Pakita Ruiz
Pakita Ruiz | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 18 August 1997 Palma de Mallorca, Spain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current series | WorldWCR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | PR46+1 Racing Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bike number | 46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | pakitaruiz46 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Francisca 'Pakita' Ruiz Vidal (born 18 August 1997) is a Spanish motorcycle racer currently competing in the FIM Women's Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR). She is seven times the Spanish ESBK Women's 600cc champion.[1]
Biography
[edit]Ruiz was born on 18 August 1997 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.[1] Her love of motorcycles was inspired by her grandfather.[2]
Racing career
[edit]Starting racing at only 8 years old, Ruiz competed in minicross and supermoto, finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Balearic Islands Championships.[3]
In 2010 she decided to concentrate on road racing, competing in the open 80cc class of the Balearic Islands Championship, finishing the season third. The following year she won the championship. She dedicated the win to Nofré Quijada, her friend who had been killed in a motorcycle accident a few months previously.[3]
A lack of sponsorship for 2012 forced Ruiz to drop down to the 70cc scooter class, finishing the season in 4th position. She did receive partial sponsorship to compete in 3 rounds of the Cuna de Campeones Bankia in Catalonia where she achieved podium finishes. In 2013 she finished second in the Balearic Scooter Championship.[3]
Without a sponsor for 2014, Ruiz produced a calendar featuring herself. Sale of the calendar enabled her to compete on a pit bike, finishing the season in 7th overall. At the end of 2014 Ruiz was on the verge of retiring due to lack of sponsorship when she saw an announcement for the 1st Spanish Women's Speed Cup, which was to take place in October 2015 at the Circuito de Navarra.[3]
Ruiz produced a 2015 calendar to raise funds to compete in the Women's Speed Cup. She also found a local garage that would lend her a bike to compete in the Balearic Open 600 Championship in preparation for the Women's Speed Cup. She won the Balearic Championship. At the Women's Speed Cup she obtained pole, set the fastest lap and won the first race. She was on pole for the second race and finished second. This was enough to be crowned the inaugural Spanish Women's Champion.[3]
In March 2016 Ruiz signed with Champi Herreros to ride in his all-female project, Champi Women Racing, racing in the ESBK (Spanish Superbike Championship) Open 600 class and Women's Speed Cup. The Women's cup was run over three events at Jerez, Alcarràs and Navarra. Ruiz won the cup for the second year running. Due to clashes with the Women's Speed Cup, Ruiz missed two rounds of the Open 600 class and finished the season 17th.[3]
In 2017 Ruiz continued to ride for Champi Women Racing[3] and won the Spanish Women's Championship for the third time, winning four out of the five races in the series.[4] Her fourth championship was won in 2018.[5] Further Women's Championships followed in 2019,[6] 2020[7] and 2022.[8]
Ruiz won the inaugural Spanish Yamaha R6 Cup in 2020.[9]
WorldWCR
[edit]In 2024 Ruiz was selected to compete in the inaugural FIM Women's Circuit Racing World Championship. Over forty riders had applied for inclusion in the 24 slot grid.[10] She was one of the five Spanish riders selected.[11] She finished the season 6th overall.[12] Continuing in the series in 2025 she finished 7th.[13]
'100 Emocions' Motorcycle School
[edit]In 2025 Ruiz started running a motorcycle school for youngsters in her native Mallorca[14][15] in conjunction with the 100 Emocions Esport Club.[16]
Racing results
[edit]WorldWCR
[edit](key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Bike | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pos | Pts | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Yamaha YZF-R7 | MIS1 10 |
MIS2 9 |
DON1 8 |
DON2 8 |
ARG1 5 |
ARG2 6 |
CRE1 6 |
CRE2 6 |
EST1 6 |
EST1 6 |
JER1 5 |
JER2 5 |
6th | 112 | [12] |
| 2025 | Yamaha YZF-R7 | ASS1 12 |
ASS2 5 |
CRE1 10 |
CRE2 7 |
DON1 6 |
DON2 6 |
BAL1 6 |
BAL2 6 |
MAG1 13 |
MAG2 9 |
JER1 8 |
JER2 4 |
7th | 101 | [13] |
| 2026 | Yamaha YZF-R7 | POR1 7 |
POR1 5 |
ASS1 Ret |
ASS2 9 |
BAL1 8 |
BAL2 10 |
MIS1 6 |
MIS2 11 |
DON1 9 |
DON2 6 |
JER1 | JER2 | 7th | 73* | [17] |
- Season still in progress
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Pakita Ruiz en el Campeonato Mundial de Motociclismo | +Mallorca" [Pakita Ruiz in the World Motorcycle Championship]. +Mallorca: la revista de Mallorca (in European Spanish). 4 March 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- ↑ Herrero, Victoria (21 July 2022). "Pakita Ruiz, la mallorquina reina de la velocidad" [Pakita Ruiz, the Mallorcan queen of speed on two wheels]. Motociclismo (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Torrejón, Rocío (10 April 2017). "Pakita Ruiz, la historia de una campeona - ErreKRacing" [Pakita Ruiz, the story of a champion]. errekracing.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pakita Ruiz, campeona de España de motociclismo en categoría Open600" [Pakita Ruiz, Spanish motorcycle champion in the Open600 category]. Ultima Hora (in Spanish). 28 October 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pakita Ruiz logra su cuarto título nacional" [Pakita Ruiz achieves her fourth national title]. Ultima Hora (in Spanish). 9 September 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pakita Ruiz, pentacampeona de España de motociclismo" [Pakita Ruiz, five-time Spanish motorcycle champion]. Ultima Hora (in Spanish). 4 November 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pakita Ruiz conquista su sexta corona" [Pakita Ruiz wins her sixth crown]. Ultima Hora (in Spanish). 19 October 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pakita Ruiz, campeona de España de motociclismo por séptima vez" [Pakita Ruiz, Spanish motorcycle champion for the seventh time]. Ultima Hora (in Spanish). 4 September 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pakita Ruiz, primera campeona de la Yamaha R6 Cup" [Pakita Ruiz, first champion of the Yamaha R6 Cup]. www.todocircuito.com. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ Massanet, Pau Ferragut (16 February 2024). "Pakita Ruiz, piloto pionera en el Mundial: 'Me dijeron que por ser mujer no llegaría a ningún lado'" [Pakita Ruiz, pioneer pilot in the World Championship: 'I told myself that as a woman I wouldn't travel anywhere']. Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pakita Ruiz participará en el Mundial femenino de velocidad" [Pakita Ruiz will participate in the Women's World Sprint Championships]. Ultima Hora (in Spanish). 13 February 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Prometeon Spanish Round, 18-20 October 2024 Riders Standings" (PDF). FIM. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2025 – via www.roadracingworld.com.
- 1 2 "2025 WorldWCR detailed ranking - Motoplanete". www.motoplanete.us. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ Chacártegui, Miguel (15 June 2025). "Exitoso fin de curso de la Escuela de Motociclismo de Pakita Ruiz" [Successful end to the course at Pakita Ruiz's Motorcycle School]. Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ Quetglas, Aina Segura (28 March 2026). "El tercer mundial de Pakita Ruiz" [Pakita Ruiz's third World Cup]. Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "Pakita Ruiz y 100 Emocions inauguran su escuela de motociclismo" [Pakita Ruiz and 100 Emocions inaugurate their motorcycle school]. Ultima Hora (in Spanish). 12 January 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2026.
- ↑ "2026 WorldWCR detailed ranking - Motoplanete". www.motoplanete.us. Retrieved 12 July 2026.