Buriram, Thailand hosts round two of the FIM World Superbike Championship, for 2016. Let's go first, to race one.
Last time out, at the season opener in Australia, it was a wild one. How will the races go down in Thailand? Last year, Johnny Rea, did the double, on the way to winning the championship, with Kawasaki. He wants to become the first rider, to win the opening four races of the season, since Neil Hodgson did so, back in 2003. We have a new pole man for the first race. The circuit here at Buriram in Thailand, was built and conceived by legendary race track designer, Herman Tilke. This is the Chang International Circuit which is 2.8 miles long. Turn three and the back straight are the best overtaking places on this speedway.
We are 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of the capital city of Bangkok, in Thailand, set to go racing. This race see heat and humidity as the story line before we begin 35 degrees Celsius air temp, (that's 95 degrees Fahrenheit), and a track temperature of 44 degree Celsius, 111 degrees Fahrenheit! One word. It's hot! Compare the conditions at Chang International Circuit, to opening your oven door at home when the oven is on, and getting heat blasted in your face. That's how it feels for fans, and riders, alike.
Michael van der Mark, becomes the first Dutchman, ever, to earn pole, for a World Superbike race. It is also Honda's first pole, since 2014, when Jonathan Rea was riding for them. van der Mark should be sensational in this race, and no one even thought Honda would perform the way they have, before this event. van der Mark turned in a pole lap at 1:33.452. Will Honda need it's new 2017 Fireblade bike? At this rate, not now they won't. The 2016 model, is proving to be a rocket ship. Kawasaki leads everything at the moment, with rider, team, and manufacturer point standings, to keep track of.
Again, Rea wants to equal Neil Hodgson's record, of winning the opening four races of the championship, as Hodgson did, thirteen years ago. van der Mark, is on pole. But the green bikes, are alongside him on the grid, having set the exact same lap times during qualifying. It all depends on who sets the time first. How will these two blokes line up on the grid? We're going to find out, in short order.
The time sheets, were incorrect, and Sykes will start second, while Rea, will roll off, third. Davide Giugliano and Chaz Davies ALMOST crashed into each other during Super Pole qualifying! That could have been REALLY ugly! Davies starts fourth, with Giugliano, in sixth place. It was an honest mistake. Giugliano said he didn't see Davies, and apologized after the session. That's the one golden rule in motor racing on two wheels, as well as four. Don't take your team mate out!
Watch the Yamaha's in this opening race. Sylvain Guintoli, has out qualified his team mate, Alex Lowes, for both of the first races in the first two rounds. Lowes did well in Australia, and has worked well so far in Thailand. Guintoli has a great amount of experience on the World Superbike machines. We are looking at a strong first few rows on the grid for this first race in Thailand. Alex Lowes set his time on a racing tire, after not having the chance to run on qualifying tires at a 1:34.3 in Super Pole 2. We should watch out for Markus Reiterberger, and also, Jordi Torres, on the Althea BMW.
Althea, their sponsor, has many, many guests here, for the race. The bikes are going out on their formation lap. Michael van der Mark has never been on a World Superbike pole. He is becoming a more mature rider, than he was. Honda has not won a race, since 2014. Jonathan Rea has lined up in third place, as the bikes are indeed finishing their reconnaissance lap, forming up, on the starting grid. Pole position is on the left hand side of the road. The reason for the KRT bikes starting where they are, is due to the second fastest times. Sykes was quicker than Rea. It seems Honda, has more speed, while Ducati, has lost some of their top speed.
How will this play out, during the first race of the weekend? We're about to find out. Pirelli says the tire wear here at Buriram, won't be as severe as at Phillip Island. It's 50/50 on fronts and rear tires should be OK. Phillip Island, is about the roughest track on the schedule. It is all about being in a comfort zone, with the front tire. A compound vs. B compound. Stability, is key. Hard tires, could be the way to go for this first race. Due to braking in a straight line, tires are not totally strained here at Buriram.
