[WorldSPB Round 6] Kawasaki's Artigas wins Race 2! Salvador keeps the championship lead

At the 6th round of the newly established WorldSPB Championship held at Magny-Cours in France, MTM Kawasaki's Xavi Artigas took the victory in Race 2. David Salvador of Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI maintains his lead in the standings.

Artigas wins Race 2 after a close battle

The 6th round of the newly established WorldSPB Championship was held in dry conditions at the Magny-Cours circuit in France. With riders on Kawasaki's Ninja ZX-6R 636 leading the championship, David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) took the checkered flag first in Race 1, but was demoted due to a track limit violation. Instead, Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) secured a 3rd place podium finish, while Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki) finished 4th and Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) finished 5th.

In Sunday's Race 2, Artigas, who started from 11th on the grid, took the lead on the final lap and won by a narrow margin of 0.098 seconds over 2nd place. Salvador finished 4th and kept his lead in the rankings. Currently, the championship is dominated by Kawasaki riders, with Salvador at the top with 197 points, Artigas in 2nd with 167 points, and Torres in 3rd with 146 points. The next round is scheduled to be held at the Cremona Circuit in Italy from September 25th to 27th.

Rider Comments

Race 2 winner Artigas said, "I am very satisfied with the result at Magny-Cours. Thanks to the team improving the bike's settings, I was able to push harder. It is an important victory for the championship." Veneman, who raced through the pain of a thumb injury sustained in a warm-up crash, reflected, "I am satisfied that I was able to close the gap to the lead group despite the pain, but I was hoping for a higher position."

Championship leader Salvador commented, "The mistake in Race 1 was my responsibility and it's frustrating, but I am satisfied with the good pace throughout the weekend. I want to maintain this momentum for the next round." Torres, who finished 3rd in Race 1, looked ahead, saying, "During the summer, I worked on reducing mistakes caused by impatience and managing the final stages of the race. I think that effort paid off. I had to retire from Race 2 due to a machine problem, but I am satisfied with the team's work." All eyes are on the title race with two rounds remaining.