Gordon Ritchie | October 22, 2017
WorldSBK: Rea Doubles Up at Jerez
After a first lap collision between Chaz Davies and Eugene Laverty, the first attempted run of the Jerez race was red flagged and restarted over 19 laps. The result was a clear win for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) who scored his 14th race victory of the season and the 52nd of his career.
This 52nd win makes him the equal second best WorldSBK rider, a status he shares with fellow three times champion Troy Bayliss.
Kawasaki also became the Manufacturers’ champions today, for the third straight season.
Rea also set a new lap record, of 1:40.640, on lap three, as he made his escape from the chasing pack.
Second on Sunday was Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), and third Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).
Davies now takes over second place in the championship fight, which will go to the final round at Losail.
The second start saw the Pata Yamaha pairing of Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) and Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) lead until Rea went past on lap two. Lowes would finish fourth, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) fifth and VDM drop places to sixth, as he first got engaged in a fight with Melandri, and then dropped back after he ran wide again.
Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Ducati) was seventh, just ahead of Sylvain Guintoli (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Leandro Mercado (IodaRacing Team Aprilia). Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) headed up his own three-rider group for tenth.
With one round and two races to go the points scores read 506 for Rea and Davies and Sykes tied on 363. Davies is ranked above Sykes by right of scoring more race wins.
WorldSSP: Caricasulo The Race WInner, Mahias Nearly Champion
A tremendous battle for the race and the championship itself unfolded over 19 laps of the Jerez circuit, with the win being secured by Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) from Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda).
The last lap action between the two, especially around the final succession of right-handers, almost ended in tears but the Italian rider held on to maximum points by 0.065 seconds to help Yamaha win the WorldSSP Manufacturers’ and GRT Yamaha win the Teams’ title today.
In the riders’ championship fight, Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) finished fifth today and in being 20 points ahead of the still injured Kenan Sofuoglu now he is still – technically—not quite the new world champion.
Barring a miracle intervention for Sofuoglu to be able to ride in two weeks at Losail, and also win or finish second with a no score from Mahias, the Frenchman is already the champion. The next nearest rider in the points, Cluzel, is 30 points behind with a maximum of 25 to play for.
Third place in the race today, after a fight through in the first few laps, went to Anthony West (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), from longtime third place rider Patrick Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse).
Mahias cruised home in fifth place after he realized he could not get to Jacobsen.
In sixth place, Sheridan Morais (Kallio Race System Yamaha) was 11 seconds back and Magny Cours race winner Niki Tuuli (Kallio Race System Yamaha) was seventh.
Rob Hartog (Team Hartog-Jenik-Against Cancer Kawasaki) placed eighth, Gino Rea (Team GO ELEVEN Kawasaki) ninth and Christian Gamarino (BARDHAL EVAN BROS. Honda Racing) tenth.