Sykes nails WSB title for Kawasaki

Tom Sykes sealed the 2013 title in his fifth season of World Superbike racing with a safe ride to third in Race 1.

Tom Sykes sealed the 2013 title in his fifth season of World Superbike racing with a safe ride to third in Race 1.

Published Oct 21, 2013

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Tom Sykes achieved an historic milestone at Jerez both for himself and his team with his first World Superbike championship and Kawasaki's first in 20 years, since Scott Russell's in 1993.

Sykes ended an outstanding season with eight Superpoles, nine race wins and 17 podiums.

RACE 1

Sykes sealed the 2013 title in his fifth season of World Superbike racing with a safe ride to third, behind Aprilia star Eugene Laverty - who won by less than a quarter of a second after a kamikaze last-corner pass on BMW works rider Marco Melandri

Laverty and Melandri pulled away in the early laps, with Laverty leading most of the way, until Melandri pulled the pin with a gutsy pass in Turn 6 on the penultimate tour that very nearly won him the race.

Laverty's Aprilia Factory team mate Sylvain Guintoli finished a lonely fourth to seal the Manufacturers' title for the Noale factory, ahead of Aprilia privateers Toni Elias and Davide Giugliano, neither of whom was able repeat the competitive lap times they set in practice and qualifying.

RESULTS

1 Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) - 36min00.919

2 Marco Melandri (BMW) +0.218sec

3 Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +6.681

4 Sylvain Guintoli(Aprilia) +9.327

5 Toni Elias (Aprilia) +20.446

6 Davide Giugliano (Aprilia) +27.633

7 Chaz Davies (BMW) +28.621

8 Leon Camier (Suzuki) +29.548

9 Xavier Fores (Ducati) +29.964

10 Mark Aitchison (Kawasaki) +36.981

RACE 2

Laverty battled it out with Sykes throughout the first half of the race, eventually overtaking the Kawasaki at the of lap 13 and pulling away to claim his ninth win - and his second double - of the season and the ninth race victory - same number of wins as the new Champion.

Guintoli again completed the podium with a lonely third, ahead of Elias, Melandri's BMW team mate Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet) and Suzuki rider Leon Camier.

Tom Sykes:"Words cannot describe how I feel. I'm usually pretty level headed but since Magny-Cours there have been moments when my mind started dreaming, giving me had goose bumps even to dream I could be world champion - but that was maybe two percent of what I'm feeling now.

“It was great for the championship that the title was decided at the final round again.”

Eugene Laverty:"Two wins that came in different ways, as the second one was kind of easier because I was able to pull away from Tom once I got past him. I'm happy with this double that extended our podium streak in the final part of the season. It's a shame that we lost some points early on in the year, but I'm not the type of guy who likes to make excuses. Second place overall is a great result, as well as the Manufacturers' title."

RESULTS

1 Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) 36min05.989

2 Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +2.711sec

3 Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) +5.710

4 Toni Elias (Aprilia) +15.509

5 Chaz Davies (BMW) +21.830

6 Leon Camier (Suzuki) +26.558

7 Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) +30.840

8 Jules Cluzel (Suzuki) +33.056

9 Mark Aitchison (Kawasaki) +36.299

10 Davide Giugliano (Aprilia) +40.867

FINAL STANDINGS:

1 Tom Sykes - 447 points\

2 Eugene Laverty - 424

3 Sylvain Guintoli - 402

4 Marco Melandri - 359

5 Chaz Davies - 290

6 Davide Giugliano - 211

7 Michel Fabrizio - 188

8 Lorenzo Baz - 180

9 Jonathan Rea - 176

10 Jules Cluzel

MANUFACTURERS:

1 Aprilia - 550

2 Kawasaki - 501

3 BMW - 443

4 Suzuki - 243

5 Honda - 236

6 Ducati - 185

7 Yamaha - 8.

WORLD SUPERSPORT

Sam Lowes (Yamaha) put the icing on the cake of his title-winning season by crossing the line victorious in the final 20-lap World Supersport race of 2013, after race-long battle Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki): the Turk did his best to keep the lead after several overtaking manoeuvres, but Lowes managed to pass him once more, with two laps to go, and pulled away for the win.

Roberto Rolfo (MV Agusta ) got the better of Michael van der Mark (Honda) for third, with his Pata Honda team mate Lorenzo Zanetti finishing fifth, 23 seconds off the leader. Riccardo Russo (Kawasaki) edged Kev Coghlan (Kawasaki) to finish sixth place and former SA Superbike champion Sheridan Morais (Honda) did the same ton Vladimir Leonov (Yamaha) for eighth.

Mathew Scholtz (Suzuki) was 14th , while Ronan Quarmby crashed out of 18th place three laps from the end.

RESULTS

1 Sam Lowes (Yamaha) - 34min59.865

2 Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) +2.117sec

3 Roberto Rolfo (MV Agusta) +7.966

4 Michael van der Mark (Honda) +9.714

5 Lorenzo Zanetti (Honda) +23.643

6 Riccardo Russo (Kawasaki) +25.234

7 Kevin Coghlan (Kawasaki) +25.427

8 Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki) +27.025

9 Vladimir Leonov (Yamaha) +27.173

10 Fabien Foret (Kawasaki) +29.371

14 Mathew Scholtz (Suzuki) +36.110

Ronan Quarmby (Honda) - DNF

SUPERSTOCK 1000

Jeremy Guarnoni put in superb ride to lead home the similar Kawasakis of Leandro Mercado, Romain Lanusse and Allesandro Andreotti. 2012 SA Superbike champion Greg Gildenhuys (BMW) finished 12th while Capetonian David 'McFlash' McFadden, out for the first time on the BWG Kawasaki, came home 23rd.

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