Adrian Huertas is the WorldSSP Championship’s newest race winner after holding his nerve to complete a long-awaited maiden victory on home soil at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
The Spaniard stayed out of trouble and mostly out front throughout the 18-lap encounter to score victory from pole position, his first in the WorldSSP series aboard the Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V2.
Having seen his hopes of breaking his duck from pole in Australia scuppered by technical issues, Huertas would have no such concerns in front of the local crowd after taking control of the race from lap four and resisting late pressure from an advancing Stefano Manzi in the closing stages.
Indeed it was a trouble-free afternoon for Huertas, who succeeds WorldSBK-graduating predecessor Nicolo Bulega in the factory Ducati squad, from the word go as he jostled for the lead with Puccetti Kawasaki’s Can Oncu before easing his margin out beyond the chasing pack for the remainder of the race.
Save for a late bid by Manzi on the Ten Kate Yamaha, Huertas remained unchallenged to the flag to secure the Race 1 spoils at the top of his third season in WorldSSP.
Manzi picked up valuable points for second to make amends for his DNF during the final race in Australia, while Marcel Schroetter made it three podiums in succession with a fight-back up to third place on the MV Agusta F3 800 RR.
Double Phillip Island race winner Yari Montella survived a brush with an over-eager Jorge Navarro in the closing stages for fourth, the Italian - whose rear-wheel on the Barni Ducati was grazed by the Triumph man at Turn 10 - retaining his advantage at the head of the standings.
Valentin Debise completed the top five on the Evan Bros Yamaha from Federico Caricasulo on the Motozoo ME AIR MV Agusta, the pair benefactors of Navarro’s wide moment late on to leave the Spaniard seventh.
Following his early challenge at the front of the field, Oncu faded to eighth at the flag, ahead of rookie Niccolo Antonelli in ninth on the Althea Ducati and 2023 Catalunya WorldSSP race winner Bahattin Sofuoglu.
Local man Yeray Ruiz won out in a fight with British pair John McPhee and Tom Booth-Amos on their respective Triumphs to cross the line 11th, 12th and 13th, with Glenn van Straalen and Lorenzo Dalla Porta - in his first appearance of the year - collecting the final digits in 14th and 15th.
Of the retirements, Lucas Mahias was the highest-profile, the Frenchman throwing a potential podium finish away when he low-sided out of third on lap ten at Turn 10.
🇪🇸 ⏱️ 2024 WorldSSP Catalunya | RACE 1 Results
Saturday | Conditions - Dry, Sunny
🇪🇸 ⏱️ 2024 WorldSSP Results | Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya | Race 1 Results | Round 2 of 12 | |||||
Pos. | Rider | Nat | Team | Motorcycle | Gap |
1 | Adrian Huertas | 🇪🇦 | Aruba.it Racing | Ducati Panigale V2 | 18 Laps |
2 | Stefano Manzi | 🇮🇹 | Ten Kate Racing | Yamaha R6 | +1.277 |
3 | Marcel Schroetter | 🇩🇪 | MV Agusta Reparto Corse | MV Agusta F3 800 RR | +5.840 |
4 | Yari Montella | 🇮🇹 | BARNI Spark Racing | Ducati Panigale V2 | +8.653 |
5 | Valentin Debise | 🇫🇷 | Evan Bros. Team | Yamaha R6 | +9.798 |
6 | Federico Caricasulo | 🇮🇹 | Motozoo ME AIR Racing | MV Agusta F3 800 RR | +10.855 |
7 | Jorge Navarro | 🇪🇦 | WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM | Triumph STR 765 RS | +11.381 |
8 | Can Oncu | 🇹🇷 | Kawasaki Puccetti Racing | Kawasaki ZX-6R | +16.473 |
9 | Niccolo Antonelli | 🇮🇹 | Ecosantagata Althea Racing | Ducati Panigale V2 | +16.892 |
10 | Bahattin Sofuoglu | 🇹🇷 | MV Agusta Reparto Corse | MV Agusta F3 800 RR | +21.255 |
11 | Yeray Ruiz | 🇪🇦 | VFT Racing | Yamaha R6 | +21.312 |
12 | John McPhee | 🇬🇧 | WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM | Triumph STR 765 RS | +21.417 |
13 | Tom Booth-Amos | 🇬🇧 | PTR | Triumph STR 765 RS | +23.477 |
14 | Glenn van Straalen | 🇳🇱 | Ten Kate Racing | Yamaha R6 | +23.643 |
15 | Lorenzo Dalla Porta | 🇮🇹 | Altogo Racing Team | Yamaha R6 | +23.809 |
16 | Niki Tuuli | 🇫🇮 | EAB Racing | Ducati Panigale V2 | +27.470 |
17 | Piotr Biesiekirski | 🇵🇱 | Ecosantagata Althea Racing | Ducati Panigale V2 | +27.665 |
18 | Luke Power | 🇦🇺 | Motozoo ME AIR Racing | MV Agusta F3 800 RR | +28.208 |
19 | Marcel Brenner | 🇨🇭 | Viamo Racing | Kawasaki ZX-6R | +32.213 |
20 | Simone Corsi | 🇮🇹 | Renzi Corse | Ducati Panigale V2 | +32.578 |
21 | Oliver Bayliss | 🇦🇺 | D34G Racing | Ducati Panigale V2 | +33.268 |
22 | Ondrej Vostatek | 🇨🇿 | PTR | Triumph STR 765 RS | +37.585 |
23 | Anupab Sarmoon | 🇹🇭 | Yamaha Thailand Racing Team | Yamaha R6 | +38.109 |
24 | Hikari Okubo | 🇯🇵 | Vince64 Racing by Puccetti | Kawasaki ZX-6R | +38.427 |
25 | Kaito Toba | 🇯🇵 | Petronas MIE Racing | Honda CBR600RR | +38.943 |
26 | Lorenzo Baldassarri | 🇮🇹 | Orelac Racing Verdnatura | Ducati Panigale V2 | +48.338 |
27 | Gabriele Giannini | 🇮🇹 | Prodina Kawasaki Racing | Kawasaki ZX-6R | +49.196 |
28 | Khairul Idham Bin Pawi | 🇲🇾 | Petronas MIE Racing | Honda CBR600RR | +56.268 |
29 | Eugene McManus | 🇮🇪 | ROKiT Haslam Racing | Ducati Panigale V3 | +57.804 |
30 | Krittapat Keankum | 🇹🇭 | Yamaha Thailand Racing Team | Yamaha R6 | +1m 06.222 |
DNF | Lucas Mahias | 🇫🇷 | GMT94 | Yamaha R6 | - |
DNF | Tom Edwards | 🇦🇺 | D34G Racing | Ducati Panigale V2 | - |
DNF | Federico Fulgini | 🇮🇹 | Orelac Racing Verdnatura | Ducati Panigale V2 | - |
DNF | Raffaele de Rosa | 🇮🇹 | QJ Motor Factory Racing | QJ SRK 800 RR | - |