Davies denies Rea’s title celebrations with race two win

Chaz Davies and Jonathan Rea (GBR) side by side at the final turn

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team) has won the second WorldSBK race of the 2015 Pirelli Malaysian Round after a spectacular last-lap battle with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), which saw the two riders separated by 0.091s at the line. This fraction of a second did not allow the series leader to clinch the title on Sunday at the Sepang International Circuit.

Unlike in Race 1, it was Welshman Davies who attempted pull to away from the rest of the field, with champion elect Rea giving chase. The factory Ducati rider managed to keep a fast pace until the last two laps, when series leader Rea began his final charge to the top; after losing the lead in the last sector, Davies hit the brakes as late as he could at the final left-hander to get the better of his rival as the two touched mid-turn.

Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) made the right changes to his RSV4 RF machine between the day’s two races, the Spanish WorldSBK rookie able to lap consistently in the 2.06s bracket for the duration of Race 2 to claim his second podium finish of the season.

2- Jonathan Rea (GBR) 1- Chaz Davies (GBR) 3- Jordi Torres (SPA)

Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike) scored another fourth position to complete his best weekend of the season so far ahead of team-mate Michael van der Mark, who made up for his Race 1 retirement with a fine fifth as he edged Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) by a tenth of a second.

David Salom (Team Pedercini), Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), Matteo Baiocco (Althea Racing) and Roman Ramos (Team Go Eleven) were seventh to tenth respectively, with Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing), Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing) completing the points positions.

Following his return to the podium in Race 1, Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) found himself on the receiving end of a collision also involving the still-reigning WorldSBK Champion Guintoli as well as the aforementioned Sykes and Lowes. Unlike Biaggi, Englishman Sykes did not fall off his bike, although he lost several positions.

Having dropped to 17th place by the end of Lap 1, the former title winner began a recovery ride but crashed at Turn 9 five laps later; he remounted his ZX-10R, eventually claiming 14th place.

WorldSBK Sepang – Race 2

1 – Chaz Davies Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team
2 – Jonathan Rea Kawasaki Racing Team +0.091
3 – Jordi Torres Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils +5.008

Standings (10 of 13 rounds completed)
1 – Jonathan Rea Kawasaki Racing Team 452
2 – Chaz Davies Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team 308 (-144)
3 – Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team 295 (-157)

Jacobsen scores maiden WSS win in Sepang

Jacobsen (USA) leading the way ahead of Cluzel (FRA), Sofuoglu (TUR) and Zanetti

The ninth round of the FIM Supersport World Championship, held at the Sepang International Circuit was won by PJ Jacobsen (CORE” Motorsport Thailand) after a race long, enthralling duel with Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) raged from start to finish at the 5.543km circuit. The result means that the Thai based team have won both races in Asia this year (Buriram and here).

From the start championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) surged to the front only to outbrake himself at turn 1, dropping to seventh. The Turkish rider ended the opening lap fifth before setting about closing the gap to the leading duo who began to open a small advantage at the head of the field.

By half distance Sofuoglu had bridged the gap meaning the top three riders in the overall championship were in contention for the victory until the Turk began to lose touch, falling into the clutches of Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse).

Jacobsen held his nerve despite the intense pressure from Cluzel to win for the first time in World Supersport by 0.091s at the flag. In doing so he becomes the first American rider to ever win a WSS race and he keeps himself very much in the title fight. Cluzel took second ahead of team mate Zanetti who overtook Sofuoglu at the final corner.

2- Cluzel (FRA) 1- PJ Jacobsen (USA) 3- Zanetti (ITA)

Behind the top four Pata Honda’s Kyle Smith finished a lonely fifth ahead of Roberto Rolfo (Team Lorini).

A trio of riders decided positions seventh to ninth with Martin Cardenas getting the better of his CIA Landlords Insurance team mate Gino Rea and Christian Gamarino (Team Go Eleven). Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25) rounded out the top ten.

In the overall championship standings Sofuoglu still leads but by a reduced margin of 13 points over Cluzel, while Jacobsen is now 28 points shy of the top.

World Supersport Sepang – Race 2

1 – PJ Jacobsen CORE” Motorsport Thailand
2 – Jules Cluzel MV Agusta Reparto Corse +0.091
3 – Lorenzo Zanetti MV Agusta Reparto Corse +3.387

Standings (9 of 12 rounds completed)
1 – Kenan Sofuoglu Kawasaki Puccetti Racing 168
2 – Jules Cluzel MV Agusta Reparto Corse 155 (-13)
3 – PJ Jacobsen CORE” Motorsport Thailand Honda 140 (-28)