Michael van der Mark, for his pole, takes a Tissot watch, and, being a rambunctious rascal, (as the riders surely are, all in fun), he signs, the camera lens! For the win, Michael. For the win, as they say. Herman Tilke, in designing this track, has put the grandstand opposite the pit lane. Therefore, more of the track is closer to the fans. Riders are taking vitamin supplemented fluids, and wearing cool suits. Eat dried fruit, or bananas, kiwi, beans, peas, and fish. Avoid caffeinated energy drinks and soda pop, because you will lose more fluid and be dehydrated. No spicy food, fatty food, or alcohol.
Practice one was not dramatic. Practice two, makes time for setting up the bikes. Jonathan Rea did a 15 or 16 lap run, in practice, running a consistent pace in the 1:34-1:35 bracket. Markus Reiterberger celebrated his 22nd birthday on Wednesday. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to him in the Thai language. BMW Althea, and Pirelli, are both investigating what happened to Reiterberger's tire, after the end of the race in Australia, two weeks ago. Karel Abraham qualifies 11th. He went through Super Pole 1, and into Super Pole 2. Milwaukee BMW is showing promise at these opening races of the season.
Fabio Menghi's leathers, are being worn today, by stand-in rider, from Italy, Matteo Baiocco. Baiocco makes his 82nd WSBK start, and went from Super Pole 2, into Super Pole 1. Baiocco raced for Althea Ducati, in 2015. British Superbike champion, and a man who has run in WSBK before this season, Josh Brookes, will also be one to look out for in this event. He starts next to the MV Agusta of Leon Camier. MV Agusta was fastest of anyone in Friday Free Practice 1. MV Agusta has to be careful with their engines for this race. Roman Ramos, is fifteenth, and is Mr. Consistency, who had a good race last time out.
Xavi Fores is back on the motorcycle for this race, after a big wreck at Phillip Island, where he sat out the races. He had surgery on his finger after Australia, and is back in action here, at Buriram. Roman Ramos, finished in the points, in Australia. Can he do it again, in Thailand? Sylvain Barrier, crashed into the barrier, (no pun intended), in corner number four on this circuit. He was caught in a wreck with Xavi Fores, and clipped the tires. Lorenzo Savadori will start 18th on his Aprilia. Savadori, and team mate, Alex de Angelis, have, along with the BMW bikes, been the fastest through the speed traps.
They clock in at 303-304 kilometers an hour. Folks, do the math, and keep and mind, that's 190 miles an hour! That's fast, for a motorcycle, and really hauling the mail! Five minutes before race one starts. 20 laps scheduled. Alex De Angelis, is back in action, and scored points in the second race in Australia. Saeed Al Sulaiti, starts 20th. He is on the second Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX10R along with Sylvain Barrier. We are ready, for a start.
We have a couple of wildcard riders, from Thailand. One of them, yours truly may not pronounce or spell the name of, because, I will butcher it, horribly, who starts caboose on the field today, as a wildcard. van der Mark is on a softer front tire than the Kawasaki's. Kawasaki, and the Yamaha of Sylvain Guintoli, will run the harder, B spec tire on the front. It is all about rider preference. What tire does their riding style, suit?
More than a tenth of the WSBK races run, since the series' formation in 1988, have been run, in Asia. 70 of them. Almost half, (32) of them, have been run at the Sugo circuit, in Japan. This is the third running of the WSBK race at Chang International Circuit in Thailand. Michael van der Mark, (The Flying Dutchman), is on pole, for Honda. Here we go. We are under starter's orders, and ready to get underway!
Lights out! To borrow from NASCAR's Darrell Waltrip... Boogity, boogity, boogity! Let's go racing, boys! van der Mark has gotten swamped at the start! He's got it wrong, and is sinking in a hurry! The green machines, from Kawasaki, assume positions one and two. Davide Giugliano has made a good start. But, poor old Michael van der Mark has fallen to sixth place. Into the hairpin, it's hard, hard braking from 300 kilometers per hour (188 miles an hour), to 80 clicks (50 miles per hour). Watch out in turn three. New asphalt, means, zero grip. Sylvain Guintoli suffers the same fate Michael van der Mark did at the start, is dropping well down the order.
