Chaz Davies now has a total of 7 race wins at Motorland Aragon! Photo credit: World SBK
With air and track temperatures much higher than yesterday in Race 1, today we saw a different result in Race 2, although the same two riders occupied the two top spots on the podium.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Ducati) switched position with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), and won on a circuit that seems to be perfect for him and the Ducati Panigale R.
With triple World Champion Rea starting really well and reaching first position after just a few moments from race start, today we had the opportunity, again, to see independent rider Xavi Fores (Barni Ducati) show what he can do.
The Spanish rider, perhaps gathering strength from racing in front of his home crowd, passed Rea and managed to hold the lead for several laps, but when he was starting to push away from championship leader, Fores lost the front of his Ducati in that fast final corner at Motorland Aragon, crashed and had to abandon the race.
Triple World Champion made a mistake in the final lap and had to settle with a second spot in Race 2 at Motorland Aragon. Photo credit: World SBK
Jonathan Rea was again in the lead, but closely followed by the Aruba.it Ducati duo. Marco Melandri tried everything to keep Chaz Davies in third, but the Welshman, in a more physical maneuver, found a way pass Melandri and he immediately showed his front wheel to Rea.
Melandri tried to maintain contact with the two riders in front, but clearly showed he didn’t have the pace to threaten either Davies or Rea, so the Italian rider had to settle with third final position, a place higher than what he got in Race 1.
As for the fight for the win, Rea clawed his way back to the top spot on what was an enthralling battle for the win in the final 5 laps, but the reigning champion made a mistake in the beginning of the final lap in Aragon, something he rarely makes, and that left Chaz Davies alone in front and away from danger.
Davies avoided any mistakes, and even though he started Race 2 in the middle of the grid, he fought back and grabbed a fantastic win in Motorland Aragon, his second win of the 2018 World Superbike season, and a record seventh win at this Spanish track!
World Superbike Race 2 podium: Chaz Davies, Jonathan Rea and Marco Melandri
With these results Jonathan Rea continues to be in the top spot at world standings, now with 114 points, and Chaz Davies follows in second with 102 points. Marco Melandri, who started the season in great fashion with two wins in Australia, is now in third with 96 points.
Round four of the World SBK season is the Dutch round at Assen TT circuit, held next weekend from 20th to 22nd April.