Historic Ducati double win with Chaz Davies at Laguna Seca achieved with Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike standard SC0 rear tires

The Welsh Ducati rider won Race 1 and Race 2 to close out a perfect weekend where he kept the Kawasaki riders at bay. The DIABLO™ Superbike standard SC0 rear tire proves to be an excellent solution and is chosen by all the riders on the grid

Salinas (USA) – The ninth round of the eni FIM World Superbike Championship just came to a close, held on the spectacular Californian Laguna Seca track where Ducati triumphed with a historic and brilliant double win by Chaz Davies. The Bologna-based manufacturer’s last double win dates back to the 2012 Imola round with Spaniard Carlos Checa.

From the outset during the practice sessions on Friday the Welshman showed that he could be one of the favorites for this round and taking pole position on Saturday definitely gave him a big advantage on a track where it is historically difficult to overtake. This was a difficulty that Jonathan Rea faced as, despite his various attempts, was never able to overtake team mate Tom Sykes, who finished with two excellent second places.

The Pirelli range tires performed brilliantly: the DIABLO Superbike SC0 rear solution, a tire which is available for purchase retail by any biker, it was undoubtedly the star tire of the American weekend. In Race 1 almost all the riders chose it, whereas in Race 2 the entire grid opted for this solution, as proof of the excellent quality Pirelli has achieved with an entirely standard range of products that are also sold retail.

After winning pole position on Saturday, in Race 1 Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing-Ducati SBK Team) got off to a good start and held onto a solid lead. From mid-race the two Kawasakis rode by Tom Sykes, second, and Jonathan Rea, third (who managed to get the better of Davide Giugliano and Jordi Torres’ Aprilia, relegating them respectively to fourth and fifth place).

With about ten of the twenty-five laps left in race, the Kawasaki Racing Team riders began to battle fiercely amongst themselves for the second step of the podium, all to the advantage of Chaz Davies, who managed to manage the advantage brilliantly, increasing the gap ahead of the green machines to more than three seconds.

Toward the end of the nineteenth lap Rea tried to overtake his team mate, but Sykes successfully fended him off. The Northern Irishman’s second attempt in the next lap was also unsuccessful. The leader in the overall standings tried another couple of attacks on his team mate, but in the end he was forced to give in and manage his championship lead.

In the end Chaz Davies rode under the checkered flag first with a gap of more than 1.7 seconds over Tom Sykes, second, and Jonathan Rea who completed the podium in third place.

In Race 2 the script was very similar to Race 1, with an identical podium. First under the wire was once again the Ducati rider, Chaz Davies, followed by the Kawasakis ridden by Sykes and Rea. During the fifth lap a few drops of rain worried the riders but it was just a passing cloud which didn’t even get the track wet. From the sixth lap on it was a duel between the two Kawasakis, but the outcome was the same as Race 1. The battle for fourth place was brilliant, fought by Haslam and Torres on their Aprilias, with the Spaniard eventually getting the better for the Brit, who finished fifth.

Comment from Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Moto Racing Director:

“This year Laguna Seca decided to play around a bit with the weather, keeping us on pins and needles until the end. Had we been in England it would not have been anything new, but in California it rarely rains, rarely, but evidently not never. In any case, this in no way compromised the races, which was appreciated by all the American fans who came out to watch the action. As for Pirelli, we are quite pleased with the results, especially when you consider that the races were held using strictly standard tires such as the SC0, and that, despite the fact that the bikes are less powerful than last year, the race times have remained the same, as proof that we have improved the products in the range last year. Last but not least, my compliments to Chaz Davies and the entire Ducati Superbike team for the extraordinary show of force here at Laguna Seca and I would like all the Superbike fans to put the Malaysian round in two weeks on their calendars.”

The Pirelli solutions chosen by the riders:

The races today were partially affected by the heavy downpour in the first hours after dawn on the area next to the circuit and which forced the riders to warm up on the wet. However, as time passed the track dried out gradually, allowing the riders to use slicks from Race 1.

The most used rear solution was the standard SC0 tire, in other words, the softest compound that was chosen by 17 out of the 22 riders on the starting grid in Race 1 and by all the riders in Race 2. For the front basically all the riders opted for the S1699 SC1 development solution which, compared to the standard SC2 solution, was able to guarantee more grip on the front, an important factor on a track like Laguna Seca where the tarmac does not have much grip. The SC2 solution was chosen only by Leon Haslam and Michael VD Mark in Race 1 and Race 2 and by Leon Camier in Race 2.

Pirelli Best Lap Award:

The Pirelli Best Lap Awards are given to the riders who put in the fastest lap in the Superbike and Supersport races. They were presented at the Paddock Show during the press conference which follows the podium at the end of Superbike race 1 and race 2 and the Supersport race.

The Superbike and Supersport rider who has earned the most “Pirelli Best Lap Awards” will be elected “Best Lap Winner: fastest rider of the year” and will be awarded during the ceremony at the end of the year. Jonathan Rea is leading the Superbike standings with 8 Best Laps won.

These are the riders who won the Pirelli Best Lap Awards at Laguna Seca:

WSB Race 1 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team), 1’23.739 (5th lap)

WSB Race 2 – Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), 1’23.842 (10th lap)

The overall standings after nine round are as follows:

WSB: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team): 8; Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing-Ducati SBK Team): 4; Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team): 4; Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils): 1; Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team): 1

The 2015 Pirelli statistics for the Laguna Seca round:

• Total number of tires Pirelli brought: 1435

• Number of solutions (dry, intermediate and wet) for the Superbike class: 4 front and 5 rear

• Number of tires available for each Superbike rider: 28 front and 29 rear

• Temperature in Race 1: air 72° F, asphalt 81° F

• Temperature in Race 2: air 79° F, asphalt 91° F

• Maximum race speed reached by Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike tires: 160.9 mph, in Race 2 by Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) at 2nd lap.