We watch a battle for sixth, between Alex Lowes, and Nicky Hayden. Davide Giugliano, runs wide, and nearly snares his team mate Davies, again! Chaz Davies and Michael van der Mark, both pass, safely. No riders have jumped the start, and it's clean and green, so far. Karel Abraham is beginning to move up. He started eleventh, and is now, ninth, with Sylvain Guintoli, completing the top ten. Guintoli has managed to pass Roman Ramos. Jordi Torres is losing spots as well.
Guintoli is all over Abraham, like a rash. Guintoli makes the pass out of turn twelve, and we start the third lap of this race. If Abraham is able to be ahead of Guintoli, look out. The BMW's are wicked fast motorbikes. Josh Brookes is not running well, however. He's tumbled five places, from 14th to 19th. Michael van der Mark is now third, having passed Chaz Davies. Jonathan Rea, runs wide, and signals something to Tom Sykes. Not sure Sykes even saw the gesture. Kawasaki's two riders have to work together.
Sykes has opened a gap on Rea as we start lap four, and van der Mark, is coming. Rea and van der Mark have put together their best laps, so far. Sykes, Rea, van der Mark, Davies, and Giugliano, are the top five. Yamaha's are slower than the front running motorcycles, as Davide Giugliano runs wide and goes back behind Hayden. Giugliano is actually being hounded by Alex Lowes. Nicky Hayden wanted to dive to the right, but thought better of it, because the new pavement off line, is very slick. Has someone crashed? If so, it could be either Karel Abraham, or, Xavi Fores.
No crash. But, Karel Abraham, has plummeted to 14th place. Michael van der Mark is now right on Jonathan Rea's tail. The Honda has much more top speed than last year. Sykes loses time, as Rea and van der Mark, are piling on the pressure. Sykes needs to conserve his rear tire. van der Mark, is quickest, of the top three, as we look at lap times. van der Mark with a 1:34.499, Rea clocks in at 1:34.650, and Sykes, at 1:34.883. These three chaps, are two and a half seconds clear, of Chaz Davies, who is languishing in fourth spot at the moment.
Abraham is recovering. van der Mark, is pushing, hard. van der Mark, briefly runs off the road! Be very, very careful, Michael! You are way too fast, into that corner! van der Mark was not registered at the timing beacon on that sector of track, because he was well and truly, off the road, and about to pancake that bike onto the pavement, if he wasn't careful! What we know is this. The Kawasaki, has more potential right now, than does the Honda. So, with Honda, having to prove themselves, van der Mark, is forced, to ride, as if his life depended on it, and be sent out, as the hound, chasing after the two rabbits at the sharp end of this field.
After having gone walkabout, van der Mark, has recovered. Alex Lowes is giving the Yamaha a good run, as we work lap seven, and are three laps shy of halfway in this first race. Alex De Angelis, is also inside the top ten. Markus Reiterberger, holds station, in ninth spot, where he started the race, on the Althea BMW S1000RR. Trouble for Nicky Hayden? He's fallen from fifth, to eighth place. Alex Lowes may not be on the timing screens either. What has happened to both Alex Lowes and Nicky Hayden? Markus Reiterberger is now seventh. Eighth for Hayden, and ninth, for Lowes. One of the Thai wildcard riders, has pitted, and rejoined, far down the order, not a factor for the overall win.
Markus Reiterberger enters World Superbike after winning two German Superbike championships in the last three years. 2013 and 2015. Nicky Hayden, is eighth. Alex Lowes, has fallen, to ninth. Not much of a gap between Rea and Sykes. In replay, we watch Alex Lowes and Nicky Hayden, making the same error turning into the corner, and running off the road, almost simultaneously. Both, off the road, at turn three. At the end of this lap, we'll be halfway home, as Tom Sykes has caught Jonathan Rea.
This is lap 10 of 20. Every lap, in recent succession, Tom Sykes, has been quicker, than Jonathan Rea. But, we turn our attention, to Nicky Hayden and Honda, as it could be, that Hayden has dropped to the tail end of the field. Hayden has gone through the gravel at turn four, at the fastest corner on the track. He's stopped. It could be his first retirement, in World Superbike. "The Kentucky Kid" has mechanical woes, and is out of this race, folks. He'll have to come back, for race two.
