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Donington WSBK: Record breaking double win for Sykes

Kawasaki Racing’s Tom Sykes re-wrote the World Superbike history books at Donington Park this afternoon, after doing the double for the third consecutive year in a row. But not only that Huddersfield’s finest equalled Carl Fogarty’s record of six race wins at the Leicestershire circuit.

Sykes had a perfect start and never looked back and eased to the race two win ahead of team-mate Jonathan Rea and Aruba.it Ducati’s Chaz Davies. In the end the Yorkshireman had a 9.7 second advantage over the rest of the field and smashed the lap record in the process – with a 1’27.640.

It was a case of déjà vu as the podium was exactly the same as the opening race with Rea and Davies compeleting the rest of the rostrum. It was also the first time that Davies has won two podiums at the English track.

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Initially it was Sykes who got the hole-shot through Redgate followed by home town hero Leon Haslam and Rea. But the Isle of Man resident made a mistake and nearly fell off, but held on but slipped back to seventh at Coppice behind MV Agusta’s Leon Camier.

But two rotations later the tall Kent man crashed coming out of Goddards but managed to get back on the bike to rejoin the race, but his Reparto Corse backed machine was too battered and he retired to the pits.

Elsewhere out on track emerged a three-way battle for third between Lowes and the Ducati pairing of Giugliano and Davies. Lowes was setting the pace, but fell back as Davies, Giugliano and then Rea all went past on the eighth lap of 23.

At the halfway point Sykes etched a further four seconds out of his ZX-10R and pulled further away from Haslam. But Rea was on the charge and at the Esses passed Davies to go into third and had Haslam as his next target.

The Red Devils Aprilia rider is still suffering from two cracked and one broken rib and couldn’t match the pace of the Kawasaki of Sykes and with eight laps to go was lapping in the low 1’29’s going nearly one second slower than Sykes.

With Haslam battling through the pain barrier it allowed Rea to take advantage of the situation and on lap seventeen snatched second at Goddards followed by Davies, pushing Haslam firmly back to fourth and out of podium contention.

Aruba.it Racing’s Davide Giugliano had the top five in his sights and was another rider to get the better of Haslam, at Goddards. On the final lap the Smalley rider fought back went back into fourth at the Foggy Esses four seconds behind Davies, and held on to that spot at the flag.

Voltcom Suzuki’s Alex Lowes ended his local round in sixth followed by Torres and reigning champion, Pata Honda’s Sylvain Guintoli, with former MCE British Superbike rider Matteo Baiocco and BMW Motorrad’s Ayrton Badovini completing the top ten.

Elsewhere Nico Terrol crashed at Coppice after a huge high-side and went to the medical centre for further assessment, and Pata Honda’s Michael Van Der Mark experienced a technical issue with his CBR1000RR and retired to the pits.

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