Rea breaks Foggy’s WorldSBK record

Jonathan Rea has now the most races in world superbike history victories after he scored a superb double in round five of this year’s championship at Imola on May 12-13.

Rea’s 60 wins eclipses Carl Fogarty’s 20-year-old race-winning record of 59.

Rea was brilliant around the historic circuit in Italy on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR, winning Saturday’s opener ahead of teammate Tom Sykes and Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), and then completing an imperious weekend by greeting the chequered flag ahead of Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Sykes in race two.

The second win saw Rea break Foggy’s record in the production-based series – although Fogarty still leads the championship stakes with four world titles.

However, in the form that Rea is in – he leads the 13-round 2018 proceedings by 46pts over Davies – he will soon join Foggy on four world titles as well.

FULL IMOLA RESULTS AND CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS HERE

Rea said: “It is really nice to equal the record total of race wins, and with a long season left I feel confident that I can extend my win tally, and that is super-nice,” said Rea. “In race two, we got it done and it was probably the best race win of the season.

“Coming from ninth on the grid, it was so difficult. I was not so confident I could win today. I think I was over-thinking the first lap a lot – and my track position – coming from the outside of row three. I lost places in the first corner but eventually I was able to stick in some passes.

“I wasted no time so when I arrived with Chaz I was able to relax a little bit behind him and understand where I could pass him. I tried two or three times, but he was determined to come back. The final time I made it through, into the Variante Alta, it was time to put my head down, set two clean laps and make a gap.”

Behind Rea and Fogarty, Troy Bayliss is next in line with 52 victories, followed by Noriyuki Haga (43), Sykes (34) and another Aussie, Troy Corser (33).

In world supersport at Imola, Jules Cluzel (Yamaha) won his second consecutive race, ahead of Federico Caricasulo (Yamaha) and Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta).

Australian Anthony West (Kawasaki) was sixth, while Turkish legend Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki), who was third on the grid, decided at the last moment to not take part in what was supposed to be his final race. The WorldSSP legend climbed on his Kawasaki ZX-6R one last time, led the field one lap around the track, and headed into the pits. A final bow, on his terms, from an inimitable champion.

All the action resumes at Donington Park, England from May 25-27.