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Superb Salvador secures maiden WorldSSP300 by 0.003s ahead of Julio Garcia, Mahendra third with Veneman penalised

Saturday, 19 October 2024 11:41 GMT

    • Mahendra’s podium wasn’t enough to secure the title with Veneman in sixth following a penalty, as Salvador claimed his first victory

    David Salvador (MS Racing) took a dramatic maiden FIM Supersport 300 World Championship win at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, claiming victory by just 0.003s at the end of a frantic 11-lap race. The #38 beat Julio Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) by the barest of margins to secure his first win in the Championship, while the title race will go on to Sunday’s Race 2 following a podium for Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) and a penalty for Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) at the Prometeon Spanish Round.

    A NEW WINNER: Salvador takes first win

    As ever in WorldSSP300, the race went down to the wire with Salvador resisting Julio Garcia's run to the line to claim victory by just 0.003s ahead of the Kove machine, with the #48 once again denied victory right at the end of the race. Championship leader Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) completed the podium, but he didn’t claim the title, although he takes a 22-point lead into Sunday’s Race 2 as he looks to become Indonesia’s first World Champion. The 0.003s margin is the second-closest in WorldSSP300 history, while Mahendra’s podium was Yamaha’s 100th in the Championship; Salvador’s victory was their 99th.

    POST-RACE DRAMA: Veneman penalised, title race goes to Sunday

    Antonio Torres (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) was a consistent presence at the front of the field and came home in fourth ahead of Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) at the line, but he was demoted by one position for irresponsible riding at the finish line. That meant he was classified in sixth, with Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) promoted into fifth. The top six were separated by just 0.820s, while Veneman has to overturn a 23-point deficit if he’s to claim the 2024 title.

    EIGHT RIDERS IN A SECOND: a close fight at Jerez

    2017 Champion Marc Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) secured seventh as both Kove’s finished in the top ten, ahead of Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) in eighth with the Indonesian rider 0.909s back from victory, the final rider within a second of the win. Australia’s Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) was ninth after starting from pole position, often fighting for P1 but finding himself demoted as the race progressed. Matteo Vannucci (Pata Yamaha AG Motorsport Italia) has had a season of bad luck but will be hoping his P10 will turn that around at the end of the season.

    INSIDE THE POINTS: securing a top 15 finish

    Two Brazilian riders just missed out on the top 10. Humberto Maier (MS Racing) was 11th, half-a-second away from Vannucci, while Gustavo Manso (Yamaha AD78 FIM LA by MS Racing) was 12th and around three seconds back from his compatriot. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) took 14th ahead of Emiliano Ercolani (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSSP300 Team) and Elia Bartolini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSSP300 Team), with the two Italians taking the last two points-paying positions. Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki) finished 17th after an off-track excursion, but he set the fastest lap of the race to secure P1 on the Race 2 grid.

    The top six from WorldSSP300 Race 1, full results here:

    1 David Salvador (MS Racing)

    2. Julio Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) +0.003s

    3. Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) +0.549s

    4. Antonio Torres (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.558s

    5. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +0.817s

    6. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.820s

    Fastest lap: Mirko Gennai (Kawasaki) – 1’52.178s

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