Island circuit helps Rea to finally break through

THE inconvenient timing of rain showers, on both Saturday and Sunday, at the world-famous Phillip Island racing circuit, had an impact on the first two races of World Superbike weekend at the Island, while the third race was 'red flagged' out after an incident between Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW), closing the book on his final race in his illustrious career, and  Xavi Fores (Barni Spark Racing Team).

With the race reaching two-thirds of the race distance, this did meant that the final race of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was cut 5 laps short allowing Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to claim his second race of the weekend.

Jonathan Rea finished in second and Alex Lowes closed out the podium for third. For the adopted Islander, Rea, it had been a welcome return to the top step, taking a win on Saturday and a third and second place in tough conditions on Sunday

With just a short 15 weeks to prepare, the riders will now head back to Phillip Island Circuit to start the season once again, for the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian opening round, 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, on the 24th to 26th February, 2023.

On Saturday, fortune favoured the brave when adopted Islander, UK’s Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) opted to pit early, pull out the slicks and ride to victory in sometimes treacherous always testing conditions.

Speaking to worldsbk.com.au afterwards, he passed on high praise to the Kawasaki Racing Team for making the right decisions in the heat of the moment and also for a super slick pit stop on Lap 10.

It was Rea’s first race win after 181 days in across 24 races, his longest stint out of top spot.

Jonathan Rea: “Yeah very nice race because it was a bit of everything, I had to keep my composure and my mentality. I tried to make the pit stop at the right time because I could see the track was drying very quickly. Alex was very fast in the beginning, so I thought why not, lets go and roll the dice and it worked. My guys did a great pit stop and they gave me a good bike, compromised on a wet and dry set up and I was able to adjust the bike while I was riding as well so a big thanks to the Kawasaki Racing Team. It was so blistery coming up through hayshed [Turn 8] I was getting blown onto the wet part of the track and then going down into MG that part of the circuit remained wet, I was always braking early. I was racing in the 31’s cautiously.

Likewise, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) pulled a gutsy slick move at the start of Race 2 on Sunday, gingerly nursing it around the track early on but charging down a drying race line later to take the race going away from the other riders.

Rea finished in third after a wet setup contest with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK).

Great racing, but also stiff, cold winds and squally showers characterized race day on Sunday defying the quality of the major sponsor’s product, Grand Ridge Brewery beer, to pull the crowds away from a warming mug of hot coffee.