The battle for ninth place, is heating up. Alex De Angelis, Jordi Torres, Luca Savadori, and Karel Abraham, all want the spot. Meanwhile, at Ducati, Davide Giugliano is back up to full speed, and he's catching Chaz Davies, hand over fist. This is a carbon copy of what happened in morning warmup, and the two Aruba.it Ducati's almost come to blows in the middle of the track! Scary business here. Gently, boys. Davide Giugliano, has to be more careful of knowing where his team mate is, because, if these two coves (lower level British slang for men, that is), take each other out, the Ducati management, is going to give them a sure thrashing.
Rea is more comfortable with taking lines on his bike, than Sykes is, as far as the Kawasaki duo is concerned. van der Mark, is at least two to three tenths quicker than the Kawasaki's. 1:34.9 for Sykes, 1:34.8, for Rea, and 1:34.6 for van der Mark. Working lap 12. Can van der Mark bridge the gap to the Kawasaki's? We are seeing the major fight between the two Kawasaki boys. All the press etc. and even Jonathan Rea have said that the new Kawasaki Ninja has been built, for Tom Sykes. Sykes accused Rea of being disrespectful, and that Rea's claim was rubbish.
We still have eight laps to run, in race one, and a whole other race, yet to go. Sykes and Rea are now clearly outperforming van der Mark's Honda. Sylvain Guintoli is in a fight, with Markus Reiterberger, at the moment. Giugliano and Davies, are still rumbling. Davies does not have the grip Giugliano does. But, he's going for it. Alex Lowes is now piling the pressure on Sylvain Guintoli. So, the Yamaha team mates, may also have a dust up, before this thing is over. The lead gap between Sykes and Rea, has also increased, from 2/10ths of a second, to 8/10ths of a second in sector three.
Rea runs wide at turn eight. Close call! van der Mark is further back, and he'll finish on the podium again. Honda, with van der Mark aboard the bike, could win for the first time since 2014 in Portimao, Portugal, when Jonathan Rea, was their star rider. Hmmm. van der Mark could be set to put the cat among the pigeons, if he gets on the podium. The royal rumble between Davies and Giugliano, continues. Jordi Torres has also made a good recovery, coming back to ninth place after being outside the points, passing Alex De Angelis.
Leon Camier is running pretty well and so is super sub rider, Matteo Baiocco. Nicky Hayden describes the tech issues that forced him out of this race, to his team. Rea sets another fast lap at 1:33.936. Deary me. Giugliano is beginning to fall behind, again. He has to be frustrated, and his race is going pear shaped. Forget royal rumble. It's royal fumble for Giugliano, as he starts to lose ground. Five laps to go. The leaders will soon lap the slower Yamaha ridden by Imre Toth. Insofar as Giugliano, is recovering. Reverse that. His race is not going pear shaped. He just ran wide.
Take back what I said earlier. No royal fumble, for the Ducati rider. When you run wide, the timing beacons on the road, don't register you, and the timing and scoring system thinks that you've dropped by the wayside. Right now, in the lead battle, Jonathan Rea, clearly, is attempting to force Jonathan Rea, into a mistake. Four laps to go now, and for the first time, Rea is inside Tom Sykes! Sykes is forced wide, and has to try and come back. He can't quite make it.
Rea gets loose. Tom Sykes is not allowing Rea to get away. Three laps left. If Rea pulls out a few tenths more, Sykes will have to settle for second. Michael van der Mark, will get another podium finish (his third straight), if the order stays as is. Meanwhile, more argy bargy from the Ducati boys! For the third time, these blokes have tried to knock each other out of the race. Are these two going to have to be put in time out, like two spoiled children, fighting over a toy? This is unbelievable! Markus Reiterberger on the BMW, could be headed for his career best finish, ahead of the Yamaha's of Lowes and Guintoli, running seventh and eighth.
Jordi Torres on the second BMW is ninth, and Alex De Angelis, on the first Aprilia, is tenth. Xavi Fores has moved into the points, in fifteenth spot, ahead of Matteo Baioco. We are on the penultimate lap, and oh! Davide Giugliano is down and out! He hits the deck, on the last corner! It is his first crash of 2016. Giugliano comes in a little too hot, the front end washes away. Next thing Giugliano knows, he's on his knees, and in trying to get up and recover too quickly, he falls again. He's trying to run at 60 kilometers an hour, and loses his balance.
