The Estoril Circuit hosted the fourth round of the Spanish Superbike Championship – ESBK 2023. With rather variable weather conditions, especially on Thursday and Friday, timed practice and the first races of the weekend took place on Saturday.
Steven Odendaal, Andy Verdoia, Gonzalo Sánchez, Alex Longarela, Mason Foster and Matías Pérez were the victors winning incredible battles that lasted until the checkered flag. This Sunday it was very cloudy and it also rained during the night.
Ivo Lopes keeps the lead in SBK by winning.
The Portuguese fans thoroughly enjoyed the Superbike race with Ivo Lopes taking the lead since the lights went out, but with Steven Odendaal just behind him wanting to win again at Estoril. During all the laps they were in the grip, coming very close. The New2Porject man passed something to Ivo which he took advantage of to study the South African and repay him, beating him with two laps to go.
On the final lap, when everything was on the line, Odendaal crashed, running out of options. In this way Ivo won at home and is the leader of the top category of the ESBK. The leader Peris’ plate remains in his possession for one more race.
Naomichi Uramoto and Román Ramos completed the podium for SBK and Piotr Biesiekirski, Unai Orradre and Daniel González for Stock1000 after holding their own against many Superbike riders.
Double victory for Andy Verdoia and new leader of SSP NG
Amazing Supersport NG race. From the beginning Andy Verdoia was in the lead and distanced himself, lap after lap, from his rivals. Behind, Simon Jespersen, Julián Giral and Ondrej Vostatek were tasked with battling for second position. Up front everything seemed to indicate that the man from Team Arco Motor University would have won without problems but Jespersen got close to him and chased him.
The last three laps were super exciting with the two pushing ahead and battling side by side. With meters to go in the race, Simon was injured in a double-lap and Andy won, taking a brace from Estoril and the plate from Líder Peris. Thus, Jespersen finished second and Vostatek third.
In Stock600 Jesús Ríos, Adrián Rodríguez and Joan Santos finished on the podium.
José Luis Pérez takes victory in the PS300. The Deza-Box77 Racing Team wins the REDD Challenge Silkolene
The Supersport 300 race was interrupted with a red flag due to the crash of two riders. Until now, Team China’s José Luis Pérez has dominated with an iron fist, as he did in Valencia in the third round of the season. Yesterday things didn’t go well for him but today he managed to win. As usual in the category, there were up to 8 riders who fought for the podium, which Antonio Torres, P2, and Gonzalo Sánchez, P3 achieved.
In the Kawasaki Ninja Spirit Trophy, Antonio Torres, Varis Fleming and Tomás Alonso collected their trophies.
The Deza-Box77 Racing Team was the winner of the REDD Challenge Silkolene.
Osorio and Bujosa, the best of Moto4 and PreMoto3
Moto4 group race with 14 riders in the same second. As always in this category, in one lap you can be the leader and in the next you are eighth. But the youngest of ESBK know how to handle all situations and know that anything can happen right up to the checkered flag.
There were many who managed to take the lead: Alberto Enríquez, Ethan Sparks, Andrés García, David Gómez… but no one could dare to say who would be the winner. After 11 laps, Eneko Osorio took his second win of the year, Izan Rodríguez was second and Sparks third.
There are 8 riders who have become protagonists in PreMoto3 after the engine failure, which left him out, of the leader Carlos Cano. Fernando Bujosa, Alex Longarela, Enzo Bellon, Kerman Martínez, Michael Sánchez, Álvaro Lucas, Marcos Ludeña and Ignacio Galán fought side by side for the three drawers of honor but, in the final rounds, it was Longarela, Bujosa, Bellon, Sánchez and Lucas the ones who saw them win.
The strategies were clear between them as they checked each turn to know what they had to do in the last one. Already with the checkered flag waving Bujosa won, Bellon finished second and Longarela third.
Matías Pérez wins again on the Yamaha R7
Yeray Saiz, Eric Molina and Matías Pérez were the protagonists of the race for the Yamaha R7. The three have been battling it out since the lights went out for the win and have gone on to go on several occasions. It was very nice to see them roll and fight to see the checkered flag before anyone else. The race was similar to yesterday with these same three riders as highlights.
After many position changes and overtaking at the limit, Matías won again, Yeray finished second and Eric third.
The next round of the Spanish Superbike Championship will take place on the weekend of 16 and 17 September at the Circuito de Navarra.
Fotografie: Ivan Terrón