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FEATURE I THE 2024 WORLDWCR CHAMPIONSHIP
time ever that Dorna and the FIM
are trying to have the female
riders to be in the World Champi-
onship. For me it was important
that
the few riders that are at
the top level should be in this
championship from the begin-
ning to try to push the champi-
onship a bit in its first year. If we
were not here it
would be quite
strange. If they are trying to help
the female riders, of course, we
should try to help also. That is
why I decided to be here in this
championship this first year.
"Maybe for us (the estab
-
lished female racers), it is
Carrasco
had been on record
as saying she would not want
to race in an all-women's cham-
pionship—she was a racer, not
a woman racer—that
was kind
of her mantra. So, if we want
to know why this new cham-
pionship was so attractive,
maybe
we should ask her what
changed her mind? I did just
that, in March this year, when
she was at Catalunya for the
WorldSBK weekend.
"I think the same thing: that
we are all the same," said Ana
about wanting to race every
-
body. "But, for sure, it is the first
WorldSSP300
Champion Ana
Carrasco, who was an early full-
time entrant for the Evan Bros
squad. Carrasco's 2018 title was
thus the first and, so far, only
FIM World Championship win by
a female, an achievement that
should never be underrated.
Although not a full-time
entrant, but an every race "wild
-
card," Carrasco's Spanish arch
rival
Maria Herrera was also in
from the first round. Both have
competed against the men for
their whole careers and were
certainly the two entrants with
the biggest reputations.
Mallory Dobbs represented America
in WorldWCR with the Sekhmet
Racing Team run by Australian
Maddi Patterson (left). Dobbs
improved steadily throughout the
year to be a regular top 10 finisher.
