Batán)