The 2018 World Superbike Championship headed to the USA this past weekend for the only time this season.The focus ahead of round eight of 13 at Laguna Seca was on the dominate teams so far this season – the Kawasaki Racing Team of Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, and the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team of Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies.Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea
When the SBK weekend was complete at the track known for its Corkscrew, Rea was able to score his first double at Laguna Seca, and his second this season (the other arriving in Imola).Superpole winner Davies claimed second in both races. Finishing third in race one was Yamaha’s Alex Lowes, and in race two the final podium position went to Aprilia’s Eugene Laverty.Rea earned the first race aboard his Kawasaki ZX-10RR by nearly three seconds, and race two by five seconds. This was his eight victory of the season, giving him a 50-percent winning record for 2018 WorldSBK so far.Rea also earned his 125th-career WSBK podium, and is now 75 points ahead of Davies with five rounds remaining as he chases his fourth-straight WorldSBK title.Following Sunday’s race two, Jonathan Rea said: “An incredible weekend. I expected to be strong here but I had no idea how strong. Two weekends in a row now, Brno and here, we have been the reference. Weekends like that do not happen all the time so we have to really absorb it and enjoy the moment.“A double win at Laguna in the sunshine – it does not get much better. There are so many people out around the track. A massive thanks to all my crew, especially Pere because even though we won yesterday with a margin, last night he changed the bike completely and gave me some more confidence in the front.“It worked a dream. It was one of those races where I could absorb what was happening, the crowd, the weather, where I was; it really was an incredible race.”Ducati’s Chaz DaviesNext up for the WorldSBK calendar is the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, which will host round nine July 6-8.Following are the official results and point standings:
2018 Laguna Seca World Superbike Results, Race 1
Pos.
Rider
Manufacturer
Nationality
Time
1
Jonathan Rea
Kawasaki
GBR
35’15.071
2
Chaz Davies
Ducati
GBR
00’02.978
3
Alex Lowes
Yamaha
GBR
00’12.212
4
Eugene Laverty
Aprilia
GBR
00’14.309
5
Marco Melandri
Ducati
ITA
00’16.712
6
Xavi Fores
Ducati
ESP
00’18.929
7
Tom Sykes
Kawasaki
GBR
00’25.638
8
Michael van der Mark
Yamaha
NLD
00’26.211
9
Jordi Torres
MV Agusta
ESP
00’31.579
10
Jake Gagne
Honda
USA
00’38.084
11
Yonny Hernandez
Kawasaki
COL
00’44.971
12
Román Ramos
Kawasaki
ESP
00’45.412
13
Karel Hanika
Yamaha
CZE
00’50.768
14
Lorenzo Savadori
Aprilia
ITA
01’06.063
15
Loris Baz
BMW
FRA
01’30.000
2018 Laguna Seca World Superbike Results, Race 2
Pos.
Rider
Manufacturer
Nationality
Time
1
Jonathan Rea
Kawasaki
GBR
35’09.683
2
Chaz Davies
Ducati
GBR
00’05.099
3
Eugene Laverty
Aprilia
GBR
00’06.711
4
Alex Lowes
Yamaha
GBR
00’08.011
5
Michael van der Mark
Yamaha
NLD
00’09.746
6
Xavi Fores
Ducati
ESP
00’14.791
7
Jordi Torres
MV Agusta
ESP
00’16.711
8
Tom Sykes
Kawasaki
GBR
00’17.284
9
Jake Gagne
Honda
USA
00’35.421
10
Loris Baz
BMW
FRA
00’39.802
11
Leandro Mercado
Aprilia
ARG
00’42.946
12
Román Ramos
Kawasaki
ESP
00’43.437
13
Leon Camier
Honda
GBR
00’44.563
14
Karel Hanika
Yamaha
CZE
00’47.257
15
Yonny Hernandez
Kawasaki
COL
00’53.415
2018 World Superbike Point Standings (after eight of 13 rounds)
