IN
THE
WIND
P22
REA'S DOUBLE SCORCH
K
awasaki Racing Team's
Jonathan Rea started his
season well at Phillip Island,
but he soared to unexpected
new heights with Superpole and
two clear race wins at the all-
new and fairly scorching World
Superbike venue of Chang
International Circuit in Buriram,
Thailand.
The leader from flag-to-flag,
Rea won by 6.329 seconds
in race one and a celebratory
4.946 seconds in race two in
hot and steamy weather condi-
tions.
"I'm in a really good position
right now with the way I'm riding,
the way the bike is behaving
and the way all the guys in the
garage are working," said Rea.
"It is a great feeling right now."
Leon Haslam, on the Aprilia
Racing Red Devils team, kept
Rea on his toes at times, catch-
ing him on each occasion in
Thailand, before having to slow
his pace each time.
"The main reason I think we
lost it was that we were suffering
in the last five laps with the front
tire," said Haslam. "But also
the first three laps when we let
Jonathan [Rea] get away."
Haslam tried to stay with Rea
each time out, but lost time in
unwanted duels with other riders
at the start of each race, while
pole man Rea was already off
and counting down the laps to
his first Kawasaki double. Rea
and Haslam went 1-2 in both
races, leaving everyone else to
fight for positions.
In race one, a hard pass by
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
GOLD
&
GOOSE
