JuniorGP and ETC – Round 02 JEREZ

 In ETC

The second round of  the championship landed at the Spanish circuit of Jerez for a weekend marked by scorching track temperatures.

JUNIOR GP

Marco Morelli continued to adapt well to the category, delivering a solid weekend. He remained inside the top 15 throughout all practice sessions and went straight through to Q2, eventually qualifying 11th and lining up on the fourth row of the grid. In Race 1, Morelli fought in the second half of the group during the opening laps and managed to latch onto the front pack of eleven riders. As the race unfolded, the group split, and Marco held steady in the second half, just one second behind the leader. He maintained a strong pace and secured a P8 finish.

Evan Belford, however, had a tougher time.  Despite showing promise within the top 25 and progressing through Q1, he qualified 22nd and started from the eight row. In the early laps of Race 1, Belford made progress, climbing up to 18th. Unfortunately, with 12 laps remaining, he suffered a crash and was unable to finish the race.

Race 2 proved even more challenging due to the rising track temperatures.  This time, the leading group was smaller, and Morelli stayed in the second group, once again running within the top 10 and even climbing to 5th at one stage. In the final laps,  he dropped a few positions and crossed the line in 13th place.

Belford maintained a consistent rythm in the top 25 throughout the second race and finished in P23.

EUROPEAN TALENT CUP

It was a bittersweet weekend for our ETC riders.

Julius Frellsen was unable to secure a spot in the main races and had to go through the Last Chance Race, where he finished 13th. Sadly not enough to qualify for the races.

Travis Borg, on the other hand, had a more promising start. He was third-fastest in the early practice sessions and made it directly into Q2, qualifying on the third row in 9th. Race 1 was shaped by a long lap penalty carried over from the previous round in Estoril. Despite this, Borg remained in the top 15, fighting in the second front group, and finished in a solid 9th position.

Race 2, like in Junior GP, was defined by the intense heat. Borg got a better start, placing 5th after the opening lap and moving up to 4th. Unfortunately, with twelve laps to go, he lost control of the bike and was unable to avoid a crash, bringing his race to a premature end.

Now, the focus shifts to the next round of the season, set to take place in France at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours on 4-6 July.