Waiting game for record-chasing Rea as Van der Mark wins again

Jonathan Rea will have to wait to set a new record of World Superbike wins after he was eclipsed by Dutchman Michael van der Mark for the second time in two days at Donington Park.

Championship leader Rea, who needs one more win to surpass the record he holds with Carl Fogarty of 59 career victories, finished third in race two after being passed by Turkey’s Toprak Razatlioglu on the final lap.

Victory gave Van der Mark an unlikely double after the Yamaha rider took his first race win in race one on Saturday, with the Northern Irishman in second.

Rea told Eurosport: “It was really difficult for me to make my way to the front and I used up a lot of energy.

“I’m really disappointed with myself. My guys gave me a great bike and the bike was ready to win, but I wasn’t.”

Rea overhauled Yamaha’s Alex Lowes to take the lead on lap 17 but Van der Mark followed him through the gap and the Dutchman soon moved ahead of Rea and started to pull away.

Van der Mark told Eurosport: “Yesterday was like a dream and I was scared to think about the double, but at the end we did it.

“I tried to stay calm and I tried to follow Alex and I was just closing on him step by step. It’s incredible to take that first victory, but to reward the guys with a double, I can’t believe it.”