WorldSBK Estoril: Rea rescues Superpole race

Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea celebrated victory in the Superpole Race at Estoril on Sunday morning with a last minute save in the final lap.

Defending WorldSBK Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu looked to be on course for his first win of the year before a turn nine moment denied him. Aruba.it Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista completing the celebrations for another consistent podium finish, in third.

KRT’s Rea went into the Superpole sprint holding all the cards with both all-time circuit and race lap records under his belt and command of the grid from the pole position, even if Bautista did climb the rostrum’s top step on Saturday afternoon with a last lap move over rival Razgatliolgu. Conditions, however, were greatly changed from race one with the rain having arrived in Portugal ahead Sunday’s action as the trio lined up on the front row, on slicks.

A patchy damp track with a drying line awaited the ten lap contest as the lights released. Razgatlioglu taking the holeshot with Rea and Scott Redding slotting into second and third as Bautista dropped to fourth. Pata Yamaha’s Andrea Locatelli holding off the Hondas of Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge as Puccetti’s Lucas Mahias crashed out in the turn one melee. Marvin Fritz doing likewise half a lap later on the Motoxracing Yamaha with Vierge finding the limit at turn seven.

Bautista was through on Redding as lap two began, Alex Lowes recovering two positions, to seventh, with Motocorsa’s Axel Bassani on his wheels and Loris Baz in the all-important final top nine position. The BMW continued to go backwards as Lecuona was the next to capitalise on the Brit for fourth. Locatelli six-tenths back with seven laps to go.

Both Baz and Bonovo teammate Eugene Laverty were through on Bassani as lap