1st RACE - MISANO ADRIATICO, ITALY April, 13th 2008

In Superstock 1000cc win the german Nina Prinz, second place for the italian Letizia Marchetti, third the english Susie Grayson.

In Superstock 600cc win the Dutch Iris Ten Katen, second place for the czech Marketa Janakowa, , third place the slovenian Tina Katrasnik.

GALLERY

The 2008 women racing season goes on with another exciting and eventful weekend.
The famous Romagna track hosted a double event for the women road racing championship: the second round of the Italian Women’s Championship and the first race of the European Women’s Championship. 35 racers ready to bolt under a not very promising sky: weather was extremely variable during the whole event, with brief showers counterpointed by feeble sunny spells.

The racers performed to very high standards from the very start, reporting breathtaking times like Nina Prinz (Germany), current European title holder, who confirmed her leadership with an amazing 1.42.0, the women's circuit record and best lap-time of the whole racing weekend featuring 300 participants.
During the first qualifying session, a nasty accident took Cristiana Toria out of the race: while going through the Misano 1 turn with her Tornado 900, Mary Zanella was trying to overtake her, but cut back too early and brushed against the Benelli forcing it to the ground. Best wishes from the Motoclub and everyone on the paddock to Cristiana, currently staying at the Riccione hospital with a broken pelvis.
Two Russian racers (Nataliya Lyubimova and Nadezhda Yakhnich) could not get to qualify to the race: congratulations anyway for coming so close to the others racers. The Misano track is technically challenging and it’s quite difficult to properly master it over just a weekend.

The Superstock 1000 starting grid lined Nina Prinz in pole position with white-light blue suit for the Official Yamaha Germany team, then Paola Cazzola with a Yamaha (team Piellemoto), Letizia Marchetti (team Red Rabbit) in the third place, second row, Romana Fede (team Babelgum by RG) in the third row, followed by Susie Grayson (team Feisty Racing, UK).
For the Superstock 600 race Iris Ten Katen (Duntep Racing Team, NL) in pole position, with her trusty Honda CBR 600 RR along with Marketa Janacova (Team Suzuki Mayer, Czech Republic), on the second row Alessia Polita (Italy), who has just come back to the 600 championship with the C.P. Racing team, Eliana Pezzilli (still with the team Piellemoto) and Tina Katrasnik (team Amd Kranj, Slovenia), followed by three Italian racers: Manuela La Licata (team Vasar), Manuela Bocchino (team Motobaleani), Cristina Peluso (team Vueffe).

Right after the red light goes off Nina Prinz bolts forward leaving Cazzola behind, who in turns immediately gains a good lead on Ten Katen. Behind them a small, close group with Alessia Polita, Marketa Janacova (both “rivals” in the last European Suzuki championship), Letizia Marchetti and Tina Katrasnik. The four riders gave an exciting performance during the whole race, with non-stop overtakings up to the very end, when Janacova, right after Polita, overtakes Katrasnik, conquering the second place in the European race. Fantastic result for Letizia Marchetti who gets a double second placing for both races thanks to the great feeling with her new team. Great race, as usual, for Alessia Polita, who gets the first place in the Italian race; this racer from Iesi has decided to compete only in the Italian Championship to better focus on achieving the Italian Champion title. Romana Fede steps on the podium with her third place for the Italian title, while Eliana Pezzilli gains 20 points more in the 600 class. Great duel for Sharon Mermet (Ninja 600), Nikolett Kovacs (who cut her teeth on the 125 World Championship) and Manuela Bocchino (who finished first in the 2007 Rookies Cup). These three racers fought in a thrilling series of overtakings till the final lap when the Kawasaki racer managed to finally outrun the other two and step on the third place of the Italian block.
Excellent results for Susie Grayson, the nice English racer with her fancy pink-dyed hair, the same colour used by her team, who managed to get the third place in the European race behind Prinz and Marchetti in the 1000 class; same goes for Tina Katrasnik, eighteen, who steps on the third place in the European 600.
Among the new racers, Elisabet Zanini (team Red Rabbit) repeated her good performance she gave in Vallelunga, followed by Alessia Falzoni, and Marta Castelli. Mary Zanella has been penalized by a fall, luckily without any further consequences.

Great party at the prize cerermony with many racers (and countries) on the podium.

Next dates will be on June 15th at Assen, the Netherlands for the second European Women’s Championship race, and July 20th at Magione for the third round of the Campionato Italiano race.