Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) went from ninth on the race two grid to another race win after he overtook the early race leader, Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia). Rea’s win was the 62nd of the season and his second double of the 2018 campaign.
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 Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) saw Lowes 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 World Superbike Team) was ninth and Loris Baz (GULF ALTHEA BMW Racing Team) completed the top ten.
Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – 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 13thplace and three points. Josh Herrin (Attack performance Two Wheel Legal Yamaha) was 16th just missing out on a point.
In the championship, Rea is now 75 points clear of Davies.
By Gordon Ritchie
