main content of page
Racing News |
Rea Podiums On His Final Kawasaki Racing Team Raceday
Kawasaki Racing Team rider and six-times World Champion Jonathan Rea finished his final WorldSBK weekend in KRT colors with a podium finish in the Superpole Race and a no-score after leading Race Two for a few breathless laps. Alex Lowes (KRT) found misfortune with a fall in the Superpole Race that saw him miss the season finale in Race Two.
In the Superpole Race the ten lap contest ended up being an eight lap race after a red flag was thrown due to an engine failure for a rival rider and the subsequent thick blanket of smoke that affected the track surface.
In the restarted Superpole Race, held over only eight laps, Rea kept himself in podium contention and held off the pressure from Toprak Razgatlioglu to earn a third place finish and his 18th rostrum of the year.
The early chaos in the restarted Superpole race would end Lowes’ day of action, after Razgatlioglu passed him into Turn One. His maneuver left Alex not quite enough room at the apex, meaning his front tire touched Razgatlioglu’s rear tire. As Lowes fell his helmet visor contacted his rival’s tire and was torn off. Alex suffered injuries to his eyelids and face as a result of this very unusual incident. He was examined by the medical officials and declared unfit to ride in the final race of the season. He thus finishes the racing year in 11th place overall.
In Race Two Rea clearly set out to win his final race with KRT, and led for the first four laps with a radically different setup compared to the previous races. Even new World Champion Alvaro Bautista and 2021 WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu were unable to match his early pace.
Jonathan’s chances of a win ended when he lost the front in the second corner, on lap five, leaving him last as he remounted his bike and rejoined. In typically determined fashion he came through the field at a high pace but would finish 17th.
Rea had already confirmed his third place ranking in the championship table after Race One on Saturday, but managed to achieve the ambition of a podium on his final day, thanks to his strong performance in the Superpole Race.
The Jerez weekend heralded the end of one era, and the start of a new one commences quite soon, once again at Jerez. A two day test is scheduled to start on Tuesday 31 October. Several new WorldSBK technical rules will be brought into play for 2024, making this particular test session even more valuable than most.
