Some riders and tracks go together in incredible winning combinations, and the most successful in the history of WorldSBK cemented the incredible record in Round 7 at Donington Park in the UK, as Tom Sykes took a double win to make his record at the parkland circuit something not only special, but unique: 8 victories in a row at Donington, which is the most ever won by one rider at a single track.

Teammate Jonathan Rea, after encountering problems throughout Race 1, began the second WorldSBK Race of the weekend with a much improved package and his issues ironed out and was able to hustle Sykes throughout the majority of the race; the two Kawasakis locked neck and neck on track. With one issue reappearing into the final stages however, the reigning Champion used the large gap back to third placed Chaz Davies as some breathing space and crossed the line for another podium despite suffering with arm pump late in the game. With a handful of laps to go, Rea had made a pass on Sykes but in finding a false neutral into Goddards he lost ground that he would never quite make up as his teammate maintained a high and consistent pace right to the end. Sykes’ race win took him into P2 in the title fight once again, with the Yorkshireman now narrowly edging out Ducati’s Chaz Davies as the pack fight to hunt down Rea’s mass of points just after the halfway point in the season.

 “Eight in a row at Donington feels fantastic and I am over the moon!” enthused 8-time winner Sykes. “I had a good start to race two and had good pace. For sure it was not perfect and for sure that is why we had a lot of pressure. We did a very good job and had to fight again, so it is more rewarding when you win like this. We have won on some difficult circuits this year, physically and from a point of view of the types of tracks. Thailand, Sepang and two-times here – which is a circuit of two halves. Consistently, I think we are getting better. I am going to bed tonight thinking we have had a perfect weekend.”

“I got another neutral going into the final hairpin corner, just as I had made my pass, so I was a little bit frustrated with that,” lamented title defender Rea. “At the end of the race I did not have much for Tom. I feel my bike was working really good and it seems we are getting there now. In the last few races we have defined the engine character that I really like, so now it is the balance of the bike that seems to be working. To be so close to Tom, in a circuit that he is so strong at, is good because he is riding really strongly now. I am happy for that and happy to come here and make a big margin in my Championship lead as well.”

Kawasaki Racing Team now get ready for Round 8, with the next track battle set for Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli as the paddock touches down on the Riviera di Rimini. The team will first test at the Circuito de Jerez for two days before heading to Italy for another showdown on the 17th-19th June.