Rea rebounds with Sunday Superpole Race victory

News 1 Mar 2020

Rea rebounds with Sunday Superpole Race victory

WorldSBK champion back on top to commence Sunday at Phillip Island.

Image: Supplied.

Defending champion Jonathan Rea has won a nail-biting Tissot Superpole Race at Phillip Island during round one of the 2020 Motul Superbike World Championship, Yamaha Finance round.

After a high-speed crash in race one, the Kawasaki Racing Team top gun responded like a true champion to win a nail-biting thriller.

Rea won ahead of race one victor Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing Ducati). Just 0.072s separated the trio after the frenetic 10-lapper, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) right on the tail of the top three.

Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha), pole-setter Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad), Loris Baz (Ten Kate Yamaha) and Leon Haslam (Team HRC Honda) saw out the top eight, plus Michael Rinaldi (Ducati) and Max Schieb (Kawasaki) completed the top 10 in the Superpole race.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC Honda) was a big name casualty after crashing at turn six. The victory was the first for Rea at Phillip Island since 2017, while race one winner Razgatlioglu consolidated his early lead in the 2020 championship.

Race three, a 22-lapper, will be held at 3:00pm this afternoon with American Garrett Gerloff (Yamaha) and Eugene Laverty (BMW) again missing after nasty concusssion-causing crashes in warm-up this morning.

Detailed results

Source: CycleOnline.com.au

Roczen dominates Atlanta main event to level championship lead

News 1 Mar 2020

Roczen dominates Atlanta main event to level championship lead

Image: Octopi Media.

The points at the top of the 450SX standings have been levelled after Ken Roczen dominated Atlanta’s ninth round of Monster Energy Supercross.

The Team Honda HRC rider grabbed the hole-shot and never looked back as he went onto record a stunning 13.612s over Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia, which now sees him share the points lead with Eli Tomac (Monster Energy Kawasaki).

There was chaos unfolding behind Roczen, as Tomac went down after an aggressive pass on Blake Baggett (Rocky Mountain ATV/MC KTM) in the early stages, while a pile up later in proceedings caught out Jason Anderson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing), Vince Friese (Smarttop Bullfrog MCR Honda) and Dean Wilson (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing).

Martin Davalos (Team Tedder KTM) held a podium position until the final lap, where he was ultimately passed by reigning champion Cooper Webb (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Tomac to finish in fifth.

Justin Hill claimed sixth (Smarttop Bullfrog MCR Honda) followed by Aaron Plessinger (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing), Malcolm Stewart (Smarttop Bullfrog MCR Honda), Friese, and Wilson. Australian Chad Reed (Mountain Motorsports) was 15th.

Image: Octopi Media.

Reigning champion Chase Sexton has taken sole possession of the 250SX East points lead after claiming a commanding victory at Atlanta’s third round of the series.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire secured the hole-shot and early lead, controlling the field for the opening laps of the main event meanwhile fending off Sexton, who was also in the midst of a battle with Shane McElrath (Monster Energy Star Yamaha Racing).

McElrath actually made the pass on the Sexton, however the number one made the pass back before going onto make an aggressive yet fair move on Hampshire for the lead.

Jeremy Martin (Geico Honda) was in the mix during the opening half, however an error by Hampshire left tuff-blocks on the circuit, and the number six was caught out by the debris and crashed heavily as a result. He remounted for 19th.

In the end, Hampshire secured runner-up honours ahead of McElrath, while the top five was rounded out by Jordon Smith (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki) and rookie Jo Shimoda (Geico Honda).

Enzo Lopes (Yamaha) was sixth followed by Garrett Marchbanks (Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki), Nick Gaines (Yamaha), Jalek Swoll (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing), and Josh Hill (Yamaha).

Monster Energy Supercross heads to Daytona, Florida, next weekend.

Detailed results

Source: MotoOnline.com.au

Rea wins nail-biting Tissot Superpole race

2020 WorldSBK
Round One – Phillip Island
Tissot Superpole Race


Jonathan Rea scored the holeshot as the 10-lap Tissot Superpole race got underway at midday on Sunday but the KRT man was being chased hard by Toprak Razgatlioglu, Tom Sykes, Michael van der Mark and Loris Baz.

A disastrous start for Leon Haslam with the Honda man running on to the grass early on lap one after being punted by Chaz Davies, Haslam rejoined at the back of the field.  Caricasulo then went down at turn ten. A lap later Bautista went down at Siberia.

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday ReaGB

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday ReaGB

WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race

It was on like Donkey Kong throughout lap two with Baz, van der Mark and Lowes clashing fairings and Scott Redding took advantage of their tussle to move up to fourth place and then slipped past Sykes down the chute next time around to move up to third place.