Giugliano, is up and running again, after acting like a rally driver, and spraying gravel into the marshals' faces. Davies is fourth. Giugliano will languish, down in 18th spot. Both Aprilia's are into the top ten. Jonathan Rea, tries passing a backmarker. 21-year-old Hungarian rider, Peter Sebestyen. Well, Sebestyen, was looking in the wrong direction, and didn't even see the Kawasaki's bearing down on him! Dear, Peter, you were a bit too close for comfort, to the leaders, on that move, sunshine.
Karel Abraham, and others, are still running. Matteo Baiocco, is now in the points. Tom Sykes is really closing up after Rea's encounter with Peter Sebestyen. Four corners, three, two, one. Rea wins three out of three by two tenths of a second over his team mate!
WSBK Race 1: #1 Jonathan Rea GBR. Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX10R
Karel Abraham has crashed in turn four, on the final lap. Two Kawasaki's with a 1-2 finish, and it's the 80th win for them in World Superbikes! MV Agusta has done well in this race, too. This is also the 17th 1-2 in World Superbike for Kawasaki. Rea has moved ahead of Colin Edwards in all-time World Superbike wins. He still has to catch Troy Corser, Noriyuki Haga, Troy Bayliss, and Carl Fogarty, who is the winningest rider in WSBK history with 59.
Race two, is coming up.
Jonathan Rea, is looking to break that aforementioned record, set by Neil Hodgson. Can Rea do the double? Let's find out. We're ready for race two.
A sellout crowd, looks forward to another great 20 lap race. Michael van der Mark, starts on pole, and hopes his Honda will be reliable. It should be noted, Kawasaki's 1-2 in race one, was their first since the 2015 race at Donington Park, in England. We are close to the warmup lap. Will Tom Sykes change strategy, and follow Jonathan Rea for most of this second race?
van der Mark had an engine braking issue in race one. van der Mark is going to have a tough time, taking it to the Kawasaki's. Everything is so hot on the bikes, the mechanics have wear gloves to not burn themselves. Nicky Hayden's race one issues were a sensor cutting power to the engine. Markus Reiterberger scored the first top five finish for a German rider, in WSBK competition, in six years, in race one, in Thailand. Max Neukirchner was the last German, to accomplish the feat. He did so in the first race at Valencia, Spain, in 2009.
MV Agusta wanted to conserve the engine on their bike, and this caused Leon Camier to be demoted. Camier's crash with Karel Abraham, from Camier's point of view, was that he braked too late. Karel Abraham's view is that Camier chopped across the front of Abraham's motorcycle. There was no contact, in reality. It's a racing incident. The bikes venture out on the sighting lap, for race two. We prepare, for a start. Jordi Torres had a front brake issue in race one. That's why he was falling down the order in race one.
VFT Racing and Matteo Baiocco, rebuilt the motor on their Ducati, and just barely are ready to get the bike onto the grid. Sometimes, teams just have to switch to their spare motorcycle. The sun is more intense in today's race, than it was, in the Saturday contest. Chaz Davies is testing his brakes, while he lines up fourth on the grid. Race stewards for all classes (Superbike, Supersport, and the Red Bull Asia Talent Cup), don't cross the white line, coming out of the pit lane exit.
For Matteo Baiocco, he cannot hurt this rebuilt motor. As far as regular rider for that team, Fabio Menghi, his injuries were a dislocated collarbone and a fractured hip. Menghi will also have to go through rehabilitation. So, he might not be back until May when we get to England, at Donington Park, or, one of his home races in Italy at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. We are ready, for race two.
Alex Lowes had a great ride in race one, on the spare Yamaha. Milwaukee BMW will introduce new parts for their motorcycles when we get to Europe, in three weeks at Motorland Aragon, in Aragon, Spain. More details on that, at the end of this race. Let's hope, once again, Matteo Baiocco, will survive this race with the brand new engine in the motorcycle. Baiocco is racing a Ducati in Italian Superbike. Josh Brookes has had a not-so-good weekend. Five minutes to go before this race begins. Watch Alex De Angelis and Lorenzo Savadori, too, on the Aprilia's. Will they be a factor in this second race?
