Circuit Information:
Length: 4.023 Km
Pole position: Left
Corners: 12
Left corners: 5
Right corners: 7
Corner radius: 10
Max slope: 8%
Start/finish straight: 550 m
In Search of an Immovable Object
Kawasaki Racing Team
Jonathan Rea #65
Rea, a name spoken of in hushed tones behind darkened trailers in the dead of night. Cursed by some, feared by many, no single name in the paddock currently strikes dread in the hearts of men with such abject ferocity. For just one moment he looked vulnerable, weak, and true to form the vultures had pounced. Race 1 saw Rea fall uncharacteristically backwards through the pack, swallowed up while the braying hounds of his competitors leaped yelping to the forefront. It seemed that maybe, just maybe, the championship would have been opened up again. Then the red flag happened, the team regrouped, and we got to see just what makes an unstoppable force unstoppable. 6 lap sprint to the end? Not a problem. The team identified the mistakes in setup made for for the first race and corrected them in very definitive fashion. By the third corner there was no doubt that it was a whole different race, and by the end of the first of 6 laps it was clear the regular service had resumed. Chalk up another double for the #65. Now a strong 87 points ahead of rival Haslam, Rea has established a strong grip on the title's throat and has officially entered "it's his to lose" territory. And we're technically not even a third of the way in. If ever there was a time for his opponents to rally against his growing domination it would be here, at his home track. Surprisingly, or perhaps not considering his previous rides, Rea has only been on the podium once in the past 6 attempts at Donnington. The track may be just the ..... in his armor that the other riders need to hammer against.
2014 - Pata Honda
- Race 1 - 6th
- Race 2 - 6th
2013 - Pata Honda
- Race 1 - 4th
- Race 2 - 1th
2012 - Honda World Superbike Team
- Race 1 - 4th
- Race 2 - 1st
Red Devils Aprilia Racing Team
Jordi Torres #81
It's sometimes hard to remember just how "young" Torres is in the class, but then again it is sometimes all too easy. Torres' style on the Aprilia is somewhat wild, the bike often bucking and weaving under him as he manhandles it around the track. It is an exciting spectacle for the fans, but contradicts the often held mantra that the RSV4 rewards a smoother touch. Yet his results are without question. Despite only 4 (!) apparent races in the lower classes, Torres landed the coveted factory Aprilia ride and has already managed to score his first podium in the Italian countryside. Despite the predictably rough patches for a class novice, particularly aboard the notoriously finicky v-4, Torres sits a solid 5th in championship. He may be 141 points behind leader Rea, but only 54 points behind his more experienced teammate with a lot of racing left to go. The main point for the Spaniard going into Donnington is that his composure aboard the bike seems to be more refined, and it is paying great dividends. For Aprilia's push to claim at least the manufacturer's championship Torres is proving an invaluable asset, picking up the pace when Haslam falters. Given his youthful exuberance in a fight, he could prove a critical factor in deciding the championship should he truly find his way to the front in the next few races as it is doubtful that he would be as respectful of Rea as some others have been.
2014 - N/A
- Race 1 -
- Race 2 -
2013 - N/A
- Race 1 -
- Race 2 -
2012 - N/A
- Race 1 -
- Race 2 -
Aruba.it Racing Ducati
Chaz Davies #7
With 123 points to his name, Chaz Davies sits 4th in the championship and there is no possible way that he can be happy about that. There is a theory of balance in the world, that for every give there must be a take. If there is such a thing as the Unified Theory of Conservation of Luck, then Davies needs to solidly bop Rea over the head for skewing chance away from his favor. While Rea enjoyed an incredible streak of luck with a red flag happening at just the right time for him to make the necessary changes to leapfrog back into the lead in race 1, Davies suffered a mechanical failure at just the right time to ensure that he was ineligible for the restart. To make matters worse, he suffered a very uncharacteristic second failure in race two, denying the Briton a total of 50 possible points on the weekend. To add further insult to injury, both failures occurred while Davies was in a very strong position and challenging the lead riders. Could he have bagged the 50? We may never know, but he certainly looked up for the fight. Unfortunately he doesn't have the best record around his home circuit, having never even sniffed a podium aboard the big bikes. His closest finish was last year aboard the Ducati where he managed 5th, but 2015 is different on many levels. For one thing, Davies is finally with a team that has carried over from the previous year and enjoys the benefit of the enhanced relationship and communication that allows. Further the updated Panigale is proving a force to be reckoned with when the lights go out. With the disaster from the last round, look for Davies to make his mark on home soil as the Brits fight it out.
2014 - Ducati Superbike Team
- Race 1 - 5th
- Race 2 - 5th
2013 - BMW Motorrad Goldbet SBK
- Race 1 - 8th
- Race 2 - 6th
2012 - ParkinGo MTC Racing
- Race 1 - 12th
- Race 2 - 7th
