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Kawasaki creates History with 100 Wins in WorldSBK on board the Ninja ZX-10RR

Kawasaki achieved one of the biggest milestones in the last round of WorldSBK where they scored a total of 100 wins in the racing series.

Both Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes from the Kawasaki Racing Team contributed to the 100th win at Donington Park where they dominated Race 1 and Race 2.

The feat was done on board Kawasaki’s ultimate track weapon, the outstanding Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.

Image source: WorldSBK

During the last WorldSBK round at Donington Park during the sixth PATA UK Round, the Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) created history by achieving their 100th win the Superbikes World Championship. The historic moment in history was achieved thanks to two of their most successful riders, Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea on board the amazing Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR.

Muzzy Racing Kawasaki race bike back in 1990

Kawasaki’s journey into the World Superbike Championship started way back in 1990 with the US-based racing team Muzzy Kawasaki which competed up until 1996. It was between 1997 until 2002 that Kawasaki started their factory assistance to Germany based Harald Eckl’s outfit while Muzzy continued their efforts in the AMA Superbike series.

Jonathan Rea winning his second consecutive WorldSBK title in 2016

The biggest achievement from Kawasaki was when Jonathan Rea won his second successive FIM WorldSBK championship title last year in Qatar. The other champion rider and Rea’s team mate, Tom Sykes also achieved a similar feat for the Kawasaki Racing Team back in 2013. This goes to how successful Kawasaki has been (and still going strong) on board their winning machine, the Ninja ZX-10RR.

Production Ninja ZX-10RR

Image source: WorldSBK

As mentioned earlier, the Ninja ZX-10RR catapulted Kawasaki into racing stardom with two consecutive titles in 2015 and 2016. Built from the ground up, the ZX-10RR has been injected with the Kawasaki’s entire racing experience, knowledge and technologies into the ultimate race machine.

Image source: WorldSBK

The best thing about this is that anyone in the world can own the ZX-10RR and get the same experience that brought Kawasaki multiple race titles in WorldSBK. With a highly-modified cylinder head, Diamond-like Carbon coated tappets wrapped within a reinforced crankcase, customers can opt for the some extra race-kit camshafts for an enrich racing experience.

Image source: WorldSBK

There’s also the updated Kawasaki Quick Shifter (KQS) that allows riders to perform upshifts as well as downshifts without having to operate the clutch lever. The total control and experience is heighten even more thanks to its Marchesini 7-spoke forged aluminium wheels and new high-performance Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SP tyres.

The imposing stealth-like matte black colour and graphic scheme is used by the Kawasaki WorldSBK team during their off-season test sessions and features minimal white graphics incorporating a snowflake with the Japanese symbol for winter. The Winter Test Edition allows you to get closer to what factory racers and test riders’ experience.

Features inherited from the racing steed include Kawasaki’s next-level electronic engine and chassis management systems, the high-spec Balance Free Front Fork that features the same construction used on Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes’ race machines, and its potent Brembo brake package.

With vast experience and race wins from their highly-esteemed Kawasaki Racing Team and champion riders, Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, they have racked ups 75 podiums, 16 pole positions, 28 fastest laps and an amazing 32 race wins. The boys are still bringing in wins for the 2017 season where Rea has been a strong candidate to win his third consecutive WorldSBK title.

The last round at Donington Park saw Tom Sykes winning Kawasaki’s 99th race win and the day after, Jonathan Rea won the manufacturer’s 100th win which cemented their names and efforts into the history books. A total of 12 riders have contributed to Kawasaki’s 100 wins in the Superbike World Championship.

Speaking on behalf of WorldSBK organizers and rights holders Dorna, Championship Director Dani Carrera, stated, “Kawasaki are a vital manufacturer for our series and to see them take their 100th win is an honour for us, as we witness history being made. They have provided the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with some fantastic racing throughout the seasons, and to have them continuing to battle in our championship is something that we are very proud of. We look forward to seeing them fight to take their 200th victory.”

