Source: Supplied.

The third race of the 2017 Motul Superbike World Championship in Thailand on Saturday brought a third successive victory for defending WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), after he set a new pole record lap earlier in the day.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) joined Rea on the podium after a 20-lap race in stiffling temperatures of 36 degrees.

The Northern Irish rider held on to the lead after a good start saw him take the holeshot from pole. Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Sykes and Davies positioned themselves behind Rea’s Kawasaki ZX-10R in the early stages but none of them could match the world champion’s pace.

Davies won the battle for second, finishing six seconds behind Rea and just under two seconds in front of the pursuing Sykes. Melandri was just off the podium, less than a tenth of a second behind Sykes, whilst a good performance from Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) saw the Dutchman complete the top five.

Another solid race from Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) saw his good form continue in sixth place, with the top 10 completed by Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team), Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Nicky Hayden (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) and rookie Stefan Bradl (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team).

Saturday’s WorldSSP action at the Chang International Circuit saw Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) produce a lap of 1m37.683s for pole position, in a Tissot Superpole 2 shootout.

Despite suffering a fracture of the sacrum bone in a final lap crash at Phillip Island at round one, Frenchman Cluzel demonstrated his tenacity to lap quicker than the rest of the field in the intense Thai heat.

Just behind him on the grid is impressive local wildcard Chalermpol Polamai (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) and French rider Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) completes the front row having qualified +0.473s behind his compatriot Cluzel.

Of the Australians, Aiden Wagner (Team Lorini Honda) will start out of position 16 for Sunday’s race, while countryman Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki) was 20th in qualifying.