McManus and Truelove preseason preparation continues in Portugal
MMB Racing’s Eugene McManus and Harry Truelove took another significant step in their preparations for the 2025 British Supersport Championship by making a wildcard appearance in the World Supersport Portuguese Round. Competing against some of the top riders in the category, the duo focused on gaining crucial track time and fine-tuning their Ducati Panigale V2 machines ahead of their domestic campaign.
The Algarve International Circuit provided the perfect testing ground, with the team targeting lap times in the low 1:45s as a key benchmark. Both riders adapted quickly, showing steady improvement throughout the weekend as they familiarized themselves further with their machines in a highly competitive field.
McManus, starting from 27th on the grid in Race One, made a strong start and settled into the pack in the early laps. Having already clocked laps in the 1:45s during free practice, Superpole, and warm-up, he went on to finish in 25th place—an encouraging result in the context of the team’s long-term goals.
Truelove also showed promising pace early in the weekend, dipping into the 1:45s on more than one occasion during the event. However, an unfortunate grid penalty meant he lined up 31st for the opening race. Despite this setback, he made steady progress, climbing to 27th before finishing 29th.
Race Two saw both riders continue to build momentum. McManus delivered his best lap of the weekend in warm-up, posting a 1:45.080. On the grid, Truelove resumed his original qualifying position of 25th, with McManus just a couple of positions behind him. A hard-fought battle with Montero ended in disappointment for Truelove when he lost the front late in the race, but he managed to remount and cross the line in 27th. McManus, meanwhile, found himself in a spirited contest with Okamoto and Tuuli, ultimately finishing 22nd after another determined ride.
Reflecting on the weekend, McManus remained upbeat about the progress made. “It was an encouraging weekend. We knew what lap time we were hoping to achieve and got there. We return here again for more track time next week when my brother James will also be testing, before heading back to the UK to finalise preparations for the British Supersport 2025 Championship.”
Truelove added, “I had a really good weekend. Great to have the first outing with the team and feeling like we made a lot of progress with where we need to be with the bike. Onto Donington and getting ready for the start of the BSB season.”
