Jake Dixon triumphed in a flag-to-flag victory in the Argentine Moto2 race, earning his fifth race win in the intermediate class.
Dixon’s performance saw him dominate and take a comfortable victory, crossing the line 3.5s ahead of Manuel Gonzalez at Termas de Rio Hondo.
Gonzalaz started the race from the front but Jake Dixon established the lead from the middle of the front row.
Adrian Huertas’ race ended at Turn 2 after an early crash from the middle of the pack, which forced him into retirement.
Dixon established a few bike lengths lead over Gonzalaz, but his teammate Filip Salac made it a 1-2 for Marc VDS at the end of the back straight on Lap 2.
Both riders held firm for only one and a half laps as the pole sitter snatched second place back, resulting in Dixon extending his advantage to 0.2s out front.
Aron Canet and Marco Ramirez swapped fourth and fifth place but in the midst of their respective battle, both riders lost time from the leading trio.
The exciting battle continued throughout the next corners, but South African rider Darryn Binder was waiting in the wings to spot an opportunistic move.
Out front Dixon seized the initiative to formulate a half second advantage by posting back-to-back fastest laps on Lap 5 and Lap 6, respectively.
Brazilian rider Dioo Moreira suffered mechanical issues to his Italtrans Racing Team bike, resulting in a quick and rare pit stop.
Dixon looked in control out front and extended his advantage to over 0.8s, as the leading duo were a distant two seconds clear of the field.
Canet suffered a huge crash earlier in the weekend but in his usual tough nature he ploughed on and slotted his way through Ramirez for the final podium spot.
After the leading two, Fantic Racing’s Canet was managing the pace in front of the American Racing Team rider Ramirez, Czechia rider Salac and Celestino Vietti.
Drama unfolded on Lap 11 due to Ramirez and Salac making the same line heading into the corner, but collided into each other. The Marc VDS rider crashed out of proceedings, while the Spaniard continued on.
Out front Dixon extended to his advantage to 1.5s and Gonzalaz mustered a 4.8s lead over the rest of the field.
HDR Heidrun rider Vietti showcased his immense tyre-preserving abilities, propelling himself into third place.
He occupied the final podium place for the subsequent laps, but a minor error opened the door for Canet to regain position.
This was the highlight of the race as both riders tried to find the limit aboard their respective machinery. Vietti regained the podium place after completing a successful block pass.
Dixon sealed his first dominant win in the series and his first win for the Marc VDS team, having joined the team at the start of the year.
Gonzalez finished 6.5s clear of Vietti who clung on to the final podium spot, but Canet’s fourth place is a strong performance considering his crash.
Ramirez finished his race securing fifth spot for the American Racing Team, finishing three seconds ahead of Binder.
Alex Escrig established seventh spot for the Swiss Forward Factory outfit, defeating Alonso Lopez and Daniel Holgado.
Alberto Arenas rounded off the top ten to ensure a strong performance from both Gresini riders.
Tony Arbolino fended off Barry Baltus to claim 11th place, while Senna Agius followed a second behind.
At the end, Turkish rider Deniz Oncu sneaked into 14th place, defeating Izan Guevara in a photo finish and crossing the line a tenth of a second ahead of the Spaniard.
