The high heat of Cremona Circuit wasn’t the only thing bringing intensity to the opening race of the WorldWCR weekend in Italy, as Kiwi rider Avalon Lewis of Carl Cox Motorsport delivered a gritty performance to finish sixth after a fierce mid-pack battle, while teammate and rookie Billee Fuller made steady progress to 20th.
Lewis kicked off the day by securing P6 in Superpole, placing herself on the front two rows for Race 1. The achievement came under challenging conditions, as a dirty track and soaring temperatures added an extra layer of difficulty for all riders.
“Honestly, it was a tough day here; the track was dirty this morning, making it a slippery start for everyone,” Lewis said post-qualifying.
“In Superpole, the track temp rose to 52 degrees. I managed to string a decent lap together to put it on the front two rows for Race 1, which is awesome. I’m determined to find that extra little bit of pace I need around this circuit—it will come.
“Thanks to our great team, we had a lot of laughs today. It was also tough on them working in the heat and pushing the bikes and equipment a mile to the pitlane.”
As the lights went out for Race 1, Lewis immediately found herself in a tight scrap for fourth with Sara Sanchez and Astrid Madrigal. The trio trailed the lead group—comprising Maria Herrera, Roberta Ponziani, and Beatriz Neila—by 1.8 seconds, with a substantial 7.1-second cushion back to the rest of the field.
As the laps wound down, Lewis lost ground to Sanchez and Madrigal, eventually slotting into sixth with three laps to go. Despite the setbacks, she held her composure. She brought the Carl Cox Motorsport machine home in P6—another solid result as she continues to build momentum in the championship.
Meanwhile, Fuller fought her way up from a back-row start in P22 to finish 20th. The 17-year-old Kiwi showed promising progress, gaining valuable race experience as she adapts to the demands of international competition.
At the front, the race delivered a nail-biting finale. In a showdown between Klint Forward Racing teammates, Ponziani sat in the slipstream of Herrera for nearly the entire race before making a decisive move on the final lap to claim her maiden WorldWCR victory.
Neila completed the podium, with Sanchez and Madrigal rounding out the top five.
The results shake up the championship standings: Herrera now leads with 65 points, just four ahead of Neila. Ponziani climbs to third with 49 points, leapfrogging Sanchez.
With her sixth-place finish, Lewis moves up to eighth overall with 23 points.
“Solid race one here in Cremona coming home sixth. Great start and I hung on to the front group for a couple of laps but didn’t seem to have the rear grip to run that pace and dropped back. We will figure it out for tomorrow. Really happy with the improvement in my lap times for now.” said Lewis.
Race 2 promises more drama as the field regroups for another shot at glory in Cremona. The race is set to go green at 10.45 pm NZT.
Header Image: Avalon Biddle (Lewis) Racing Facebook
