WorldSBK. Portimao. Rea pulls away to take fourth double of the season

The conditions for this afternoon’s second WorldSBK race at Portimao’s Autodromo Internacional do Algarve were almost perfect as the earlier rain had disappeared. The full 20-lap encounter on a dry circuit was won in the end by Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), who stepped atop the podium for the tenth time this season by crossing the line 5.416s ahead of his nearest rival Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team). Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) returned to podium ways by finishing third.

Rea’s double win moves him into 3rd overall in terms of most consecutive podium finishes (15). The KRT rider now sits in seventh place for the most number of race wins in the series (25).

As in the first encounter, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) initially led before being passed by team mate Jonathan Rea and Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team), the trio pulling clear of the pack as their pace at the front increased.

As the race continued Rea began to stretch a lead, leaving Sykes and Giugliano to fight for second until the former champion’s ZX-10R suffered what looked like a technical problem. The former champion would eventually finish eighth. Haslam took full advantage of the situation to take third, his first podium since Aragon race 2.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team) finished fourth to score more solid points ahead of the Pata Honda pairing, with Michael van der Mark getting the better of reigning World Superbike Champion Sylvain Guintoli on the final lap.

Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) scored 9 points with his 7th place finish ahead of Sykes, Leandro Mercado, who was in the top ten once again on his Barni Ducati and Matteo Baiocco (Althea Racing Ducati).

Positions between 11th and 15th were taken by Roman Ramos (Team GO Eleven Kawasaki), Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia), Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), Christophe Ponsson (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) and Nico Terol (Althea Racing Ducati).
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WorldSBK Portimao – Race 2
1 – Jonathan Rea Kawasaki Racing Team
2 – Davide Giugliano Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team +5.416
3 – Leon Haslam Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils +6.689

Standings (7 of 13 rounds completed)
1 – Jonathan Rea Kawasaki Racing Team – 330
2 – Tom Sykes Kawasaki Racing Team – 206
3 – Leon Haslam Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils – 199

Cluzel returns to winning ways at Portimao

Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) won this afternoon’s World Supersport race withstanding incredible pressure from championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, who found himself in fifth on lap one, before slowly making his way forward and overtaking the Frenchman on tour number twelve.

The Frenchman retook the lead at the start of the last lap as the two riders exchanged position twice again, before Cluzel pulled away to win by 0.184s. This is Cluzel’s win number nine in the series, his second in 2015 after the one taken in the opening round at Phillip Island. With seven events completed out of twelve, the MV Agusta rider is now 40 points shy of the lead.

PJ Jacobsen backed up his strong debut qualifying performance with his new team (CORE’’ Motorsport Thailand Honda) to take the final place on the podium. The American was in contention for the lead in the early stages before gradually losing ground from lap 8 onwards.

Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda) missed out on the podium by 0.7s taking fourth ahead of Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Kyle Smith (Pata Honda World Supersport Team).

Christian Gamarino (Team GO Eleven), Roberto Rolfo (Lorini Honda), Martin Cardenas (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda) and Fabio Menghi (VFT Racing) completed the top ten.

World Supersport Portimao – Race
1 – Jules Cluzel MV Agusta Reparto Corse
2 – Kenan Sofuoglu Kawasaki Puccetti Racing +0.184
3 – PJ Jacobsen CORE” Motorsport Thailand Honda +7.597

Standings (7 of 12 rounds completed)
1 – Kenan Sofuoglu Kawasaki Puccetti Racing – 150
2 – Jules Cluzel MV Agusta Reparto Corse – 110
3 – PJ Jacobsen CORE” Motorsport Thailand Honda – 95

Tamburini on top of the STK1000 podium at Portimao

Roberto Tamburini (Team MotoxRacing BMW) has come out on top at the end of the 14-lap, FIM Superstock 1000 Cup race at Portimao’s Autodromo do Algarve. The 24-year-old from Rimini was able to pull away in the latter stages of the encounter to cross the line 4.3s ahead of the 4-way chasing pack of Lorenzo Savadori (Nuova M2 Racing Aprilia), Raffaele De Rosa (Althea Racing Ducati), Ondrej Jezek (Triple-M by Barni Ducati) and Kev Coghlan (MRS Yamaha), who battled out for the remaining podium places.

Second position eventually went to Savadori, the series leader edging out De Rosa as Jezek pipped Coghlan for fourth. Bryan Staring (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) successfully defended sixth position from Kevin Calia (Nuova M2 Aprilia Racing), Jeremy Guarnoni and Luca Marconi (Team Trasimeno Yamaha), with Sylvain Barrier (G.M Racing Yamaha) completing the top-10.

With three races to go in the season, Savadori currently holds a 25-point lead over Tamburini.

STK1000 Portimao – Race
1 – Roberto Tamburini Team MotoxRacing BMW
2 – Lorenzo Savadori Nuova M2 Racing Aprilia +4.325
3 – Raffaele De Rosa Althea Racing Ducati +4.545

Standings (5 of 8 rounds completed)
1 – Lorenzo Savadori Nuova M2 Racing Aprilia -115
2 – Roberto Tamburini Team MotoxRacing BMW – 90
3 – Ondrej Jezek Triple-M by Barni Ducati – 66