The two men writing WorldSBK’s record books
WorldSBK commentator Steve English reviews the history makers
It seems as though two men have written the record books of WorldSBK. No matter where you turn down the path of statistics and records, they lead you to Carl Fogarty and Jonathan Rea. Whether it's titles or wins, both riders have left an indelible mark on the series.
At the last round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK’s Rea equalled Fogarty's record for wins at an individual circuit. Both riders have now taken 12 victories at Assen, and now the Northern Irishman has his sights set firmly on another record. Just two wins shy of equalling Foggy for most victories in WorldSBK, there is an inevitability about Rea being the first man to take 60 wins in the history of the series.
After his Assen victory as Rea spoke his respect for Fogarty was clear: “Getting compared to Foggy in the first place is like a dream,” beamed Rea. “When I was a child, he was like a god in SBK® so it’s nice to be compared to him. This season the goal is to overtake him in race victories, but he’s still the GOAT with four championships, so to even think about replicating that kind of success we need to put together an awesome season. But to equal his record at Assen, where he was most dominant over his career and with probably one of the most famous races in SBK® history with Chili here, it’s nice.”
In a twist of fate Rea's father actually raced against Fogarty and while one Rea chased down the Englishman on track, the other has done it through the history books.
Having started a near identical number of races, both riders share similarities in their careers. Having won races for two manufacturers, both found their home with manufacturers that they are now synonymous with; Ducati for Fogarty and Rea with Kawasaki. Rea trails Fogarty by one world title, but leads the standings after four rounds of 2018 and looks certain to claim the wins record at some point over the summer months.
Their Assen successes have seen both riders claim 12 wins and 15 podiums at the famous Dutch venue, and while Rea has been able to amass more podiums than Fogarty, it is the 90's superstar that edges the balance of pole positions.
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