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Second Podium For Rea At Home
Jonathan Rea of Kawasaki Racing put in another podium ride in the ten-lap Superpole race on Sunday 2 July at Donington Park, adding to his third place from Race One on Saturday. Alex Lowes of Kawasaki Racing secured two top six finishes on the final raceday of a busy weekend.
Dry but cool weather appeared for both Sunday races at the home round for both Kawasaki Racing riders, with Rea even harboring ambitions to take his first race win of the 2023 season in the ten lap Superpole Race.
Starting from pole he led on the penultimate lap but was first bypassed by eventual race winner Toprak Razgatlioglu and then - in the last few corners of the last lap - by championship leader Alvaro Bautista.
Rea’s third place could not quite be replicated in the second Sunday Race, as he lost pace compared to some riders with a lack of rear traction. He ended up fifth, having been in second place for the early part of the race.
The first attempt at running Race Two - in reality the third and final race of the weekend - had been red flagged after a three rider crash exiting Coppice Corner. The restart was conducted over 22 laps, not the planned 23.
Lowes, who had finished sixth on Saturday, would put in two more sixth place finishes on the final day. He rode with great pace under pressure in the second race, in which the riders who finished from fourth to ninth crossed the finish line within two seconds of each other.
In the championship standings, Rea remains fourth, now on 163 points, while Lowes is seventh with 99 points.
Two more WorldSBK events await Lowes and Rea in July. The classic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola round takes place between 14-16 July and the Autodrom Most will host the Czech Round for the third year in succession, between 28-30 July.
Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 20th in the Superpole Race, then a retiree in Race Two.
Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing Kawasaki) was 21st in the Superpole Race but scored his first point of the season for 15th in Race Two. He is now 22nd in the rankings.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing Movisio Kawasaki) placed 22nd in the ten lap ‘sprint’ and then 17th in Race Two.