Round three of the 2016 World Superbike Championship dipped into the curves and undulations of MotorLand Aragon and one of the most decorated modern circuits on the international motorcycle racing scene. Under typical blue skies deep in eastern Spain Kawasaki Racing Team duo Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes racked-up more podium finishes as the pair went 2-3 and 3-2 respectively over Saturday and Sunday and behind runaway victor Chaz Davies.
Although both Monster Energy Ninja ZX-10R stars (who had owned the previous four outings between them) marked the pace in the formative stages of the sprints over the weekend they had no answer to the form of the Welshman who extended his run of success at the venue that first welcomed the Superbike elite in 2011. Davies, repeating his double from 2013 and continuing on from his second race triumph twelve months earlier is now the most prolific World Superbike rider at Aragon and escaped to let the Kawasaki’s squabble for the second and third steps of the podium.
Rea, who denied Davies another sweep in 2015 by claiming race one and is the only rider this season with a 100% rostrum record, rushed to second place on Saturday but could not beat his teammate on Sunday. “There were some areas where we were struggling today,” the Irishman said. “We just need more time with the new bike and it is a step-by-step process. When a tough weekend is second and third it is not so bad!”
Sykes, who utterly dominated Aragon in 2014, suffered with a rear tyre issue on Saturday but was happier after the last race on the Spanish programme. “It was an improvement on yesterday and that is what we need to focus on,” the former champ commented. “We cannot be downbeat because sometimes it happens that you have a circuit that is great for a certain package and Chaz is always on form here. We will come back in Assen and try to be stronger again.”
Alex Lowes continued his learning process with the new factory Yamaha R1 and gave good cause for optimism for two charges through the pack (the second race needing a recovery from almost last after running off the track) to end only his third weekend in blue with a 8-9. “It may not show on paper but really it’s the best weekend we’ve had and we’re a bit closer to the podium fight so I’m looking forward to Assen!” he said.
Reigning World Champion Rea leads the current standings by twenty-six points – over one race victory – from Davies who made up ground and keeps Sykes in third by just three points. SBK forms up again in two weeks, this time around the kinks and drops of Assen in Holland.
Credit Monster