We are ready, for action, in race two. We are on the warmup lap. Over 81,000 fans, have been here over the weekend. 45,000 for today! Four manufacturers in the top five. Honda, Kawasaki, Ducati, and Yamaha. Pirelli has a few riders going with the A spec tire. But, some, are using the B spec tire. Again, it's rider's preference. 25 motorcycles, will take the start of race two. The tension is amazing. We're ready, for launch. Go! Jonathan Rea gets a good launch, but he gets swallowed up by Tom Sykes and Michael van der Mark, going into corner number one.
Into turn two, Davies and Giugliano, are side-by-side already. Heavy braking into turn three as the Ducati's are ready to pounce on Jonathan Rea. Rea passes van der Mark. But, there's major contact between van der Mark and Davies! Yikes! Guintoli and Lowes on the Yamaha's are running together, and we watch the Honda's moving up. That's Nicky Hayden. Meanwhile, more bad luck for Davide Giugliano on the Ducati. The two Kawasaki's are breaking away from the rest of the field. Alex Lowes is up to fifth.
Baiocco has plummeted from 12th to 19th, on his VFT Racing Ducati. Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea have been running well, as Markus Reiterberger, drops to tenth. Davies and Lowes are resuming a battle they had in round one at Phillip Island. Lowes makes a pass. Davies tries to come back, into turn one, start lap three. Sylvain Guintoli and Nicky Hayden, also want a piece of this action. Lowes runs wide into turn four! Whoa! Nicky Hayden will also try passing Lowes. Davide Giugliano is actually moving forward, instead of backward. Turn four is the fastest corner here at Chang International Circuit. Lowes is lucky he didn't crash.
Comparing these different motorcycles for a moment. The Kawasaki's have the best overall package in terms of power and speed, as well as braking and handling. The Ducati's have to carry more corner speed, as they don't have quite the same top speed. Best of the rest is Jordi Torres on the BMW. He finished fourth, twice, in Thailand, on an Aprilia, last year. Last year, Tom Sykes called Torres "the Spanish Elvis", because of his sideburns, and, because he is a good singer. The rest of the order is Savadori, Reiterberger, De Angelis, Abraham, Ramos, Brookes, Camier, Baiocco, Barrier, Al Sulaiti, and others.
Working lap five, as we watch Lowes and Guintoli fight for fifth, on the Yamaha's. Both of them passed Giugliano on lap one. Tom Sykes is in the lead, and Jonathan Rea, is second. The two Kawasaki's are the class of the field at this point. We have fifteen laps left. The Kawasaki riders have told those in the media, that this bike is at 85% of it's full potential. Right now, they need to find a bike more consistent for Jonathan Rea. Sykes is more confident on the bike this time, than in Australia, last time out.
Chaz Davies looks to be pressuring Michael van der Mark. In this race, worries over Tom Sykes' tires, should be nonexistent. Rea brakes earlier than Sykes does. Rea seems to be toying with Sykes right now. Karel Abraham loses three spots. Oh dear. We see a red and yellow slipper surface flag being waved. Could there be oil, or moisture, on the road? This was from the marshal post at turn 12. We will be halfway through this race, at the end of the next lap. It is easier to follow than lead. Rea is using less road than Sykes. But, he can also pressure Sykes. The Kawasaki's have a 1.6 second lead.
Now, the two Kawasaki's are leading Michael van der Mark's Honda, by 1.6 seconds. Wow. Chaz Davies, his ridden around Michael van der Mark. van der Mark has a tow, and can he get back past Davies? Davies holds station, in third place. We've still got the battle on our hands between Sykes and Rea. Meanwhile, Alex Lowes is falling down the order. He's now 17th. Actually, he's out. Game over. Rea inside Sykes. No. Jonathan Rea tries diving down the inside of Tom Sykes. No dice.
