WSBK – RD12 – SAN JUAN VILLICUM, ARGENTINA

RACE 1

After taking his fourth Career pole position, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) chalked up his 16^th win of the season in a race mired by controversy even before it started, with six riders – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha), Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha), Leon Camier (Moriwaki-Althea Honda Racing Team), Ryuichi Kiyonari (Moriwaki-Althea Honda Racing Team) and Eugene Laverty (Team GoEleven Ducati) refusing to race due to track conditions.

Four riders broke away from the depleted field with a fierce race-long battle ensuing between Bautista, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) with the four riders eventually crossing the line in that order.

Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK, staved off a late race charge from Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) tussled with Team to take fifth.

Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was seventh, privateer Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) eighth, Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) ninth and Alessandro Delbianco (Althea MIE Racing Team Honda) tenth.

SUPERPOLE RACE

A new lap record of 1’37.472 on lap three helped Jonathan Rea (KRT) secure another race win and with it the Superpole award for 2019.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) grabbed the holeshot, but by turn sixth Rea had taken the lead and proceed to gap Bautista, finally crossing the line 2.140 seconds ahead of the Spanish rider, and 3.6 seconds ahead of third place finisher Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing).

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), one of the six riders who opted out of the first race due to the poor track conditions, was fourth, ahead of Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in fifth ahead of team-mate Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team).

Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha) finish seventh with Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) winning a fight with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) for eighth.

Local rider Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) made a strong push in the latter stages stealing tenth from Leon Camier (Moriwaki-Althea Honda Racing Team)

Race 2

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) won the final race at the Villicum circuit despite running off track on lap eight, allowing Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to briefly take the lead. Despite the off-track excursion, Rea held off charges from Bautista and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to take the top step of the podium for a second time, with Davies finishing second, over five seconds behind. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) finished third. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) caught and passed Bautista for fourth, with Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) taking sixth.

Eugene Laverty (Team GoEleven Ducati) had a storming ride to seventh, with local hero Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) rubbing elbows with some star names at home to finish eighth.

Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was ninth and a struggling Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) tenth.

With Rea claiming the World Championship in France, the fight is on for the minor placings. With one round left, Rea sits on 601 point, followed by Bautista on 460, Lowes on 305, Van Der Mark 304 and Razgatlioglu on 299

Words Gordon Ritchie

Pics GnG