Ayumu Sasaki and Kaito Toba featured as key protagonists of the Moto3 Junior WCH races in Jerez once again, collecting valuable points
The first race of the day at the legendary Jerez circuit saw the grid shaken up by a number of penalties, Kaito Toba promoted to third on the grid while Ayumu Sasaki was dropped to eighth. As is typical in FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship, grid positions meant little as the racing began and soon a swarm of ten riders battled for victory. Sasaki and Toba featured heavily as always, Toba’s race unfortunately cut short when he attempted a very ambitious move at the Dry Sac corner.
Toba’s fall broke up the group and allowed Kazuki Masaki to gain on his Asia Talent Team teammate, Sasaki. The duo battled right to the wire with just over 0.2s separating the pair at the line. Masaki won out, taking fifth with Sasaki right behind in sixth. Fifth equals Masaki’s best result of the season and shows his constant growth.
Further behind, Nakarin Atiratphuvapat wrestled his way up to 14th place to collect two more points while Andi Farid battled with several riders and eventually took a fighting 25th.
Race two saw temperatures increase and presented all the riders with a new challenge. There were no penalties to apply and as such Sasaki and Toba lined up in fifth and sixth, as they had qualified. The opening laps were almost a carbon copy of the first race and saw a large group battling for supremacy.
As the race went on the group began to stretch out and Toba was able to keep his cool and remained with the leading riders, smelling a potential podium. A mature ride saw Toba take fourth position and return to scoring solid points after his difficulties in race one.
Close behind was Sasaki who led the chasing group, fifth at the line and just over a second from victory. The talent from Japan continues to prove his speed at each race weekend.
Perhaps the most commendable ride of Race 2 came from Atiratphuvapat who scored another top ten, his fifth consecutive race in the points. Masaki did not find the going as easy as in Race 1 and crossed the line in 14th.
Andi Farid did well to improve to 19th place and continues to edge closer to being a consistent point scorer.
After ten races Toba still holds third overall with 103 points, 11 points clear of Raul Fernandez in fourth. Sasaki heads to the final round of the year aiming to take fourth from Fernandez, the Japanese rider only nine points behind him with 83 points.
As has been the theme throughout the year, Masaki has collected points consistently and holds seventh as a result with a total of 68 points.
Thanks to his 33 points, Atiratphuvapat is 15th while Andi Farid clings to 27th in the standings and is aiming for more points in the final two races.
The FIM CEV Repsol Moto3 Junior World Championship will be back on track on the 20th of November for the final round of the season in Valencia. The Moto3 class will again contest two races.
