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With his team-mate and closest title rival Ashton Boughen sustaining an injury that ruled him out of racing, Neave started Saturday’s event with a twenty-four-point advantage over his third-placed compatriot Jack Bell (Triumph) and after beating him into third in the main points-scoring race the thirty-one-year-old now leads by twenty-six points, meaning just a single point tomorrow will guarantee him the crown. On a dramatic afternoon that saw defending champion Ervin Krajčovič (KTM Schruf – Zucco Racing), his team-mate and fellow Czech Ondřej Svědík and the Ukraine’s Stanislav Ohorodnik (Husqvarna) all fail to make even the Last Chance Heat, Neave kept a cool head as he negotiated the technical TT circuit that combined parts of the oval track with a twisting infield section. It was 2022 champion Gerard Bailo (Yamaha) from Spain who drew first blood when he won the opening six-lap Heat from Neave and former AMA champion Dalton Gauthier before Lorenzato led home his compatriot Gerónimo Castelli (KTM), one of a large contingent of Argentinian riders who helped swell the starting list to thirty. Bell then won from Spain’s Ferran Cardús (Yamaha) and the opening block concluded with sixteen-year-old home rider Segundo Peluccio (KTM) defeating Argentina’s national champion Juan Martín Viganoni (Husqvarna). Gauthier kept himself in contention with victory in his second Heat ahead of Bailo and Lorenzato and Neave won from Castelli before Cardús defeated Argentinian Sebastian Verdoia (KTM) after Bell had moved to the top of the leaderboard with victory from Viganoni. The second half of the programme got under way with Lorenzato winning from Bailo, Verdoia defeating his compatriot Maximiliano Varas, Neave beating Bell and home rider Matias Emanuel Frey getting his first win chased by Great Britain’s Gary Birtwistle (Dirt Craft Powered by Royal Enfield). With only the top ten guaranteed an automatic place on the startline for the Final and the next ten forced to contest the Last Chance Heat to determine the two remaining riders for the programme’s main race, tensions were running high heading into the last block of Heats. After being disqualified from his third Heat, Castelli kept his nerve to win from Gauthier and Cardús as all three made the cut and Viganoni then booked his place with victory over home rider Juan José Coduri (KTM) as Bell also progressed in third. A third place for Neave saw him comfortably through – although Lorenzato moved into the overall lead with his third win – before Frey won from Bailo. The five-lap Last Chance Heat was won by a delighted Peluccio from Varas as 2024 champion Sammy Halbert from the USA was eliminated before the concluding race got off the line with Lorenzato leading the twelve-lap Final away ahead of Neave, Bell and Bailo. The Argentinian has not contested the full series this season, but he did score a second-placed finish at round three in Germany and he went one better on home soil as he led Neave for the full race distance and picked up the bonus point – that would have given Neave the title – for the fastest lap of the Final. Neave pushed him all the way as they distanced third-placed Bell with Bailo taking fourth to tie Boughen for third in the championship. Gauthier and Frey completed the top six ahead of Viganoni, Cardús, Castelli and Varas. Focus now shifts to today’s concluding round on the full oval circuit with the opening Heat scheduled for 16:00 (local time). |
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