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday vdMarkGB

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday vdMarkGB

WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race

Jonathan Rea ran very wide at turn four, Razgatlioglu was untidy on entry also which allowed Redding to slip through and as Rea recovered back on to the racing line he found Redding in the way and the two clashed quite heavily but both remained upright.

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday ReaGB

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday ReaGB

WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race

Alex Lowes then moved past Loris Baz to move up to fourth place. Van der Mark and Tom Sykes continually clashed into each other as they tussled for position.

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday RazgatliogluGB

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday RazgatliogluGB

WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race

Razgatlioglu got the better of Redding into turn one as they started lap six, the Ducati man back through before turn four as they chased race leader Jonathan Rea.

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday RazgatliogluGB

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday RazgatliogluGB

WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race

Razgatlioglu took the race lead at turn four on the penultimate lap but Rea got him with a brave move at Hayshed. Redding thought about going around the outside of Razgatlioglu at Lukey Heights but thought better of it.

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday ReaGB

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday ReaGB

WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race

Rea smoking Pirelli through turn three on the final lap, he touches again with the Turk at turn four and it was the Pata Yamaha man that emerged with the lead. Redding was close by in third, Lowes there in fourth.

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday ReaGB

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday ReaGB

WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race

The Turk leads through turn 10 but gets a little loose through 11 which opened the door for Rea to dive up the inside as they tipped into turn 12… The drag to the line….  Rea gets it by a gnat’s whisker over Razgatlioglu and Redding to close out what was a thrilling battle.

It was somewhat of an emotional victory for Jonathan Rea. The Northern Irishman sadly lost his much loved and very supportive grandmother overnight. Condolences to the Rea family for their loss.

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday ReaGB

WorldSBK Rnd R R Phillip Island WorldSBK Sunday ReaGB

Jonathan Rea


2020 WorldSBK
Round One – Phillip Island
Tissot Superpole Race Results

Pos Rider Bike Time/Gap Speed
1 J.   Rea ZX-10RR / 318,6
2 T.   Razgatlioglu YZF R1 +0.067 325,3
3 S.  Redding V4 R +0.072 326,3
4 A.  Lowes ZX-10RR +0.205 329,3
5 M. Van Der Mark YZF R1 +1.088 324,3
6 T.   Sykes S1000 RR +1.631 324,3
7 L.   Baz YZF R1 +1.849 320,5
8 L.   Haslam CBR1000RR-R +7.145 327,3
9 M. Rinaldi V4 R +7.219 324,3
10 M. Scheib ZX-10RR +7.433 322,4
11 S.  Cortese ZX-10RR +9.678 314,0
12 X.  Fores ZX-10RR +10.744 317,6
13 C.  Davies V4 R +11.124 330,3
14 F.   Caricasulo YZF R1 +31.961 315,8
15 T.   Takahashi CBR1000RR-R +36.341 314,0
16 A.  Bautista CBR1000RR-R 3 Laps 329,3

Source: MCNews.com.au

Clean-sweep of Maxwell clinches Phillip Island ASBK overall

News 1 Mar 2020

Clean-sweep of Maxwell clinches Phillip Island ASBK overall

Perfect opening round of 2020 for former champion in Ducati debut.

Image: Russell Colvin.

There was no denying Boost Mobile-backed Ducati rider Wayne Maxwell on his way to a commanding clean-sweep in race three at Phillip Island, clinching the Mi-Bike Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) round overall.

Maxwell once again led Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team) from the front of the pack, the pair going 1-2 for the third time in as many races this weekend.

The eventual winning margin of Maxwell aboard the V4 R was 0.752s from Halliday, with Josh Waters (JW Racing Suzuki) claiming third. That would also be the overall podium for the opener.

Defending champion Mike Jones (DesmoSport Ducati) finished fourth ahead of Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing), with Bryan Staring (Kawasaki BCperformance), Glenn Allerton (Maxima BMW), Daniel Falzon (JD Racing Yamaha), Arthur Sissis (Suzuki) and Matt Walters (Kawasaki Connection) the top 10.

With Maxwell’s perfect weekend placing him on 76 points to open his championship account, Halliday is 16 points back in second and a further 11 ahead of Waters in third.

Early this morning in the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup, Lucas Quinn made his three from three by only 0.003s over Marianos Nikolis, with Tom Drane third and just 0.087s from victory.

No less than 15 riders finished within 0.933s of each other across the line following six laps, awarding Quinn the overall from Nikolis and Cameron Dunker, who was fourth today.

The final Supersport and Supersport 300 races of the weekend are scheduled for this afternoon following the international schedule at Phillip Island’s opening round of the Motul Superbike World Championship.

Detailed results

Source: CycleOnline.com.au