The Ducati and the Honda are now closing in on the Kawasaki's. Turn twelve is a difficult corner to pass in. Rea dives inside Sykes! Rea almost touches Sykes! Davies and van der Mark are closer and closer. Everyone takes different lines, and so, it's easy to have an issue and drift across the road. van der Mark runs wide. He's lost tons of time. Davies could catch these blokes and pass them, if they keep battling. Rea is inside Sykes in turn eight. Rea now leads. Sykes has to respond, now. The red mist has come down. Rea has to cut qualifying laps, and open a gap.
Oh dear! Rea, runs wide! Well, so much for the theory of cutting qualifying laps! Sykes and Davies are 1-2. Jonathan Rea maybe went deep into turn three, and lost control, briefly, without falling. Now, this is a motorcycle race! Michael van der Mark is now two seconds down the road. It's a three man race for the win, in race two, in Thailand. Chaz Davies has won nine WSBK races, and finished on the podium, 33 times. Remember, in race one, Peter Sebestyen, held up the leaders. Now, Sebestyen's team mate, Imre Toth, is doing the same thing, on the other Team Toth Yamaha YZF R1. For Davies, he may be in trouble, because there's a piece of debris, flapping on one of the exhaust pipes.
Oh dear. Alex De Angelis has gone off the road in turn three. Davide Giugliano has taken away places. De Angelis could be out of this one. Alex De Angelis, does rejoin. But, he's out of the points, way back in 16th. Five laps left. Jonathan Rea wants to pass Chaz Davies. But, all the bikes are skating around. Grip is at a premium. No question. This is great racing! The crowd is going bonkers. Rea will really have to push hard to win. The Kawasaki's will duke it out to the end. Four laps to go now.
Rea ran his fastest first sector time on the previous lap. Rea runs 1:34.373, while Sykes completes a lap at 1:34.504, and Davies, can only muster a 1:34.772. If he wants it, Sykes has to hold off Rea's charge. It was on lap 17 of race one on Saturday (read the opening segment of this race report), whre Rea overtook Sykes. Can he do it again? In three laps, we will also find out if Kawasaki can get their 18th 1-2 finish in WSBK racing. Chaz Davies is coming back, too. Rea wants his fourth win of the year.
Sykes has gone really well, and this is his best riding since his title year of 2013. More lapped traffic is coming. Davies is alongside Rea, but, he's on the wrong side of the road! Rea passes Davies. One of the Thai wildcard riders, almost has to slam on the brakes, to let the leaders through! Davies is the fastest of these three. Rea makes another pass on Sykes! Oh, my heart! It's not done yet. Sykes tries to make a move, but Rea, cuts back to the inside! Sykes cuts back through underneath! This is a two man race now.
Never mind. Davies is also still in it! A three way fight to the finish! Three motorcycles separated by 3/10ths of a second! Rea can't pass. Who will win? We are on the last lap of this race, ladies and gentlemen. It's all come down to this. Rea tries Sykes into the right hander at turn three. No dice. How bad do you want it? Tom Sykes has not won since Jerez in Spain, last September. Rea passes for the lead. Rea runs wide in turns six and seven, and Sykes is back to the lead! Unbelievable! Four corners left in this titanic duel of two wheeled gladiators.
Sykes loses traction through the penultimate corner. Rea alongside. Sykes, moves across to block! Sykes defends from Rea! Davies might have a chance. Side by side off the last corner! Jonathan Rea, has been beaten! Tom Sykes, wins race two in Thailand! You've been beaten, fair and square, Jonathan Rea. Rea will not break Neil Hodgson's record.
WSBK Race 2: #66 Tom Sykes GBR. Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX10R
Something may still be dangling off Davies' Ducati.
It is Tom Sykes' 27th win, and 65th podium. He equals the win total of American rider and double world champ, Doug Polen who won the title in 1991 and '92. He is the first rider other than Jonathan Rea to win in Thailand. But, Kawasaki, remains unbeaten. What a motorcycle race! Now, the World Superbike Championship, moves into the European part of the season. The next event, is at Motorland Aragon, in Aragon, Spain, coming up, in three weeks.
We'll see you, in Spain, then. It should be fun. So long, for now.
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