SBK 2019 3 2019-04-07 2019-04-07 https://r2.thesportsdb.com/images/media/event/thumb/oc76jv1558103950.jpg https://r2.thesportsdb.com/images/media/event/poster/kvhmhy1558103933.jpg Sprint Race The Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider cleared off at the front from pole position to pull out a useful lead over the opening half of the sprint race before maintaining the gap to seal a eighth straight win. It sets up a shot at history for the Spaniard who can match Neil Hodgson’s nine wins in a row at the start of the 2003 World Superbike championship in the second full race. Rea and Lowes traded overtakes during the sprint race but the reigning World Superbike champion retained second spot by just 0.115s at the finish line. Race 2 Alvaro Bautista has equalled Neil Hodgson’s feat of nine consecutive wins at the start of a World Superbike championship to take a third hat-trick of victories, as Jonathan Rea claimed second place seeing off Chaz Davies. Bautista’s ninth straight win sees him match Hodgson’s same achievement from the 2003 World Superbike championship, while the win also marks Ducati’s 350th win in the series. Rea was involved in another race-long battle for second place – this time against his Kawasaki team-mate Leon Haslam, Pata Yamaha’s Alex Lowes and Davies – but planned his race to preserve his tyre life for a late-race charge passing all three rivals over the final few laps. With Davies having to settle for third place he did avoid any last-lap moves from Haslam, as Lowes faded late on in fifth place. 597857