Gordon Ritchie | October 14, 2018
2018 Argentina WorldSBK Sunday Results—Starting from the third row Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) hauled his way up to the lead before the halfway mark by passing early leader Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) and taking a record tenth WorldSBK race win in a row. Despite feeling sick earlier in the day, he overcame his physical condition to win his incredible fifth double in succession.
2018 Argentina WorldSBK Sunday Results
His 16th race win of the season takes him to just one race from equalling the all-time record for victories in a single season, currently held by Doug Polen with 17.
With Fores second, and now the Independent Rider’s Champion as well, Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took his second podium of the weekend, in third place.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fourth, and a recovering Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) back up to fifth after he had been ninth early on.
Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) was sixth.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was in third for some time, getting clear of some outstanding battles in the podium places behind Fores in the first half of the race. He was to slow and finish seventh.
Eventual lone Aprilia rider Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) placed eighth. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) and Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) completed the top ten.
Loris Baz (GULF ALTHEA BMW Racing Team) won a sometimes harsh fight with local rider Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) for 11th.
Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) crashed out in a race with only 14 finishers. Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) was also a non-finisher today.
In the points, Rea has 520, Davies 348, Van der Mark 324 and Sykes 294.
2018 Argentina WorldSBK Sunday Results
2018 Argentina WorldSSP Sunday Results—Another close and always combative WorldSSP race was won by the race long push of Jules Cluzel (NRT Yamaha) at the front, beating the championship leader Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing Yamaha) despite the chasing German rider’s lap record pace of 1’43.818, set on lap 17.
2018 Argentina WorldSSP Sunday Results
Cluzel is now just six points behind Cortese in the championship, with just the season finale at Losail to come in two weeks’ time. Cluzel has now won five races in 2018, Cortese two, and one of those two riders will be champion.
Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) completed the podium trio at the all-new track in Argentina, having been an early contender for the win himself.
An early top three made a break from their peers but behind, after Cortese had broken free from eventual fourth place rider Thomas Gradinger (NRT Yamaha) and seventh placed Kyle Smith (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda), he joined the leading group before half race distance.
As the race gathered intensity Cortese got into the orbit of Cluzel and Mahias, with Gradinger and Corentin Perolari (Yamaha GMT94) fighting it out behind for fourth. Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) found pace just after half way and piled into the Gradinger and Perolari fight, but could not quite make it count at the end.
Perolari was fifth, Krummenacher sixth.
Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was to Kawasaki rider in eighth, his team-mate Hector Barbera ninth and Loris Cresson (Kallio Racing Yamaha) tenth.
Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) went out after a first lap clash with French rider Perolari. Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag) was a technical retiree on lap seven.
Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing Yamaha) finished 12th today; one place behind the top MV of Ayrton Badovini (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag).
In the championship, Cortese has 189 points, Cluzel 183, Krummenacher 150 and Mahias 135.
2018 Argentina WorldSSP Sunday Results
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