Rea ends 2017 with most WorldSBK points in history
Jonathan Rea's vanquished opponents will be breathing a sigh of relief – the season is now over!Triple superbike world champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) has made history by securing the most points in one season, surpassing Colin Edwards’ record from 2002 after he won both races at the final round in Qatar on November 3-4.
That took his final season tally to a massive 556 points – 153 ahead of the second-placed Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).
The Northern Irishman claimed 16 victories and 24 podiums in 2017 as he became the first rider in history to take three consecutive WorldSBK titles.
Only finishing off the podium twice in 2017, Rea has had a stunningly consistent season with only two DNFs in 13 rounds. Heading into Qatar with no pressure, Rea put in a stunning performance to take his first victory under the floodlights, and then completed the double on Saturday – breaking the lap record in the process.
Rea won race one from Davies, Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Milwaukee Aprilia pair Eugene Laverty and Lorenzo Savadori, and the second from Davies, Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha), Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha) and Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Tea Ducati).
A huge crash for Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) in race two meant his last race with BMW ended in the gravel, the Spanish rider seen bravely walking away after the massive high-side. On the third lap Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed out of third place, ending his hopes of challenging Davies for the championship runner-up spot.
Mahias seals WorldSSP title
An enthralling battle saw the title fight go right down to the last lap, as Frenchman Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) clinched the crown with a narrow 0.023-second victory over his compatriot Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda).
Meanwhile, comeback hero Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) performed brilliantly to finish in third place, though it was just not enough for him to keep the title he has won on five previous occasions.
It was incredible that Sofuoglu had even made it onto the starting grid given that he suffered a triple hip fracture in France just over one month ago, the Turkish rider bravely making a comeback far earlier than expected, as he did his best to defend his title.
Australia’s Anthony West (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished in fifth place, behind Federico Caricasulo (Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team).
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