WSB: 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 14^th race victory of the season and the 52^nd of his career.

This 52^nd 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.