Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea took his first-ever WorldSBK double win at Laguna Seca today, putting on a masterclass of consistency after taking the lead on lap seven to cross the line with a five-second gap over Chaz Davies.
But there was also another reason for Northern Ireland to celebrate as Eugene Laverty took his and Milwaukee Aprilia’s first podium of the season, bagging third after fending off a late charge from Alex Lowes’ Pata Yamaha.
Laverty was in second place until nine laps to go, when he was passed by eventual runner-up Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who took his second 20 points score of the weekend. Laverty’s podium finish was his first since 2014 and the 34th of his career.
Infighting between Lowes and team-mate Michael van der Mark saw the Briton take fourth after a late pass into the Corkscrew corner.
Way behind the leading riders, Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) was sixth, with his fellow Spanish rider Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) seventh.
After losing several places in one lap early in the race Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was a dejected eighth, over 17 seconds down on the win.
Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda) was ninth and Loris Baz (GULF ALTHEA BMW Racing Team) completed the top ten.
Marco Melandri (Aruba Ducati), Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team), Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) and PJ Jacobsen (TripleM Honda World Superbike Team) were high profile crashers, but Camier got going again to score 13th place and three points.
Josh Herrin (Attack performance Two Wheel Legal Yamaha) was 16th just missing out on a point after running tenth for most of the race.
In the championship, Rea is now 75 points clear of Davies.
WorldSBK Laguna race two - conditions dry
1 3 1 J. REA GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 25 1'23.480 254,0 1'22.359 252,8 25 25 320 1
2 1 7 C. DAVIES GBR Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale R 25 5.099 1'23.625 257,0 1'22.282 253,4 20 20 245 2
3 4 50 E. LAVERTY IRL Milwaukee Aprilia Aprilia RSV4 RF 25 6.711 1'23.660 252,8 1'22.636 253,4 13 16 89 9
4 5 22 A. LOWES GBR Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 25 8.011 1'23.720 254,0 1'22.729 252,8 16 13 183 5
5 9 60 M. VAN DER MARK NED Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 25 9.746 1'23.748 251,0 1'23.253 249,2 8 11 215 3
6 8 12 X. FORES ESP Barni Racing Team Ducati Panigale R IND 25 14.791 1'24.167 250,4 1'23.244 251,0 10 10 154 7
7 11 81 J. TORRES ESP MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta 1000 F4 25 16.711 1'24.180 252,8 1'23.321 251,0 7 9 80 10
8 2 66 T. SYKES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 25 17.284 1'24.337 255,8 1'22.297 252,2 9 8 196 4
9 16 45 J. GAGNE USA Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team Honda CBR1000RR 25 35.421 1'24.447 254,6 1'24.291 247,5 6 7 37 17
10 12 76 L. BAZ FRA GULF ALTHEA BMW Racing Team BMW S 1000 RR 25 39.802 1'25.291 252,8 246,4 1 6 79 11
11 14 36 L. MERCADO ARG Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 25 42.946 1'25.120 252,2 1'24.105 250,4 5 47 16
12 20 40 R. RAMOS ESP Team GoEleven Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 25 43.437 1'25.385 247,5 1'24.836 244,7 4 4 49 15
13 7 2 L. CAMIER GBR Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team Honda CBR1000RR 25 44.563 1'24.671 249,8 1'23.088 250,4 3 75 12
14 18 98 K. HANIKA CZE Guandalini Racing Yamaha YZF R1 IND 25 47.257 1'25.317 245,8 1'24.746 240,3 3 2 5 22
15 17 68 Y. HERNANDEZ COL Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 25 53.415 1'25.121 254,0 1'24.382 248,7 5 1 24 18
16 15 57 J. HERRIN USA Attack 2Wheel Legal Yamaha Yamaha YZF R1 IND 25 58.107 1'24.683 251,0 1'24.182 248,7
Not Classified
RET 19 99 P. JACOBSEN USA TripleM Honda World Superbike Team Honda CBR1000RR IND 16 9 Laps 1'25.175 250,4 1'24.802 245,2 21 19
RET 6 32 L. SAVADORI ITA Milwaukee Aprilia Aprilia RSV4 RF 6 19 Laps 1'24.372 252,2 1'22.919 249,2 2 75 13
RET 10 33 M. MELANDRI ITA Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale R 3 22 Laps 1'23.760 255,8 1'23.302 252,8 11 168 6
