We're ready to get the 2020 FIM World Superbike season at the fast and challenging Phillip Island circuit in Victoria, Australia. There are of course two races in every weekend of World Superbike action and for this season opener, Down Under, we pick up the action in race two, the Sunday race for World Superbike. There was a seven thousandths of a second margin in race one, for 22 laps. There is a Super Pole race as well. Jonathan Rea won race one. In the shoer like race ge was caught behind Toprak Razgatlioglu through The Hayshed. Race two will be very exciting. You have to manage your tires. Poor old Garrett Gerloff rocketed away and then his tires faded. Tom Sykes had a similar situation.
Another newcomer in World Superbike is Scott Redding, former MotoGP rider. He knows this track from racing in MotoGP. Alex Lowes is another rider to watch out for. We've had practice and a couple races. Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark battled during the Super Pole race. Michael van der Mark needs some luck even though he has the pace and the consistency. Eugene Laverty and two other riders will not race. Garrett Gerloff, Leon Camier, and possibly Sandro Cortese, they won't be in this race.
Alvaro Bautista also wrecked in the qualifying session and in the qualifying race although in the feature race yesterday he was in a good spot. In race one we saw jONATHAN rEA GO OFF IN THE GRAVEL AND AGAIN CRASHING A SECOND TIME. it was a drag race and Toprak Razgatlioglu won the race over Alex Lowes, Scott Redding, and Michael van der Mark.
That was a sizzler of a race. Tom Sykes resets the lap record. 30 WSBK races have been run here at Phillip Island, a circuit that has been around since the 1950s. We've got at least three spots for good overtaking chances. 1:30.5 is the lap record this year so far. Jonathan ea on top in Tissot Super Pole. We are getting ready for race two. Tom Sykes and BMW want to do well and so does Leon Haslam. Toprak Razgatlioglu is second and he is leading the points standings. Redding is third. It is his WSBK debut.
Two podiums in the opening two races for Redding. Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark and Tom Sykes are next up on row two. 22 laps scheduled today just as it was in the first event yesterday. Loris Baz, Leon Haslam, and Michael Ruben Rinaldi start on row three. Baz is using a 2019 spec motor for his bike. Michael van der Mark on the Yamaha R1 did a long run in the test and had the speed. We hope Eugene Laverty gets well soon. He is Tom Sykes' BMW team mate. Jonathan Rea has won a race in twelve straight seasons in World Superbike.
Leon Haslam for Honda on the factory HRC bike is next. Jonathan Rea had best lap in race one and scored that award. He will lead this race from pole once we get started. It won't be long now. Fans, get ready for the action in WSBK 2020 at Phillip Island. This is going to be a mega race. Michael Ruben Rinaldi, Maximilian Scheib, and Sandro Cortese are on the fourth row. Cortese got into the dust up with Garrett Gerloff. Xavi Fores is next. Maximilian Scheib was 15th and last in race one and he did better in the Super Pole race.
Tom Sykes and everyone else are all on the same rear tire. Alvaro Bautista, Chaz Davies, and Federico Caricasulo are on row five. Caricasulo finished second in World Supersport last year. Chaz Davies is going to start 15th. 18 riders ready to start. we join Alex Raby and Steve English in the commentary box. It's time to go racing. We will run just short of 100 kilometers (62.5 miles). The warmup lap is underway. Alvaro Bautista on the Honda won't have the outright pace. He is able to maintain speed though. He's going to be on a search. Chaz Davies as well, needs to get back on form after having a successful season last year, and he is a factory Ducati rider of course.
What can Davies do in the next race in Qatar? We'll hear more about that next race towards the end of this blog post. Red lights on. Red lights out! Away we go! Razgatlioglu and van der mark go for it and here comes Alex Lowes to third. Rea in front and five or six riders are up there. We funnel downhill for the first time and then back uphill. Toprak Razgatlioglu is ahead of Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark had the line to take the lead of this motorcycle race. Tom Sykes covers off of Lukey Heights. Right place right time for van der Mark, the Dutchman.
Tom Sykes flies past Loris Baz on Gardner straight. Scott Redding can't quite keep up with the rest of the riders. He's in the 1:37 range on the lap times. van der Mark is snookered by Jonathan Rea for the lead of the motorcycle race. Rea is first followed by van der Mark and Toprak Razgatlioglu. Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Leon Haslam both fall down. Poor Haslam, but he was the one who triggered that crash. Ruben Rinaldi too, was an innocent bystander. Jonathan rea still leads. The action is hot. Razgatlioglu leads the door open for Alex Lowes. But Toprak Razgatlioglu makes the position back.
It's a seven bike race. Xavi Fores is eighth and losing ground. 20 laps still to run. Rea holds the lead as Chaz Davies is ninth and Alvaro Bautista is into the tenth spot. They bob and dart for the inside line. Scott Redding is up to fourth as Leon Haslam runs wide in turn one. Not good. It has not been his race today. Loris Baz is pushing hard as Tom Sykes need to manage his tires. Alvaro Bautista goes inside Chaz Davies. The pace at the front is manageable at 1:32 or so. We've lost a Kawasaki into the gravel. Xavi Fores has crashed and now he is back on the road but he has lost time. he didn't crash. He just lost traction. The Yamaha's don't have to stress their tires like they did on Saturday.
