Source: Supplied.

Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jonathan Rea has taken his first-ever World Superbike victory at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, beating teammate Tom Sykes and Nicky Hayden, coming through under pressure to take the final spot on the rostrum.

Sykes got away in the lead from pole, leading Ducati’s Chaz Davies, who got a superb start from the second row to end lap one in P2, ahead of Sykes’ Kawasaki teammate Rea.

With the front three close together and the second Aruba.it Ducati of Davide Giugliano leading Honda’s home hero Hayden in the chase, Davies took the lead with 21 to go before crashing out of contention at turn six.

With Rea and Sykes closer to Giugliano after Davies’ crash, the reigning champion then recovered from having gone slightly deep into the Corkscrew and began to put the hammer down.

Rea showed great pace all weekend at the Californian track and began to pull away from Sykes, until a mistake at the Corkscrew once more saw the Northern Irishman soon lose the lead and forced to do the work again.

Rea eventually crossed the line over a second clear to take his first victory at the US track, with Sykes second and another world champion completing the podium in third.

Hayden’s teammate, 2014 WorldSSP champion Michael van der Mark, moved up from P11 on the grid to hunt down the front-runners and cross the line fourth after taking IodaRacing’s Lorenzo Savadori and Pata Yamaha’s Alex Lowes in the latter stages.

Lowes crossed the line in P5 and Savadori, who had never ridden at Laguna Seca, put in an impressive rookie ride to come home in the top six, ahead of Barni Racing’s Xavi Forés and Althea BMW rider Jordi Torres. Alex De Angelis and Niccolo Canepa completed the top 10.

MV Agusta’s Leon Camier moved up one place from his starting position to come home 11th, ahead of Pedercini Kawasaki’s Anthony West and the Milwaukee BMW pairing of Josh Brookes and Karel Abraham. Roman Ramos completed the top 15.