Rea fastest despite early crash at Phillip Island test

Click here for the combined results from day two of the WorldSBK Phillip Island test

Jonathan Rea has topped the second and final day of the final pre-season World Superbike test at Phillip Island having battled through as second fall early in the morning session to beat Marco Melandri’s provisionally fastest time.

The defending World Superbike champion suffered his first heavy fall of 2018 on the opening day of the Phillip Island test and once again tipped off at the Australian circuit, this time at turn 10, during the opening laps of the morning session.

But the triple World Superbike champion bounced back to set the fastest time of the day in the third session with a 1m 30.598s. Rea’s effort beat day one timesheet-topper Melandri’s provisionally top effort by just over one-tenth but the Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider held on to second place ahead of factory Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes.

Eugene Laverty enjoyed impressive gains thanks to an improved rear feeling with his Milwaukee Aprilia, despite suffering a late fall at turn four, but held on to fourth place on the combined timesheet ahead of top independent rider Xavi Fores for Barni Ducati.

Pata Yamaha continued its muted progress as both Michael van Mark and Alex Lowes notched up a marathon number of laps on the final test day with the Dutch rider taking sixth and his teammate in seventh on the times.

After an impressive time on the opening day, Leon Camier somewhat faded to eighth place for Red Bull Honda but both he, Loris Baz (Althea BMW) and Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) saw the top ten stay within one second of pace-setter Rea.

Chaz Davies continued to endure a frustrating test on the timesheet by ending the second day 11^th overall but was able to produce 120 laps on Tuesday to demonstrate he’d shaken off the effects of his injury at Jerez from November.