Ninth victory for Sykes at world race

TOM Sykes won his ninth consecutive World Superbike race at Donington Park yesterday afternoon as championship rivals Jonathan Rea and Chaz Davies crashed out.

But it proved to be another tough outing for honorary Durham favourite Eugene Laverty and Shaun Muir’s Milwaukee Aprilia squad, as once again it went downhill mid-race. Laverty had initially been left languishing mid pack in free practice and was forced to battle it out in Superpole One yesterday morning. Ending the session quickest overall he made it through to SP2, qualifying sixth on the grid.

At the green light it was Davies who got the best start and led into the first corner, but behind, wildcard Leon Haslam came up the inside from the third row and pushed Laverty wide, who in turn pushed fellow Brit Alex Lowes off track.

Lowes rejoined down in 20th, while up front it seemed that Davies had the measure of the Kawasakis of Rea and Sykes as he began to stretch out a slight lead. But it ended prematurely at the end of Lap Seven as the Aruba. IT Ducati rider crashed out at the final corner, handing the lead to reigning champ Rea. Davies was able to re-join just inside the points and managed to keep going.

Laverty, meanwhile, had struggled to come back from his first lap skirmish and slowly began to drop back. Davies and Lowes were both ahead of him by the end of Lap 15, as he found himself circulating down in 13th.

On the 19th lap, Sykes managed to find a way past Rea for the lead, and with a clear track ahead instantly began to pull a gap.

Rea’s day got even worse two laps later when he had an uncharacteristic crash, but unlike Davies there was no chance of re-joining as his Kawasaki all but destroyed itself as it launched into the air as Rea slid to safety.

This left Sykes to cruise to his ninth home race win on the bounce, with Haslam taking second. Lowes, somewhat miraculously, crossed the line third after possibly the finest comeback race of his career.

The field will be back in action today for Race Two, in a packed day which also sees Geordie boys Chrissy Rouse and Barry Teasdale out in action in the fourth round of the Pirelli National Superstock 1000 Championship.

Rouse, who finished the last race in an impressive second place, will line up on the third row in seventh position, while Teasdale starts from 18th. Today’s race will be the second two-part endurance style scrap of the season, and Rouse will be looking to leapfrog Iain Hutchinson – who is missing this event to concentrate on the TT – and move into third in the championship.