Back on top of the podium: Carrasco returns to winning ways after comeback from injury

After her 2020 title challenge in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship came to a premature halt last year following a testing injury sustained at the Circuito Estoril, it has taken Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) just three rounds and six races for 2018 World Champion to return to the rostrum, claiming a sensational victory in Race 2 at the Misano World Circuit 'Marco Simoncelli' for the Pirelli Made in Italy Emilia-Romagna Round.

Carrasco had been second going into the final corner on Lap 15 of the 15-lap race, but an error from rival Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport - RT Motorsports by SKM - Kawasaki) handed the Murcian rider victory at Misano, her first in WorldSSP300 since she won at the start of August 2020 at Portimao. Her 2020 campaign was cruelly ended by a double vertebrae fracture while testing at the Circuito Estoril.

Looking ahead to the 2021 season, Carrasco outlined her ambitions for the new campaign and she also reacted after her stunning victory at Misano, saying: 'I'm so happy today because the road to here after the injury was really long. A lot of months without racing. And for sure the comeback is always difficult. I cannot be happier with this result. The main goal of this season was to be competitive, to be back on the podium… And for sure to win in Misano is really important for me also to achieve it in the fourth race is quite good because we can start thinking about the Championship. I'm really happy. And I just want to say thanks to the team, to everybody in the team, to Kawasaki, to my sponsor, to my family because they support me always.'

Outlining her goals for the rest of the season, Carrasco said: 'The title for sure is not my main goal because we still have 12 races so it's a lot. I have to think race by race. For sure I'm getting better but I'm not in my best shape, so we have to keep working to keep improving every race. Try to be more competitive on Fridays also in Superpole, it's the next step to do. And yeah, try to win races and at the end of the season we'll see where we are. But for sure the main goal is to try to win races.'

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