2016 Sepang World Superbike Results & Recap

2016 Sepang World Superbike Results

American fans had something to cheer about following round six of the 2016 World Superbike Championship at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

For the first of his SBK career, Honda World Superbike’s Nicky Hayden earned a victory; the 2006 MotoGP Champion won a soaking-wet race 2 aboard his CBR1000RR SP Fireblade. The last time the 34-year-old “Kentucky Kid” won a race was the 2006 US Grand Prix at Laguna Seca Mazda Raceway.

“I’m really happy for this win. Last night I was so frustrated that my crew chief asked me if I was OK and told me not to give up. I told him not to worry, and that I was just a bit of a sore loser. This morning in the dry we had good pace and great potential. When it started raining I knew I had to go for it: I’m definitely not in the championship fight and that meant I could risk a bit more. In the first laps I took some chances to get to the front and I didn’t want to get caught up racing in a pack like in Assen,” Hayden says.

“I wanted to be at the front with clear visibility. As I got to the front the bike worked so well because the team knows the bike inside out and the set-up was perfect. I tried to stay as comfortable as possible while in the lead because we weren’t sure of tire durability on this track with the new asphalt.

“I managed to pull a gap and definitely in the end wasn’t easy, because those guys were coming for me. I was able to hold on to the lead and get my first win in a long time. It’s been a few dry years but I never stopped trying; to get a win at this point in my career in Superbike is truly amazing.”

Joining Hayden on the race-two podium were Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s Davide Giugliano and Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jonathan Rea, the reigning World SBK Champion.

Hayden didn’t do as well in the dry race one, the SBK rookie finishing eighth. Claiming that win was the 2013 WSBK Champion Tom Sykes aboard the Kawasaki Racing Team Ninja ZX-10R. Sykes was joined the podium by Rea and the other factory Ducati 1199 Panigale R pilot, Chaz Davies, who doubled two weeks ago at Imola. Sykes earned the race-one win from a record Superpole, and also a new circuit record of 2:03.637.

After six of 14 rounds, Rea now has 257 points, 42 ahead of Davies. Sykes is in third with 187, and Hayden sixth with 115.

Following are the official race recaps from Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia.

2016 Sepang World SBK Results, Race 1 Recap

When the 16-lap race began, Pata Yamaha’s Alex Lowes got to turn one first, but soon the Kawasaki duo of Sykes and Rea moved pass the YZF-R1 rider. Behind, Honda’s Michael Van der Mark moved from 10th to sixth, and Hayden up into fifth.

Sykes began to pull a gap on teammate Rea, who found himself chased by key Championship rival Chaz Davies. The Yorkshireman also set a new Lap Record on Lap 2, his first flying lap of the track, on his way to a commanding lead and victory. Jonathan Rea on the sister ZX-10R followed his teammate home to P2 after eventually shaking off the challenge of Ducati’s Chaz Davies.

Davies was the lead Ducati in Race 1 once again as the Welshman took his Aruba.it machine to yet another podium to cement his consistent challenge, and teammate Davide Giugliano, after missing the Round in 2015 due to injury, fought for position in the second group before crossing the line in P6.

Markus Reiterberger made good on his promise in Sepang as the rookie of the track and impressed for Althea BMW S1000RR, leading a charge back up the field to P4 in a stunning show of pace, until suffering a mechanical problem that forced him to retire. Teammate Jordi Torres also found great pace in Race 1 in Sepang as the Spaniard fought to the front of the second group to take P4.

Lowes, after a run off in the first half of the race, staged an impressive fight back to take P5 and score a good haul of points for Pata Yamaha as the team run only one bike after Sylvain Guintoli’s crash in Imola.

Hayden and van der Mark had a race of opposites as the American suffered more towards the end of the Race and his Dutch teammate moved up the through the field. After the duo met in the middle on track, van der Mark was able to take his veteran teammate on the penultimate lap to come home just ahead of Hayden in P7.

Anthony West, riding for injured Sylvain Barrier at Pedercini Kawasaki, moved up in the Race from his grid position to come home in P9, an incredible result after only getting on the bike for the first time on Friday.

MV Agusta rider Leon Camier suffered in the early part of Race 1 in Sepang but fought back steadily to close out the top 10 and Aprilia duo Lorenzo Savadori, fastest on Friday, and recovering teammate Alex De Angelis, were both running in the points before being unable to see the flag due to separate incidents on track.

Josh Brookes beat Sepang veteran Karel Abraham over the line in the Milwaukee BMW inter-team battle, ahead of Lucas Scassa, a replacement rider, and Xavi Forés for Barni Racing Team. Grillini rider Josh Hook was the final points scorer, with the Australian rookie closing out the top 15.

2016 Sepang WSBK Results, Race 2 Recap

Under difficult track conditions, Hayden earned his first World SBK victory, finishing ahead of Giugliano and Rea.=

Sunday in Sepang saw sun replaced by rain as a downpour hit the circuit just before the WorldSSP Race was due to start. As the weather conditions worsened and the World Supersport Race was postponed until after WorldSBK, the riders had a long look at the sky in preparation for a Wet Race.

A cautious line up threaded through turns 1 and 2 for the first time as the front row of Sykes, Rea and Lowes was joined by Hayden from the second row. Hayden, who is a veteran of the track but a WorldSBK rookie, then began to pull a gap on second placed Rea as riders behind battled for position.

With grip tricky to judge, only Kentucky Kid Hayden seemed confident in the initial laps, with Rea remaining behind in P2 as Lowes and Sykes struggled to find similar pace. With the top three settled as Hayden, Rea and Davies, it was second Ducati rider Giugliano who then began to set the fastest laps of the track and caught teammate and title contender Davies.

After shadowing the Welshman, Giugliano then made his move and took the position, then heading off after Nicky Hayden in pursuit of a victory. The Italian came home P2 after the late charge, as Rea passed Davies to lock out the podium in P3, ahead of his Welsh title rival who crossed the line in P4. Defending Champion Rea remains the only rider on the grid to have been on the rostrum in every race.

Honda’s van der Mark moved up from his P10 grid position to end the race in P6 after a spectacular last corner against Alex De Angelis after a race of spectacular duels, with Aprilia rider De Angelis also making good progress from his starting position as he recovers from injury.

Sykes, after starting from pole, suffered in the conditions in Race 2 in Malaysia and eventually crossed the line in P8. West lived up to his reputation as a maestro of wet conditions as the Australian came home in the top five, giving the team their best result of 2016 so far and proving second Kawasaki on Sunday.

Camier, after another top 10 result in Race 1, came home P9 in the wet on Sunday afternoon, with Reiterberger completing the top ten for Althea BMW after a mechanical problem forced the German to retire in Race 1 on Saturday. Yamaha’s Lowes, after starting from his best qualifying position, suffered a crash in Race 2 and has been diagnosed with a closed fracture of his collarbone.

The 2016 World Superbike Championship now breaks for two weeks ahead of round seven at Donington Park.

2016 Sepang World Superbike Results, Race 1

2016 Sepang World Superbike Results, Race 2

2016 World Superbike Point Standings (after six of 14 rounds)