2018 USA WorldSBK Race One Results
Gordon Ritchie | June 23, 2018
2018 USA WorldSBK Race One Results— Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) secured his 61st race win after turning his peerless pre-race pace into real speed over all 25 laps of the short Laguna Seca circuit.
2018 USA WorldSBK Race One Results
He took the lead from eventual second place rider Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) after Davies had run wide on the entry to the famous Corkscrew corner, with Rea passing in the middle of the downhill chicane.
Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) passed front row qualifier Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) for third place early in the race, and Lowes held that position all the way to the flag for his tenth career podium.
Sykes at times went over two seconds slower than the top pace, and finally succumbed to Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia), Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati), who finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
In seventh Sykes had to fight a final rearguard action to keep that position from the advancing Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK).
Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) placed ninth and after Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) stopped with a technical issue, Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) finished tenth at his home round and was the top Honda man. PJ Jacobsen (TripleM Honda World Superbike Team) fell after a tussle with Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki), and the Kawasaki rider would fall himself shortly afterwards.
Early top five runner Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) fell on lap two, at the apex of the final corner, finishing up 14th.
A new lap record of 1’23.041 was set on lap two for Davies.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) had a big crash down The Corkscrew and was taken for checks in the medical centre.
Josh Herrin (Attack Performance Two Wheel Legal Yamaha) retired.
2018 USA WorldSBK Race One Results