Rea strikes back in Argentina WorldSBK sprint race

Full Argentina World Superbike sprint race results

Jonathan Rea has produced lap record pace to win the Superpole sprint race in Argentina as the full World Superbike championship grid returned to action.

After just 12 riders contested the opener in Argentina, with six riders sitting out the race due to safety concerns, cooler track temperatures ensured safer conditions at Circuito San Juan Villicum to see every rider start the race.

Rea bolted clear from pole position, producing a new lap record in the process, to take victory by just over two seconds for Kawasaki from Race 1 winner Alvaro Bautista on the Aruba.it Racing Ducati, despite a hairy moment for the newly-crowned five-time world champion on the penultimate lap.

In a repeat of the podium trio from the opening race, Toprak Razgatlioglu completed the rostrum in third place for Puccetti Kawasaki with factory Ducati’s Chaz Davies charging up to fourth place.

Alex Lowes led the Pata Yamaha charge in fifth in front of team-mate Michael van der Mark and GRT Yamaha’s Sandro Cortese.

Leon Haslam struggled to replicate the pace of his team-mate with the Kawasaki rider down in eighth place but ahead of BMW’s Tom Sykes.

Local favourite Leandro Mercado sprinted through from last on the grid to 10^th place on the Orelac Racing Kawasaki with Pedercini Kawasaki’s Jordi Torres getting the better of Moriwaki Althea Honda’s Leon Camier in the closing stages.

With Eugene Laverty in 13^th place for Team Goeleven Ducati he saw off the challenge from fellow customer Ducati rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi on the Barni Ducati.

Marco Melandri claimed 15^th place for GRT Yamaha ahead of Alessandro Delbianco (Althea Honda), Markus Reiterberger (BMW) and Ryuichi Kiyonari (Moriwaki Althea Honda) as Loris Baz was the only non-finisher after falling on the opening lap at Turn 16 for Ten Kate Racing Yamaha.