Tom Sykes has gone off the road. The lead battle is still really hot and it's hot throughout the top ten. Alvaro Bautista is hoping to get into the game. Davies, Scheib, and Cortese are the three riders completing the top ten. Maximilian Scheib is right in this thing. Don't use too much tire. that is what happened to Garrett Gerloff in the race yesterday. Who is going to blink first? Loris Baz stays right with Toprak Razgatlioglu and Michael van der Mark wants the lead into Doohan corner but can't take it from Jonathan Rea.
Michael van der Mark and Scott Redding complete the podium and Alex Lowes loses places from Razgatlioglu and possibly Alvaro Bautista as well. Setting fast lap is the focus but everyone is getting bottled up. It is hard racing but fair racing. One group all the way down through the top ten separated by a second and a half. Working lap five if I am right. The laps click off fast here. Loris Baz dives inside Scott Redding for third place. We have a long way to go yet. Rea has van der Mark right beside him but Rea has the horsepower to fend off the Dutchman's challenge.
Leon Haslam on the Honda is recovering after we saw him fall after the argy bargy with Michael Ruben Rinaldi. He's out. Loris Baz has gone around Michael van der Mark as well. Loris Baz has to attack. He has to go for it and chase after Jonathan Rea. 1:32.450 for Tom Sykes, fastest lap for the BMW. These times are identical to the Supersport bikes, the World Supersport 600cc machines. These big Superbikes are of course 1000cc or more. Loris Baz moves past Rea. He leads with 13 laps to go. That train of riders behind him is a pack of hungry wolves chasing the rabbit. Alex Lowes is seventh in-between Alvaro Bautista and Chaz Davies. Baz will be a sitting duck down the straight. His motorcycle does not have the speed.
Nine riders still separated by only a second and a half. Wow. Hard but fair racing is the key. Alvaro Bautista has moved back to eight as we are halfway home in race two. Game over for Federico Caricasulo. He may have crashed out. Riders want to press the button to open the gap. Can they? Davies has fought his way from 15th to sixth. Baz has the advantage at the front but he is holding the pace back over the other riders in single file. Baz wants a race win and has not won a WSBK race since 2014.
Scott Redding can't get to Michael van der Mark. He wants by Alex Lowes. Baz has loads of experience on the Ten Kate Honda. Toprak Razgatlioglu has gone around Scott Redding and Redding has Chaz Davies on his rear wheel. Nine laps to go in this motorcycle race as Jonathan Rea goes by Loris Baz and Baz is blocked by the Kawasaki rider and multiple world champ. We are at 2/3rds distance, 1/3rd left. Baz ducks inside Jonathan Rea again. Rea tries again and gets the job done catching Baz by surprise. More riders want this. The sharks are in a feeding frenzy right now. Max Scheib is even still in it. Two riders are out of the race.
Alex Lowes went from third to first on Saturday and now he goes from fourth to second. Rea and Lowes run 1-2 for Kawasaki. Alex Lowes is now a Kawasaki rider. Loris Baz is fourth and Alvaro Bautista is fifth. Redding and Razgatlioglu, the two of them, are really pouring the steam on right now. Is Jonathan Rea keeping his powder dry? He could be. Alex Lowes wants a chance for the lead and he has the speed. Poor old Lowes is going to get eaten up by van der Mark, or is he? Not now. Baz is going after Lowes and goes to third. Alex Lowes makes the pass and says "no you don't, Loris."
Lowes moves by van der Mark for second. The riders behind Jonathan Rea is that he is backing up the rest of the field and Rea is whistling off into the distance. Alvaro Bautista passes Scott Redding. Rea sets fastest first sector. Maximilian Scheib has moved up to ninth place. We are on lap 18 with just five left to run. Managing tires is still critical. Vamos is the calling card for Rea. He wants to bolt and extend the lead. The top six are the six blokes who we expect to be at the front. Michael van der Mark is coming, fast.
Alex Lowes is very confident into the first turn. The Kawasaki gives riders confidence and he'll catch Michael van der Mark, snoozing a little bit. Baz, Razgatlioglu, and Redding are also in the fight. But Jonathan Rea might have everything settled, but don't count your chickens until they hatch. Lowes is pushing and her he comes to the inside of his team mate. No dice. Toprak Razgatlioglu has his hands full with Loris Baz. Baz is ogfg the road and Razgatlioglu has a technical issue with the motorcycle. He's upset, pounding the fuel tank. Toprak Razgatlioglu on the Yamaha is not having the race he wanted. Two laps to go. Lowes has followed through and rea is dropping places as Alex Lowes is the new leader.
Alex Lowes is romping away. Lowes has bolted. He's 7/10ths ahead. Redding wants three podiums in three races and Michael van der Mark will get second. Alex Lowes is going to be pressured like no tomorrow by Jonathan Rea as we head for the final lap. Scott Redding dives inside Michael van der Mark for a podium place. Does he have enough to get the job done? He just might as they go through Lukey Heights and MG corner. It will be a drag race. Alex Lowes has not won since 2018 at Brno in the Czech Republic. Lowes has the lead, and by 37 thousandths of a second, he wins his first Superbike race since 2018!
#22 Alex Lowes GBR. Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX10R
The next race for World Superbike is in two weeks at the Losail circuit in Doha, Qatar. Stay tuned for that one as it should be a scorcher, just as we saw with this one in Australia. Hooroo, for now, from Victoria in Australia, and the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit.
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