FIM Intercontinental Games (ICG)
Qualifying
Archie McDonald topped the first Supersport qualifying session ahead of Aldi Mahindra and Gonzalo Sanchez on the controlled Yamaha YZF-R3 machines that make up the Supersport category at the FIM Intercontinental Games.
Riders are competing on Dunlop tyres, and with Archie unfamiliar with either the R3 or the Dunlop rubber, it was an impressive performance from the 18-year-old against many riders who are much more familiar with both.
In the second and final qualifying session Archie McDonald was on a blinder before running off late in the lap. The Aussie teenager then returned to the pits, regrouped, went out again, and improved, but ultimately, Gonzalo Sanchez, the youngest rider in the field, beat McDonald to pole position.
Cameron Swain was a big improver in the second and final qualifying session to secure third place on the grid and make it two Team Oceania riders were on the front row. Jesse Stroud secured a third-row start, while Tara Morrison lines up in 22nd place for Sunday’s two 14-lap races.
FIM ICG Supersport 300 Qualifying Results
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | G Sanchez (Europe) | Yam | 1m56.792 |
| 2 | A Mcdonald (Oceania) | Yam | +0.220 |
| 3 | C Swain (Oceania) | Yam | +0.372 |
| 4 | K Mononyane (Africa) | Yam | +0.520 |
| 5 | T Alonso (Europe) | Yam | +0.609 |
| 6 | A Mahendra (Asia) | Yam | +0.653 |
| 7 | N Santamaria (Latin America) | Yam | +0.951 |
| 8 | A Di Persio (Europe) | Yam | +1.028 |
| 9 | J Stroud (Oceania) | Yam | +1.104 |
| 10 | M Paz (Asia) | Yam | +1.331 |
| 11 | M Toth (North America) | Yam | +1.570 |
| 12 | K Santos (North America) | Yam | +1.606 |
| 13 | T Janse Ven Rensburg (Africa) | Yam | +2.137 |
| 14 | M Chapin (North America) | Yam | +2.169 |
| 15 | P Farres (Asia) | Yam | +2.245 |
| 16 | I Carreño (Latin America) | Yam | +2.250 |
| 17 | J Bruno (Europe) | Yam | +2.252 |
| 18 | C Wright (North America) | Yam | +2.468 |
| 19 | A Dreher (Latin America) | Yam | +2.513 |
| 20 | J González (Latin America) | Yam | +2.753 |
| 21 | M Moore (North America) | Yam | +4.284 |
| 22 | T Morrison (Oceania) | Yam | +4.609 |
| 23 | M Nakahara (Asia) | Yam | +4.725 |
| 24 | A Bosson (Africa) | Yam | +6.202 |
Supersport
The Supersport category at this event utilises the same YZF-R7 machines that the ladies ride in WCR but in this competition, they race on Dunlop rubber rather than Pirelli tyres, and it is fair to say many riders accustomed to the Italian rubber struggled to gain confidence on Dunlops.
Max Stauffer crashed in practice and was deemed unfit after breaking his left hand, thus Team Oceania is down one man heading into Sunday’s two 16-lap contests.
Team Africa was well represented on Saturday in the YZ-R7 qualifying sessions with Dino Iozzo topping the charts by a handy margin and team-mate Clint Seller joining him on the front row and Leungo Gaorekwe also inside the top ten. South African Iozzo won the final round of the European Talent Cup earlier in the week at Estoril and looks the man to beat at Jerez.
The top six all set their quickest time in the first qualifying session.
Mike Jones was the quickest of the Oeania contingent in the Supersport class in seventh place while countrymen Tom Toparis was tenth and Tayla Relph 20th.
FIM ICG Supersport Combined Qualifying Results
| Pos | Rider | Bike | Time/Gap |
| 1 | D Iozzo (Africa) | Yam | 1m52.047 |
| 2 | H Cezar Maier Neto (Latin America) | Yam | +0.369 |
| 3 | C Seller (Africa) | Yam | +0.467 |
| 4 | E Bartolini (Europe) | Yam | +0.721 |
| 5 | E De La Vega (Europe) | Yam | +0.810 |
| 6 | D Kasma (Asia) | Yam | +1.149 |
| 7 | M Jones (Oceania) | Yam | +1.398 |
| 8 | A Wongthananon (Asia) | Yam | +1.528 |
| 9 | L Gaorekwe (Africa) | Yam | +1.598 |
| 10 | T Toparis (Oceania) | Yam | +1.664 |
| 11 | B Davis (North America) | Yam | +1.797 |
| 12 | S Minamimoto (Asia) | Yam | +1.938 |
| 13 | V Folger (Europe) | Yam | +2.015 |
| 14 | R Ponziani (Europe) | Yam | +2.073 |
| 15 | H Schultz (North America) | Yam | +2.282 |
| 16 | A Gutierrez (Latin America) | Yam | +2.435 |
| 17 | A Lee (Latin America) | Yam | +2.847 |
| 18 | A Madrigal (Latin America) | Yam | +2.905 |
| 19 | M Dobbs (North America) | Yam | +3.273 |
| 20 | T Relph (Oceania) | Yam | +4.017 |
| 21 | N Takasugi (Asia) | Yam | +4.266 |
ICG explained
Eeach eight-rider team includes two female racers in their line-ups with one in each class.
Each of FIM’s six Continental Unions CONU race in their own colours – Asia in yellow, Latin America in purple, Oceania in green, Europe in blue, Africa in black and North America in red.
Competitors are fitted out in bespoke race suits with electronic airbags along with chest and back protectors and gloves provided by SPIDI, custom GP 800 FIM Racing #1 helmets from Airoh and XP9-R boots from XPD. Dunlop supply the tyres, Beta the tools and Panta Racing Fuel the petrol.
For Race 1 and Race 2, for both classes, FIM Intercontinental Games points will be awarded to the finishers (Art. 1.22.2) on the following scale:
- 24 points
- 23 points
- 22 points
- 21 points
- 20 points
- 19 points
- 18 points
- 17 points
- 16 points
- 15 points
- 14 points
- 13 points
- 12 points
- 11 points
- 10 points
- 9 points
- 8 points
- 7 points
- 6 points
- 5 points
- 4 points
- 3 points
- 2 points
- 1 point
In the event of a tie in the number of points between CONUs, the final positions will be decided by the points of the best female rider represented in each team. If the tie persists, the final classification will be decided by the points scored of the best female riders in the last race. If it is still impossible to separate the teams then the fastest lap time achieved by the female riders across the whole event will decide the winner.
In each category, a trophy will be awarded to both the highest points scoring male and female. In the event of a tie in the number of points, the final best positions will be decided on the basis of the number of best results in the races (number of first places, number of second places etc.). If the tie persists, the final classification will be decided by the points scored in the last race.
