NEWLY-CROWNED European Superstock 600 Champion Gino Rea has just completed a hugely impressive test on Cal Crutchlow's series-winning Yamaha World Supersport bike at the Portimao, Portugal.
The young Londonner’s best lap of 1m 46.423 was just a second adrift of the pace set by race winner Eugene Laverty at the same venue on Sunday and would have seen him finishing tenth in the race, beating twice World Supersport champion Andrew Pitt (Honda) in the process.
The opportunity to attend the factory-backed test was secured by Rea’s mentor Andrew Stone on Monday evening. Rea was informed of the deal just moments after he arrived back in the UK with it then being a case of grabbing a few hours sleep before heading back to the venue he’d just come from.
Also in attendance were ex-MotoGP riders James Ellison and Anthony West, along with Columbian Martin Cardenas.
Rea said: “The bike was amazing to ride. I think I could have posted a 1m 45 lap, but my final test session was red-flagged and finished ten minutes early. The squad was great fun to work with and the Yamaha team bosses seemed happy with my performance, which is the main thing. I’ve matched the pace of Anthony West and got close to the speed of James Ellison, who had more track time than me, on a bike I’d never ridden before so I’ve got to be happy.”
