Jonathan Rea Wins Race 1 at MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship GEICO Motorcycle U.S. Round featuring MotoAmerica Championship of Monterey - Speedway Digest

Gorgeous weather gracing the scenic hillsides of the Monterey Peninsula set the backdrop for a thrilling day of racing at the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship GEICO Motorcycle U.S. Round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Winners in the first of two races were decided with Kawasaki rider Jonathan Rea continuing to rewrite the history books with another victory followed by a celebration for the ages.

Rea’s storied competitive rivalry with defending event winner Chaz Davies continued with another showdown. Starting from opposite sides of the front grid, Davies took the early lead and shrugged off an attempted pass on Turn 11. Seven laps later, the ultraconsistent rider capitalized on a slight miscue by Davies and never surrendered his position, taking the top spot on a podium that also included Davies and third-place finisher Alex Lowes. The win is the 61st of Rea’s career (all-time leader), seventh of 2018, and third at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

During his victory lap, Rea dismounted from the Monster Energy Kawasaki atop the famed Corkscrew turn and ran up to celebrate at the fence with fans hoisting a flag from his home town in Northern Ireland.

Rea, Davies, and Rea’s teammate Tom Sykes are the three active riders in a seven-way tie for most World Superbike wins at the GEICO Motorcycle U.S. Round, meaning that one of them has the chance to earn sole possession of the honor. Will Rea put another feather in his cap? Will Davies answer back with a win of his own? Will Sykes or another rider step up and take the spotlight? Find out at what is sure to be another exciting battle on Sunday.

California native Jake Gagne had another first at his home track; he earned a top 10 position in World Superbike. (Photo: Bob Heathcote)

One year after making his World Superbike debut, American rider Jake Gagne nabbed his first top 10 finish in World Superbike at his home track. The San Diego native was cheered by home fans and his former contemporaries in the MotoAmerica paddock when he rode the Red Bull Honda around on the cooldown lap. Fellow American riders P.J. Jacobsen and Josh Herrin didn’t have as positive a result, though Herrin was running in the points for much of the duration of the 25-lap contest.

Many eyes were fixated on Josh Herrin except perhaps when friend and film star Channing Tatum showed to support the talented rider and take in the event. Racing in both World Superbike and MotoAmerica Motul Superbike, Herrin’s Attack Performance team quickly changed from the spec Pirelli to Dunlop tires and swapped the No. 57 for the No. 2 to go right back into battle for Race 1 of MotoAmerica. The ironman who earlier broke the longstanding AMA Superbike track record with a 1:22.908 second lap battled at the front throughout the race in second-place effort.

Roseville, Calif., native Cameron Beaubier kept his surge of momentum going with his third consecutive victory. Roger Hayden joined Beaubier and Herrin on the podium. MotoAmerica victories were an all-Yamaha affair with Jason Madama winning Twins Cup with the Altus Motorsports team.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.