Gino Rea claimed his maiden Bennetts British Superbike Championship victory in a drama-filled race at Donington Park on Saturday afternoon, the Buildbase Suzuki rider converting his pole position into a superb victory in treacherous conditions.
Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW) took second from Christian Iddon (Vision Track Ducati) but with Jason O’Halloran and Tarran Mackenzie finishing in fifth and seventh respectively, they’re now tied for the championship lead.
Iddon closed to within 26 points of the title lead but it was a disaster for the other title fighters with Tommy Bridewell, Josh Brookes, Peter Hickman, Danny Buchan and Glenn Irwin all crashing out.
Rea grabbed the holeshot off the line but it was Buchan who led the field round at the end of lap one, Rea slotting into second ahead of Glenn Irwin, Josh Brookes, Lee Jackson and Tommy Bridewell. Iddon and Mackenzie were already up to ninth and tenth from their lowly grid positions with OHalloran running in 12th.
Buchan and Rea had opened up a 1.5s lead over third placed Irwin second time around with Brookes still in fourth but Bridewell was now in fifth having overhauled Jackson at the Foggy Esses. Dean Harrison was an early faller at the Esses.
Buchan ran wide at Redgate at the start of lap three which enabled Rea to reclaim the lead but Hickman crashed out at Starkey’s and Irwin followed him soon after at the Esses once more.
Fourth time around and the front three of Rea, Buchan and Brookes were running together but Buchan’s race ended before he started his fifth lap as he crashed out under braking for the Melbourne Hairpin.
That meant Rea led Brookes by 1.4s with Bridewell now in third ahead of Jackson, Ryde and Iddon. Mackenzie was now in ninth but was running one place behind team-mate O’Halloran.
The sixth lap saw further drama though when Brookes had a slide at Schwantz Curve and although he held on he ran onto the grass and tipped off. Just a few corners later, Bridewell was out too as he crashed going into Coppice.
Lap six and Rea’s lead was up to seven seconds with Jackson now in second and Storm Stacey going great guns in third. Iddon was the leading championship contender in fifth, ten seconds clear of O’Halloran who, in turn, was five seconds ahead of Mackenzie.
Stacey moved up to second on lap seven and at the beginning of the eighth lap, Iddon overhauled Ryde to take over fourth place, O’Halloran and Mackenzie still running in sixth and seventh respectively.
However, as the race entered it’s second half, Stacey’s brave ride ended as he crashed out of second at Redgate at the beginning of lap nine and that promoted Iddon up the order to third and the final podium position.
Iddon had a moment at the Esses on lap ten although he regrouped quickly but Rea’s lead was remaining steady at seven seconds with the battle for second now red hot between Jackson, Iddon and Ryde.
Indeed, Iddon took over second on lap 11 after Jackson ran wide slightly at the Melbourne Hairpin and the same lap saw Joe Francis move up to sixth on the surviving FHO Racing BMW and push Mackenzie back to seventh.
Iddon only stayed in second for one lap as Ryde got ahead on the run towards Goddards on lap 12 but just four tenths of a second covered those two and Jackson and Iddon was back in second at the start of lap 14.
Rea wasn’t to be denied his maiden win though and a superb ride saw him take the victory but it was Ryde who prevailed in the battle for second with Iddon taking a good, and valuable, third with Jackson in a close fourth.
O’Halloran took a solid fifth ahead of Francis, Mackenzie, Ryan Vickers, Bradley Ray and Rory Skinner.
