Gordon Ritchie | November 4, 2017
WorldSBK: Rea Sets All-Time Points Record
Rea ends out the season as World Champion and all-time points hauler for a single year.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) added another unique achievement to his long list of 2017 records with the all-time best points score of 556 in a single season, after beating Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) over the line in Qatar by almost two seconds.
Rea has now won 16 races in 2017, a new personal best for him.
Davies won the much-anticipated battle for overall second in the championship after Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed out very early in the race.
The race two podium saw Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) overcome his first race dramas with a confident third, and his team-mate Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) finish fourth.
Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Ducati) ensured he would be the best privateer of the year with a fifth place today, beating Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) by over five seconds.
Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) was seventh, winning a long-time duel with Sylvain Guintoli (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing).
Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) signed off from MV Agusta with a ninth-place finish, Roman Ramos (Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki) was tenth.
In the final championship standings, Rea has an all-time best of 556 in one year, Davies 403, Sykes 373, Melandri 327 and Lowes 242.
WorldSSP: Mahias Champion In Tense WorldSSP Finale
Mahias prevailed to lift the 2017 WorldSSP crown.
Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) won the 2017 WorldSSP title after a front-running race win at Losail. He is the first Yamaha WorldSSP champion since Sam Lowes in 2013.
He won the title by 29 points from the gritty Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who raced with a broken pelvis to third in the race and took a new lap record of 2’01.832 on lap 12.
Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) was only 0.023 seconds behind Mahias at the flag, taking to the trackside gravel on the home straight to try and pass his countryman for the win.
Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) was fourth, hijacked for real by Sofuoglu on the last lap after two previous attempts to pass near the end.
Anthony West (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) had an amazing ride through from a lowly starting place, finishing fifth, one place up on Niki Tuuli (Kallio Race System Yamaha).
Sheridan Morais (Kallio Race System Yamaha) was seventh, and that made him fourth overall in the points, behind Cluzel.
Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing Triumph) placed eighth, winning an all British fight from Gino Rea (Team GO ELEVEN Kawasaki) and Kyle Smith (GEMAR Balloons – Team Lorini Honda).
In the final points, Mahias has 190, Sofuoglu 161, Cluzel 155, Morais 141, Caricasulo 118 and the Patrick Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 108, after suffering a technical issue with his bike and not finishing the race.
