WSBK – WSBK Australia (1): Rea wins his first race on Kawasaki –

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WSBK Australia (1): Rea wins his first race on Kawasaki

WSBK - WSBK Australia (1): Rea wins his first race on Kawasaki -

After winning the Superpole on Saturday riding his new official Kawasaki ZX-10R, Jonathan Rea won the first Superbike race at Phillip Island (Australia). The Northern Irishman wins ahead of an Englishman and a Welshman… First Superbike race Jonathan Rea gets off to an excellent start at the controls of his installed Kawasaki…

After winning the handlebars of his new official Kawasaki ZX-10R, Jonathan Rea won the first Superbike race at Phillip Island (Australia). The Northern Irishman wins ahead of an Englishman and a Welshman…

First Superbike race

Jonathan Rea got off to an excellent start with his Kawasaki installed in pole position. Chaz Davies starts a little worse and lets Leon Haslam pass. Tom Sykes appeared in fourth place, ahead of Nico Terol, Michael van den Mark, Jordi Torres, Alex Lowes, Sylvain Guintoli and Troy Bayliss.

Terol on his Ducati n ° 18 passes in front of Sykes and his Kawasaki n ° 66 at the level of the Honda hairpin. But the champion (2013) returns to the champion (very good rider …) of Moto2 at the entrance of Lukey Heights … Tom does not intend to let his compatriots go !

In front, the new recruit Kawasaki (Rea) completed the first lap in front of the duo Haslam and Davies. So follow Sykes, Terol, then Van den Mark, Torres, Bayliss (!), De Puniet, and Guintoli who closes the Top 10. Sylvain Barrier is 13th, Ponsson 21st.

In the first series of large curves that makes up and singles out Phillip Island, Jordi Torres almost misses and lets Troy Bayliss pass. Behind, Guintoli and de Puniet also provide a superb show !

In the 2nd round, Davies puts pressure on Haslam who seems unable to keep pace with leader Rea. Sykes is a few lengths from Davies and must be wary of Van den Mark who has just passed Terol! The two rookies make an incredible start to the race, the first of their career in WSBK.

The # 65 Kawasaki seemed to have the advantage over the # 91 Aprilia in the fast part of the circuit (last and first sections), but Haslam almost managed to meet Rea in the twisty section. The Ducati n ° 7 remains glued to the Aprilia from one end of the route to the other.

Troy Bayliss, triple World Superbike champion, and Sylvain Guintoli, reigning world champion, are fighting on the track for eighth place! Randy de Puniet, 10th, is in the first row and has to take notes of this beautiful lesson in Superbike riding…

Davies took second on the downhill from Lukey Heights and attacked the pit line in front of Aprilia. A big second behind, VDM passed Sykes at the end of the straight line and landed (won!) Inside the 66, forcing Sykes to widen…

The Kawasaki n ° 66 goes off the track but fortunately remains on the tarmac! "Major Tom" joined the race smoothly, but in 10th place, behind Randy de Puniet. Sylvain Guintoli occupies 9th place, Barrier 13th, Ponsson still penultimate.

In the space of one lap (the 5th), "Chazie" is propelled into the wheel of "Johnny". Leon is not dropped so far and remains in contact. Then it’s Van den Mark’s turn to get pressed by Torres. Terol, Guintoli, De Puniet, Bayliss and Sykes complete the top 10 in that order.

Torres takes 4th place by performing a masterful outside on the Supersport world champion in Southern Loop! Jordi quickly moves away from "Magic Michael" and targets his teammate Leon posted less than two seconds in front of him.

In the background, Tom Sykes gets closer to Troy Bayliss whose Panigale seems to move a lot under acceleration … N ° 66 passes n ° 21 in the 8th lap and goes hunting for the Frenchies: De Puniet and Guintoli are behind him…

On the 9th lap, Haslam shifted into Stoner Corner and planted a magnificent braking in the Honda hairpin to grab second place, just behind Rea therefore, leader since the red lights went out. Meanwhile, Torres continues his ascent and is just a small second from Davies..

Fifth on the track, Michael Van den Mark did not manage to take the Aprilia n ° 81 asphalt and was two seconds behind Jordi. Two seconds behind the n ° 60 Honda is the other Honda (at n ° 1!): Guintoli starts the 10th lap, overtaking Nico Terol and his Ducati (the second in the classification after the official of Chaz).

The halfway mark is crossed and "JR" still reigns supreme. He is ahead of the "Pocket Rocket" which pretends to shift to the Honda pin but does not validate its attack. "Chazie" is several lengths away, soon joined by Torres … Van den Mark is still alone in fifth position.

Suddenly, on the 12th lap, Haslam took the lead at the end of the straight! The attack also benefits Davies who lodges his front wheel in Rea’s rear wheel. Torres is only a few meters away … A lap later, Rea easily returns to the lead in the straight line but Haslam reproduces his attack in the Stoner-Honda sequence.

The paths intersect to enter the next bend (Siberia), Leon misses his braking mark and lets Rea and Davies pass! Jordi Torres finds himself just behind his teammate … and the Spaniard is even offered third place by the Englishman who goes off the track a lap later !

By attacking too hard Stoner Corner, Haslam almost lost the front, or the back or both ?! The RSV4 n ° 91 bursts on the grass but its driver manages to keep it on its two wheels and rejoins the track a handful of seconds behind Jordi !

The Jonathan Rea Vs Chaz Davies duel is restarted with only six laps left to go … and Niccolo Canepa drops his, EBR 1190 RX, causing the yellow flags to be raised.

In less than two laps, Haslam made up for lost time on Torres, setting the best time of this first race! The Englishman overtook the Spaniard, shifting again outside the "Stoner" break to better dive inside the next hairpin. Leon is as brave as he is stubborn…

With three laps to go, Rea continues to carefully shut all doors in Davies’ face. Haslam, who was thought to be lost three laps before, has a clear track ahead of him and is quickly approaching his two British comrades. The Kawasaki may spit flames, it is Aprilia that is on fire !

Haslam innovates and passes in the Stoner Corner inside Davies! The Welshman counter-attacked at the exit of Lukey Heights and managed to keep his second place at the end of the straight line: the Panigale had a hell of a Twin … and excellent brakes! But Leon goes back inside in the break. Slower, Jordi still enjoys the show.

The last lap is launched: Rea is passed by Haslam on the first braking, but the n ° 65 stays outside in Doohan Corner and dives inside the n ° 91 in Southern Loop. Haslam passes Rea back to the hairpin, Davies is right behind but cannot trigger an attack. Rea slips a shrew hole just before Lukey Heights then secures his back on the next descent.

Jonathan Rea throws himself out of the final curve in the lead but Leon Haslam is almost at his level, on the outside … The two 4-cylinders scream one last time in front of the pits: the Japanese (in line) wins with nothing against the Italian (in V): 39 thousandths of a second finally separate Rea from Haslam !

Chaz Davies tumbles less than half a second behind and hoists his Ducati n ° 7 on the first Australian podium. The three Britons (Northern Irish, English and Welsh!) Beat two rookies: the Spanish Jordi Torres on Aprilia and the Dutch Michael van den Mark on Honda.

Tom Sykes snatches Sylvain Guintoli (a little crumpled from Jerez) for sixth place in the last lap, Sylvain Barrier grabs the last point from 15th place and Randy de Puniet (damaged at the start of the week) finishes in a courageous 17th place.

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