A stunningly dramatic Superpole competition at the Chang International Circuit saw Tom Sykes (KRT) lose the chance of taking a stand-alone record 44th career Superpole by just 0.003 seconds, after his own team-mate Jonathan Rea set a new track best of 1’32.814 with almost the last action of the entire pre-race build-up. This was Rea’s 15th career Superpole win. Sykes still shares the status as best Superpole winner of all time, with Troy Corser.
Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) looked set for what would have been a stunning pole prize himself, but he was to end up a still highly impressive third overall.
Rea, Thai WSBK 2018
Fast on the opening day, Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) continued that way again in Superpole, going fourth and 0.158 seconds behind Rea.
Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) placed fifth and Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) sixth, with Loews the top Yamaha rider on the grid.
Fores
In a frantic late flurry to get a good grid spot, several riders had red sector times next to their names as the clock ran down. Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was on course for Superpole by some margin until he fell, ending up seventh. Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) was another who looked more than capable of earning a front row spot but such was the competiton – and rapid relegations and promotions in position – that he finished only eighth.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was ninth, 0.334 seconds from top man Rea, and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) completed the top ten.
Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) was 11th and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) 12th. Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) crashed out of Superpole 1 but starts race one 14th on the grid. PJ Jacobsen (TripleM Honda World Superbike Team) was 17th of the 19 riders in Thailand.
Rea, race 1, Thai WSBK 2018
By Gordon Ritchie