It was a three-man battle for supremacy in the 2021 World Superbike Championship Series, and a tale of two seasons.Six-time and reigning WSBK titleholder Jonathan Rea got off to a strong start, winning four of the first ten races while scoring nine podiums. That gave Rea a 37-point lead over Toprak Razgatlıoğlu after five rounds of the 13-round series. Scott Redding had two wins and four podiums in the first four rounds, but suffered DNFs and other poor finishes to put him 81 points behind Rea.2021 World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu
However, Rea struggled from Round 6 to the first race of round 11, going without a win. During that stretch, Razgatlıoğlu scored seven race wins, taking over the series lead at Round 9 in Barcelona. Rea finished strongly, with three wins and two P2s in the final five races. However, Razgatlıoğlu’s win and three podiums in the stretch were good enough for him to take the crown by 13 points. Redding finished 63 points behind Razgatlıoğlu, and a staggering 210 points ahead of Rookie of the Year Andrea Locatelli, Redding’s closest pursuer.The triumvirate of Razgatlıoğlu, Rea, and Redding accounted for 24 of the 2021 World Superbike Championship Series’ 26 available wins. Michael Rinaldi took the two remaining victories on his way to P5 in the final standings.
2021 World Superbike Championship Final Standings
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, Yamaha, 564 points (11 race wins)
KTM RC 390 and Gordon McCall of Quail Motorcycle Gathering
byMotos and Friends by Ultimate Motorcycle
Hello and welcome once again to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast—Motos and Friends.
This week’s Podcast is brought to you by Yamaha motorcycles. Discover how the YZF-R7 provides the perfect balance of rider comfort and true supersport performance by checking it out at YamahaMotorsports.com, or see it for yourself at your local dealer.
This week features Senior Editor Nic de Sena’s impressions of the new KTM RC 390. The entry-level KTM has always been an impressive motorcycle that has sold extremely well, however the factory has now taken the bike to another level, with top-spec features that are typically found on flagship machines. Clearly KTM has realized that even smaller engined machines should have high spec suspension, brakes and electronics packages. Nic tells us how well the new RC 390 is equipped, and what he thought of riding the smaller displacement rocket.
In the second segment I chat with automotive and motorcycle industry icon, Gordon McCall. Gordon is the Director of Motorsports at the Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel Valley, California.
This weekend of Saturday May 14th sees the annual Quail Motorcycle Gathering re-start after its Covid-forced hiatus, and having attended every one of the previous Motorcycle Gatherings, personally I’m very happy that the event is back on the schedule. Gordon chats about the event and a little of what’s happening this year. It’s a great event and if you feel like a trip to the gorgeous Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, you’ll get to meet Gordon, Roland Sands, and of course a large number of stunning motorcycles too.
From all of us at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!
