The 2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship season continues to gather momentum for the VRX Dirt Store Ducati Race Team, with Ashton Boughen delivering a sensational second consecutive victory at Round 2 in Terenzano, Italy.
Supported by Steel Seal, both Ashton Boughen and Tim Neave produced another impressive display as Ducati strengthened its position at the top of the Manufacturer Standings and Boughen extended his lead in the Riders’ Championship.
After claiming victory in the opening round at Roden, 18 year old rookie Ashton Boughen arrived in Terenzano wearing the coveted red plate as Championship leader. Despite this being only his fifth outing on a Flat Track motorcycle, the young British rider once again demonstrated remarkable adaptability and talent.
Boughen dominated qualifying, winning all four of his heats throughout the day. His standout performances included a dramatic final corner pass on Ondrej Svedik in Heat 8, snatching victory by less than five-hundredths of a second, and another charge from the back row in Heat 11 where he surged into the lead before the second lap.
The qualifying results earned Boughen first choice of starting position for the Final, selecting gate five for the 12-lap showdown.
The Final presented Boughen with his toughest challenge of the day.
After finding himself boxed in during the opening laps, the Ducati rider dropped a fierce battle involving Gerard Bailo and reigning World Champion Ervin Krajcovic. Team-mate Tim Neave also moved ahead early as both Ducati riders battled through heavy traffic.
However, Boughen’s composure and race intelligence soon came to the fore.
As the leaders delayed one another in a hard-fought scrap at the front, Boughen capitalised on an inside line through turns three and four. In a breathtaking move, he overtook both Bailo and Krajcovic in a single lap before pulling clear to secure victory by almost a full second.
The win gives Boughen a six-point advantage of the top of the World Championship standings after two rounds.
Reflecting on his performance, Boughen said:
“I’m just having fun riding my bike and racing, and the results have come. I know I can ride any bike, I can do anything on a bike – it’s my life, I grew up racing bikes and it just shows.
I’m in a good team, the best team, and we’re all working together. Tim and I are racing against each other, but we still work together and it’s a perfect set-up.
This is only my fifth go on a Flat Track bike. I’ve done no training, just racing and having fun.”
While Boughen stole the headlines with victory, Tim Neave once again demonstrated the strength of the VRX Dirt Store Ducati package.
Neave secured front-row qualification for the Final after a consistent series of heat races, including victory in Heat 9. During the Final he fought hard throughout, eventually finishing fifth and narrowly missing out on fourth position in the closing stages.
His result moves him into a three-way tie for third place in the Championship standings, keeping him firmly in contention as the season progresses.
Perhaps most encouragingly, Neave recorded the fastest lap of the entire event, underlining the outright pace available within the Ducati team.
The success in Terenzano marks a remarkable start to Ducati’s debut season in the FIM Flat Track World Championship.
After two rounds, Ducati leads the Manufacturer Standings by six points, while the VRX Dirt Store Ducati Race Team continues to establish itself as one of the benchmark outfits in the paddock.
VRX Management Ltd Managing Director Rob Painter praised the efforts of the entire team:
“I’m really proud of the whole team today, a fantastic performance from everyone. We are starting to build some momentum, which is excellent considering the limited time we’ve had.
Tim put in the fastest lap of the round which shows again that we’ve got good pace, and Ashton’s fastest lap came in the Final which pleases me as we spoke a lot today about pushing at the right time.
We didn’t make very good starts in the Final, which was a shame as we had the capability to finish one-two, but unfortunately found ourselves in traffic.
Ashton managed to use his Speedway experience and find some grip down low on turn three, and that made all the difference so he could get to the front.
Outstanding from everyone today and Ashton’s performance was close to perfect. He is showing the level of ability we knew he had and the reason that we brought him into the Flat Track World Championship.”
Championship Standings After Round 2
Riders’ Championship
Ashton Boughen – 1st
Tim Neave – 4th
Manufacturer Standings
Ducati – 1st
Looking Ahead
The championship now takes a short break before returning with a crucial double-header in Europe.
Round 3 takes place in Teterow, Germany on 27th June, before the series moves to Donji Kraljevec, Croatia, on 4th July.
With Ashton Boughen leading the Championship, Tim Neave firmly in the title hunt, and Ducati heading the Manufacturer Standings, the VRX Dirt Store Ducati Race Team will head into the next rounds full of confidence.
Steel Seal is proud to support Ashton Boughen and Tim Neave throughout their 2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship campaign and looks forward to following their progress as the season continues.
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