RACING: Rea and Davies win in Thailand

After a challenging season start to the season for reigning world champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) at Phillip Island, the Northern Irishman has now taken the lead in the 2018 Superbike World Championship following round two in Thailand from March 23-25.

The polesitter went 1-4 across the two races at the Chang International Circuit, and he now leads the championship by 2pts (69 to 67) ahead of Phillip Island double winner Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), followed by Xavi Fores (Barni Ducati, 60), Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing Ducati, 57) and Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha, 48).

“After a very difficult Phillip Island we can go away from here with a first and a fourth, and leading the championship, so it was not a disaster,” said Rea. “I am frustrated but with a smile on my face because at least the bike was good and this is the worst track for brakes.

“Everyone is pushing really hard so when the going gets tough the tough get going. I felt like today I could have fought for the win again, but it is what it is.”

In race one, Rea led for most of the journey to take the chequered flag ahead of Fores, Davies, Camier, Lowes and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki), and in race two Davies got the job done from Michael van der Mark and his teammate Alex Lowes, with Rea, Fores and Camier completing the top six. Sykes was a retirement.

“That was something special”, said Davies. “At Buriram, we´ve struggled every year we've come here: I’ve been in the gravel more times than I've finished the race I think. It’s been a hard, hard process actually getting into a race-winning position here.

“But honestly I can’t thank my guys enough because today they gave me such a great package underneath me, the Ducati was working really well – we improved it a step from yesterday, and it was exactly what I asked for in comparison to yesterday’s race.

“It just gave me that little bit more consistency where I could be a little bit more adaptable with the bike. To get this Buriram win off my back is a nice thing.”

Davies also declared himself satisfied with the new WorldSBK regulations, with four manufacturers in contention for podium in Thailand.

“I take my hat off to the organisers because I´m really not seeing big differences with respect to other bikes, so it´s keeping things really close,” he said.

“It´s making passing really hard, it´s making you think a lot more in the race because instead of being three guys to pass it´s five, six or seven. It´s carnage, but when you come through it´s good carnage.”

THAILAND WORLDSBK RESULTS

World supersport
Swiss rider Randy Krummenacher (Yamaha) took his second world supersport race victory after besting world champion Lucas Mahias (Yamaha) in a last-lap thriller.

Behind the lead duo, Federico Caricasulo (Yamaha) and Sandro Cortese (Yamaha) were third and fourth, followed by Thai rider Thitipong Warokorn (Kawasaki) and Aussie Anthony West.

Lachlan Epis (Kawasaki) crashed out, while Ted Collins (Kawasaki) was the final rider home in 22nd.

Round three of the 2018 Superbike World Championship will be held in Aragon, Spain from April 13-15.