JORDI Torres has won his first World Superbike race at Qatar in his rookie year after a battle with 2015 WSBK Champion Jonathan Rea and his teammate Tom Sykes.
The penultimate race of the 2015 World Superbike season was won under floodlight by Red Devils Aprilia’s Torres with Rea second and Sykes third.
Sykes led from the start before being passed by his teammate Rea and Torres. The Spaniard made an incredible move around the outside of the former champion into turn one at half race distance.
Torres’ maiden win in World Superbike maintains Aprilia’s 100% record of podium finishes at the Qatari circuit.
Jonathan Rea gave chase, but had to settle for second – his 65th podium – while Sykes finished a lonely third at the flag.
Aruba.it Racing’s Chaz Davies came out on top in the fight for fourth with Pata Honda’s Michael van der Mark and Torres’ teammate Leon Haslam to complete the top 6.
Xavi Fores converted his maiden front row start into a solid seventh. The Spanish rider finished the race three seconds ahead of compatriots David Salom, Leandro Mercado, Sylvain Guintoli and Ayrton Badovini who completed the top 11 after their own four-way fight from start to finish.
Alex Lowes was riding up in third in the first half of the 17 lap race until his Voltcom Crescent Suzuki hit problems at turn one on lap eight.
There was drama at the start for Leon Camier whose MV Agusta Reparto Corse machine suffered a technical problem on the grid after the warm up lap.
Race results:
1. Jordi Torres ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia 17 laps
2. Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki Racing +0.726
3. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing +6.579
4. Chaz Davies GBR Aruba.it Racing Ducati +7.889
5. Michael van der Mark NED PATA Honda World Superbike +13.512
6. Leon Haslam GBR Red Devils Roma Aprilia +17.755
7. Xavi Fores ESP Aruba.it Racing Ducati +23.590
8. David Salom ESP Pedercini Kawasaki +26.417
9. Leandro Mercado ARG Barni Ducati +26.489
10. Sylvain Guintoli FRA PATA Honda World Superbike +27.979
11. Ayrton Badovini ITA BMW Italia +28.120
12. Randy de Puniet FRA Voltcom Crescent Suzuki +34.064
13. Gabor Rizmayer HUN Team Toth BMW +1:09.123
14. Christophe Ponsson FRA Pedercini Kawasaki +1:10.996
15. Gianluca Vizziello ITA Grillini Kawasaki +1:13.892
16. Alex Phillis AUS Grillini Kawasaki +1:30.797
17. Imre Toth HUN Team Toth BMW +1 lap
DNF. Niccolò Canepa ITA Althea Ducati
DNF. Roman Ramos ESP GO Eleven Kawasaki
DNF. Alex Lowes GBR Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
DNF. Leon Camier GBR MV Agusta F4
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