Jerez blasted by the 2017 WorldSBK ‘Rea-Dar’ & first Double

On Saturday he made the most of a technical problem with Marco Melandri’s Ducati to defeat main rival Chaz Davies by a second at the finish line. Some technical changes saw JR running a more competitive package on Sunday and despite the reversed grid format that pushed him to the third row was soon in control and making a comfortable gap by the third lap. Rea, who toasted his third consecutive title at the previous round in France, also helped KRT to the Team and Manufacturer’s titles. “Everyone has made this result and I am super-proud to be a part of it,” JR said, and who also set a new lap record in his dash free. “My mechanics were building me up right before I left the grid and I knew today I had to go. I feel like I steered the bike around today. The win came from my crew chief Pere Riba because he asked me to trust him with some front geometry changes and a front tyre change. It was awesome.”

“So, so nice to tick that box for a Jerez race win,” he added after Saturday’s success. “I really wanted it, even before the problem for Marco. I was riding way over my limit to try to chase Marco down. The gap was slowly coming, some laps not changing, but tenth by tenth I was getting excited. With the position we now have in the championship I went in over my head - but it was fun to ride like this.”

Tom Sykes, who set the fastest ever Pole lap of Jerez last year, has reason to regard Jerez as a milestone after reaching a total of 100 rostrum finishes with third place on Saturday. The 2013 champion is still dealing with the recovery to his hand and finger after his fiery crash in Portugal and was fifth on Sunday. He is tied on points with Chaz Davies for second place in the standings and an exciting finale in the Persian Gulf awaits.

Yamaha’s Alex Lowes snared two top five results at Jerez and is close to confirming fifth place for 2017 over teammate Michael Van Der Mark.

Qatar pulls the curtain on 2017 WorldSBK on November 3-4.