Francisco Javier Palomera made amends for his race one defeat yesterday with a sensational victory in the final ESBK race of the weekend at Circuito de Navarra on Sunday.
The championship leader started from second on the grid behind race one winner Ivo Lopes, but Palomera took the lead through the opening corners. That set up a thrilling race-long battle between the two, with BMW contender Lopes trying time and again to pass his rival, with Palomera somehow resisting each time.
Honda rider Lopes made a good start from pole position, though Palomera looked quicker off the line and moved past at turn three. The pair went side by side through turn nine as Lopes looked to retake the position, with Palomera holding the lead at the end of the first lap by three tenths of a second.
Lopes challenged up the inside of the final corner at the end of lap two, but went in too deep, with Palomera holding the lead across the line.
Lopes repeated his final corner move at the end of lap five, leading to a side-by-side drag race down the start/finish straight starting lap six, but Palomera resisted once more.
Next time around, and Lopes opted for a wider line around the final corner, and took to the inside down the start/finish straight, moving into the lead at the flat out first turn. Palomera re-passed moments later though, with the duo engaging in battle again at the final corner, with an identical result to Lopes’ previous efforts.
The pair were separated by 0.037s starting lap nine, with Lopes looming again at turn one.
For lap after lap, Lopes looked to be within striking range, and he was in position to briefly move past at turn three on the penultimate lap, only for Palomera to fight back again moments later. Yet again, Lopes tried the move at the final corner, with Palomera just holding the lead across the line.
Despite one more final corner challenge, Palomera resisted Lopes’ constant pressure to win by 0.191s. The top-two were again a long way clear of David Real, who completed the podium.
Harry Khouri was the lead Superstock 1000 contender this time around in fourth overall, ahead of Anton Eremin and Yeray Saiz.
Palomera's win extends his lead at the top of the championship, while Lopes has moved up to second ahead of the absent Steven Odendaal.
ESBK Spanish Superbike Championship, Circuito de Navarra, Race 2
1. Francisco Javier Palomera, Honda Team Leglisse, 16 laps
2. Ivo Lopes, BMW Easyrace Team, +0.191s
3. David Real, Kawasaki JDO Racing, +29.213s
4. Harry Khouri, New2 Project Yamaha, +37.776s
5. Anton Eremin, Erna Racing, +41.056s
6. Yeray Saiz, BMW Easyrace Team, +42.934s
7. Ville Valtonen, Team Sensetec, +43.813s
8. Samuel Diaz, Alma Racing Team, +1m12.042s
9. Javier Artime, Team Honda Laglisse, +1 lap
10. Julio Dominguez, Team Honda Laglisse, +1 lap
Click here for full result.