It is round three of the Moto 3 World Championship at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo. All over South America, fans have come to see these races. Can Jack Miller win three races in a row after winning in Qatar, and at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas last time out. Efren Vazquez, and Danny Kent, will start second and third.
21 laps are scheduled for this Moto 3 contest. Brad Binder and Alexis Masbou crashed in practice, as did other riders towards the back of the grid, including Dutchman Scott Deroue. Grand Prix motorcycle racing returns to Argentina, for the first time, in 15 years. We're ready for a start in Moto 3. Go! At the start, Vazquez and Danny Kent take the lead. Jakub Kornfeil crashes immediately as another rider stalls. Jack Miller might try to get away. Jakub Kornfeil is out. Andrea Locatelli and Karel Hanika both crash.
Romano Fenati is leading this race right now. Miguel Oliveira had his clutch go sour. Fenati leads Miller, Vazquez, and Danny Kent. Jakub Korneil is back in this race. Kornfeil made contact with Francesco Bagnaia. Danny Kent wants to get by via the draft. Miller wants to pull away, but, he can't quite do it. It's KTM vs. Honda. Arthur Sissis and Andrea Locatelli also got caught up in that earlier mess. John McPhee is starting to move up, too.
Fenati and Miller battle for the lead. McPhee tries passing Bagnaia, and makes the pass stick. Efren Vazquez is new and improved in his riding style, being more patient. Miller sweeps by Fenati. Fenati tries to get by Bagnaia. Alex Marquez sets fast lap, but he has to catch the leaders. John McPhee runs fifth, having come from 13th on the grid. Into turn nine, Miller and Fenati continue their scrap. This is the front of the field, and it's anyone's race right now.
Alex Rins makes a move on Francesco Bagnaia. Bagnaia battles Niccolo Antonelli. Efren Vazquez is still waiting. He wants to pounce. Kent was dropped by Miller and McPhee, down the order. Where's Alex Rins? He's still going for it behind Kent and McPhee. Rins is on the outside line. Isaac Vinales is now in the top five. Miller, Fenati, and Vazquez, are still 1-2-3. Some of these riders are beginning to get desperate with 14 laps to go.
Rins comes from eighth spot on the grid. Miller and Fenati still lead. Nothing has changed. Rins is going for it, but John McPhee falls in turn two. Fenati and Miller are swapping places at every turn. McPhee is out of this one. The Scotsman will not finish this race. Miller passes Romano Fenati. We aren't even half way through this race yet, folks.
Efren Vazquez still wants to win. But, again, he knows better, and is able to be patient. Fenati passes Miller. Vazquez still can't quite make a pass. Francesco Bagnaia has fallen, although, he does rejoin the action. Niccolo Antonelli crashes, too. He rejoins as well, but, these guys seem to be dropping like flies. Vazquez has made his move on Jack Miller. Will he try Fenati? He does. He takes the lead for a little while, as Fenati and Miller push their way by.
The old Efren Vazquez would be pushing like no tomorrow. The new Efren Vazquez, is much more patient. Alex Marquez makes a move on Danny Kent. Fenati leads this one. Vazquez is close by Jack Miller. Vazquez takes the lead again. But, only briefly. It's funny how the Honda's have the power over the KTM's, but Vazquez still has trouble keeping the advantage, in the race lead.
Marquez and Rins are pushing to the front with only nine laps left in this race. It's three Honda's vs. two KTM's. Fenati and Vazquez are trying to pass. Fenati actually takes the lead from Vazquez. Vazquez runs wide and allows Miller to sweep by. Vazquez has to cool it a little bit, and restore himself back to the patient rider he was for most of this race. Livio Loi and Danny Kent battle for sixth. Livio Loi is celebrating his 17th birthday, and he might get a sixth place finish out of this one.
It's KTM vs. Honda. Fenati continues to lead this one. Moto 3 never lets you down. Can Jack Miller win three races in a row? Efren Vazquez runs wide and Alex Rins goes side by side. He has to sit up. Alex Marquez has been running well for this whole race. Vazquez and other knows they have the potential to win this. Miller continues to lead, with Romano Fenati second... shades of Austin, Texas, last time out. Alex Marquez needs points.
Six laps remain on this 2.9 mile track. Can Vazquez close up again? Vazquez is trying to come back. But, the three at the front, extend their lead. Just four laps to go. If you're going to make a move, make it now. Livio Loi is closing up on the front of the field as Alex Marquez leads this race. Jack Miller and Romano Fenati are still pushing. Livio Loi is still closing. He's 9/10ths of a second behind. If the leaders get in trouble, he could be close enough to capitalize.
Rins wants a podium place. Fenati leads. Three laps left. Livio Loi is closing up. What a birthday celebration if he could get on the podium, or win. Fenati and Miller contiue to battle, and there's now a three way fight as Miller takes the back! Fenati runs wide. He retians second. Marquez is closing on Fenati. Karel Hanika crashes again, and he high sides the bike. Game over. Miller still leads. But Livio Loi is flying in fourth place.
Miller wants his third consecutive win. Fenati wants his first win in two years. Three wide, and who is bravest on the brakes. Marquez takes the lead. Miller and Fenati almost touch. Loi is closing up. He's playing the patience game. A lap and a half remains. Livio Loi is being patient. Fenati leads starting the final lap. Marquez tries to get inside but he can't as they go through turn one and into turn two. Watch for turn five at the end of the 1.1 kilometer back straight.
This is the fastest part of the track. Miller goes up the inside. Miller trakes the lead, runs wide, and now, Marquez takes the lead back. Fenati is third. Watch for him. Miller leads, and here comesd Marquez up ofver the rise. Contact between Miller and Marquez. Loi is coming, too. He's third. Fenati pushes Miller out of the way, and wins! Wow! Fenati is delighted, winning for Valentino Rossi's team as Danny Kent crashes right at the end of the race!
#5 Romano Fenati ITA. KTM Ascoli Piceno
Now, will Fenati be demoted from his win because of the contact at the end of the race? The results are under scrutiny. The results are provisional at this moment. Race control is still investigating the last lap fracas. Ah. No worries. The podium remains the same, and Fenati, keeps his victory. The next race for Moto 3 is the Spanish Grand Prix at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit in Jerez, Spain, happening this weekend.
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