WSBK: Redding storms to victory in Ducati 1-2
By Short Shift News
Scott Redding has taken his second race victory of the weekend in a dominating race two performance at Circutio de Jerez – Angel Nieto.
Redding made a bright start from his second position grid spot, slotting into second behind Jonathan Rea who took the holeshot from pole position with Loris Baz jumping up to third ahead of Chaz Davies who made a strong start from fifth on the grid.
Scott Redding then hit the front with a strong move up the inside at turn six and immediately opened a gap on the struggling Jonathan Rea. Toprak Razgatlioglu jumped up to third position as Loris Baz slipped to sixth on the second lap.
Meanwhile, Eugene Laverty was in serious trouble with his BMW, slipping to the back of the field and a long way off the race pace.
Back at the front, Jonathan Rea lost touch with the Aruba.it Racing Ducati and started his defence on Toprak Razgatlioglu, who in turn was defending from Chaz Davies. Davies eventually made his way passed the Turk, who suffered an embarrassing tip-off at turn two on his out-lap.
Scott Redding’s pace was +0.4s quicker than Jonathan Rea, who eventually lost out to Chaz Davies into turn nine in what was a brilliant set-up pass. Rea looked to respond to Davies into turn one, but ran wide allowing Razgatlioglu passed the champion. The Kawasaki rider looked to respond at turn six but nearly clipped the rear wheel of the YZR-M1. Alex Lowes then got in the mix, trying to pass both of them into Dani Pedrosa corner, but ran off the track and slotted back in behind his team-mate.
While Rea was suffering, the two Yamaha’s of Loris Baz and Michael van der Mark were battling hard, van der Mark eventually slipped passed Baz into turn six with Baz responding at turns nine and ten.
Loris Baz then crashed out at the final corner, losing the front out of the top six positions.
All eyes were then set on a hard charging pair of Ducati’s. Chaz Davies was closing the gap down to Redding, while FP2 pace setter Michael Ruben Rinaldi started closing down van der Mark. Rinaldi passed the PATA Yamaha into turn five but van der Mark held on in a brilliant battle through turn six, seven and eight. Rinaldi eventually cleared the Dutchman and set after the two Kawasakis.
After a hard charge, Rinaldi eventually split the Kawasaki duo, passing Lowes and eventually Jonathan Rea, despite Rea fighting back.
Lowes was able to then capitalise on Rea’s pace deficit, passing his team-mate, demoting the champion down to sixth.
Meanwhile, race leader Scott Redding crossed the line to start his final lap of the Jerez circuit ahead of Chaz Davies, who was set for his 90th career podium.
Redding eventually took the win ahead of Davies and Razgatlioglu with Rinaldi finishing fourth ahead of the two Kawasaki’s of Lowes and Rea.
Michael van der Mark finished seventh ahead of Alvaro Bautista and Marco Melandri with Garrett Gerloff rounding out the top ten.
Tom Sykes took 11th ahead of Leon Haslam, Xavi Fores, Sandro Cortese and Landro Mercado.
Scott Redding opens his lead to 24 points over Rea, with Alex Lowes clawing some points back on his team-mate.
The World Superbike Championship now heads to Portugal for round three of the championship, a track that championship leader Scott Redding is faily unfamiliar with.
Image credit: Aruba.it Ducati