WSBK: Rea Claims 90th Win in Jerez Superpole Race

Jonathan Rea recorded his 90^th WorldSBK victory with a dominant display in the Superpole Race in Jerez.

Rea made a superb getaway and led the 10-lap race from start to finish to become the first rider this season to claim more than one win. A fierce battle for second between Toprak Razgatlioglu and Scott Redding came to an end with a technical issue on the Yamaha, forcing Razgatlioglu to retire. Michael van der Mark was the profiteer and took his first podium of the year.

Cooler temperatures at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto provided better grip for the riders in a nevertheless tense race.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had a great start from the front row and led the pack going into Turn 1. Polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) fell into second and was under immediate attack from the two Pata Yamaha WorldSBKs of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Michael van der Mark. Razgatlioglu pounced swiftly and overtook Redding for second.

One lap into the race a leading group of five with Rea, Razgatlioglu, Redding, van der Mark and Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was forming out front. Further behind Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) executed a clean pass on Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) to break into the top 10 while Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) overtook Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) at the final corner to cross the line in seventh.

Davies found his rhythm quickly and started closing in on Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in sixth, dragging the riders behind with him. A chasing group of Sykes, Davies, Laverty, Leon Haslam (Team HRC) and Lowes formed but was already trailing the leaders by a considerable margin. At the end of the fourth lap Davies overtook Sykes going into the final corner and started his hunt for the front.

With six laps remaining Rea had already created space between himself and Razgatlioglu in second. As the Kawasaki broke away, Redding increased the pressure on Razgatlioglu. Meanwhile Lowes was making up ground in the chasing group, overtaking first Haslam swiftly followed by Laverty to move up into eighth.

Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) had found his foot in the race and made his way up the field. On the sixth lap he overtook Haslam to break into the top 10 and looked comfortable running in the chasing group. As Gerloff was making up positions, Laverty struggled with his BMW and started to gradually drop down the order.

Out front the battle between Redding and Razgatlioglu was getting fiercer. Redding had a first look at the Yamaha between the Aspar and the Angel Nieto corner but Razgatlioglu prevailed. The championship leader attempted another overtake into the final corner but again failed to make the move stick.

The fight reached its boiling point with four laps to go. Redding pulled out of the slipstream on the start/finish straight to dive down the inside going into Turn 1, but Razgatlioglu was late on the brakes and managed to stay in front. Only a couple of corners later though, his race was over as a technical issue on the Yamaha forced him to sit up and retire.

Razgatlioglu’s exit lifted his teammate van der Mark into a podium position. The Dutchman was riding in third, already too far away from Redding to go for a higher place on the rostrum but with a comfortable advantage over Baz in fourth.

With three laps remaining the order already looked settled. Rea was cruising in the lead and though Redding started a late hunt for the win, the gap was too big to overcome.

Although Redding reduced his disadvantage to just over half a second on the final lap, Rea crossed the line first to take victory in the Superpole Race. Redding came home second and maintained the championship lead while van der Mark claimed his first podium of the season.

Baz finished just off the rostrum in fourth ahead of Davies, Sykes and Lowes. Gerloff had a great right into eighth with the two Hondas of Haslam and Bautista rounding out the top 10.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven) was 11^th while Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) fought off Laverty for 12^th. Sandro Cortese (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) beat Maximiliam Scheib (Orelac Racing Verd Natura) to finish 14^th, just over a second ahead of Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing).

Returnee Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team) could not repeat his Race 1 performance and crossed the line in 18^th ahead of Christophe Ponsson (Nuova M2 Racing) and Lorenzo Gabellini (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team). Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) and Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) were last to finish the race.

Razgatlioglu was the only rider who did not see the chequered flag.

Redding continues to lead the championship on 73 points, 9 ahead of Rea who moved into second. Lowes sits in third, a further three points behind.