Last dash before the summer – Best bits from Round 9 at Misano!
Rea collects second consecutive double, Caricasulo shines brightest at home and a wildcard stuns the WorldSSP300 regulars
Back from the visit stateside, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship teams and riders were more motivated than ever for Round Nine of the season, one last effort before a well-deserved summer break. The venue was the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, a classic track that breathes WorldSBK from the grass to the garages. Check out first-hand the stunning scenes of the Rimini-based track as Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) takes us flying around for an onboard lap.
Showing his strength right from the start, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) confirmed that he is in one of the best moments of his career with a skillful Race One win. Incredibly consistent all over Misano, the defending champion demonstrated yet again why he is the favourite for this season’s trophy.
Race Two was a case of same ending, wildly different story. If on Saturday the Northern Irishman’s victory was reasonably comfortable, the second bout of the weekend was perhaps the most hard-fought of his season so far. Battles with Davies, Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)… The list goes on. Catch the full highlights from one of the most exciting races of the year here.
It took Rea blood, sweat and tears to snatch that Misano double, but it was absolutely worth it for the championship leader, who celebrated his amazing form in the best way he can.
Earlier on Sunday in the FIM Supersport World Championship, the thousands of Italian fans exploded with joy as home hero Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) opened his win tally for the season ahead of fellow Italian icon Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag). On the flipside, it quickly turned into a race to forget for 2017 champion Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team), as he crashed out early on at Misano.
The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship leaders meanwhile were ready to do battle once again at Misano, with just three races remaining and every point absolutely vital. An already unpredictable championship turned wilder still in Italy, as several wildcards joined the usual frontrunners. Find out how that went down, including a spectacular final lap.
That’s the best from the first nine rounds, but there’s still much more to come! Catch the end of the season LIVE and OnDemand thanks to the WorldSBK VideoPass.
