We had to wait six years to see a World Superbike race at the Brno racetrack, but the return of the long and flowing Czech track to the Superbike calendar, allowed for two great races and some historic moments.
The first historic moment arrived when Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) got the win in Race 1. Rea secured another race win this season, his sixth, and by doing so he managed to become the first rider in the World Superbike Championship to reach a total of 60 races wins!
The race itself had to be restarted (twice).
Due to crashes with Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Ducati Junior Team), Race Direction had to red flag the Race 1. During the restart procedure, there was a technical problem with the lights on the starting line, and the race had to be restarted again.
With just 16 laps to complete, Race 1 saw Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) lead in the first few moments, but Jonathan Rea again showed he’s on a league of his own and without any problem the champion reached the lead and from then on he got away, securing the 60th SBK win of his career.
Behind him, Tom Sykes had to battle with Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Ducati), with the veteran Italian beating the former World SBK champion and getting his best result since winning the first two races of the season at Phillip Island. Tom Sykes had to settle for third.
In Race 2, held this Sunday, two of the main candidates to take the win were rapidly out of contention.
Jonathan Rea tried to pass his team mate Tom Sykes but had to take a more open line on a right hand corner, and when he came back to the right line, Tom Sykes was already there, with nowhere to go. The two Kawasaki riders touched, and as a result of that, Rea crashed and had to quit. It was the first DNF for the champion this season.
Minutes later, Marco Melandri was trying to get the lead from Alex Lowes (PATA Yamaha), and the Ducati rider did manage to overtake Lowes at the end of the main straight of the Brno track. It seemed Melandri was faster than Lowes and could finally get his third win of the year, but the Ducati rider made a mistake, he missed a braking point, went to the gravel but didn’t crash, and he later returned to the race to finish 15th.
Alex Lowes was again in front and with just his team mate, Michael van der Mark behind him, because Chaz Davies on the second official Ducati wasn’t able to stay with the two faster Yamaha’s.
Van der Mark did try to put pressure on Lowes, but the British rider never cracked under pressure and without making any mistake, and with Michael van der Mark eventually losing time in the final three laps, Alex Lowes also made history by winning for the first time ever in World Superbike.
Chaz Davies ran a lone race, and although he couldn’t catch the two Yamaha riders in front of him, the Ducati man stayed in control and crossed the finish line in third, securing valuable points in the fight for the title.
With these results, Jonathan Rea still leads the championship standings, now with a 65-point lead over Chaz Davies, who has Michael van der Mark not far behind in third.
The World Superbike Championship will return in two-week’s time at the iconic Laguna Seca track, a round reserved only for the Superbike class, just before the usual Summer break.