Here’s all 100 race wins obtained by Kawasaki and their star riders throughout the years.

1988 – Hungaroring 2 – Adrien Morillas (GPX750) 2013 – Magny-Cours 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1990 – Brainerd 2 – Doug Chandler (ZXR750) 2014 – Motorland 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1990 – Sugo 2 – Doug Chandler (ZXR750) 2014 – Motorland 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1990 – Phillip Island 2 – Robbie Phillis (ZXR750) 2014 – Donington 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1990 – Manfield 2 – Robbie Phillis (ZXR750) 2014 – Donington 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1992 – Albacete 1 – Aaron Slight (ZXR750) 2014 – Misano 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1992 – Spa Francorchamps – Robbie Phillis (ZXR750) 2014 – Misano 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1992 – Jarama 1 – Robbie Phillis (ZXR750) 2014 – Algarve 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1993 – Hockenheim 2 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2014 – Laguna Se ca 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1993 – Brno 2 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Phillip Island 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1993 – Sugo 2 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Buriram 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1993 – Monza 1 – Aaron Slight (ZXR750) 2015 – Buriram 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1993 – Donington 1 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Motorland 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1993 – Donington 2 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Assen 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1994 – Donington 2 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Assen 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1994 – Hockenheim 1 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Imola 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1994 – Hockenheim 2 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Imola 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1994 – Sugo 1 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Donington 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1994 – Sugo 2 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Donington 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1994 – Mugello 1 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Algarve 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1994 – Donington 3 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Algarve 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1994 – Donington 4 – Scott Russell (ZXR750) 2015 – Misano 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1994 – Phillip Island 2 – Anthony Gobert (ZXR750) 2015 – Misano 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1994 – Laguna Seca 1 – Anthony Gobert (ZXR750) 2015 – Jerez 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1995 – Phillip Island 2 – Anthony Gobert (ZXR750) 2015 – Magny-Cours 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1996 – Laguna Seca 2 – Anthony Gobert (ZX-7RR) 2015 – Magny-Cours 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1996 – Phillip Island 1 – Anthony Gobert (ZX-7RR) 2016 – Phillip Island 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1996 – Phillip Island 2 – Anthony Gobert (ZX-7RR) 2016 – Phillip Island 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
1997 – A1-Ring 2 – Akira Yanagawa (ZX-7RR) 2016 – Buriram 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-1 0R)
1997 – Sugo 1 – Akira Yanagawa (ZX-7RR) 2016 – Buriram 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
1999 – Sugo 2 – Akira Yanagawa (ZX-7RR) 2016 – Assen 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
2000 – Sugo 1 – Hitoyasu Izutsu (ZX-7RR) 2016 – Assen 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
2000 – Sugo 2 – Hitoyasu Izutsu (ZX-7RR) 2016 – Sepang 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
2006 – Assen 1 – Chris Walker (ZX-10R) 2016 – Donington 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
2011 – Nürburgring 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2016 – Donington 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
2012 – Monza 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2016 – Misano 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
2012 – Silverstone 1 Loris Baz (ZX-10R) 2016 – Misano 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
2012 – Moscow 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2016 – Laguna Seca 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
2012 – Portimao 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2016 – Laguna Seca 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R)
2012 – Magny-Cours 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2016 – Lausitzring 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10R)
2013 – Assen 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2017 – Phillip Island 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10RR)
2013 – Donington 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2017 – Phillip Island 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10RR)
2013 – Donington 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2017 – Buriram 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10RR)
2013 – Imola 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2017 – Buriram 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10RR)
2013 – Imola 2 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2017 – Motorland 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10RR)
2013 – Silverstone 2 – Loris Baz (ZX-10R) 2017 – Assen 1 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10RR)
2013 – Nürburgring 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2017 – Assen 2 – Jonathan Rea (ZX-10RR)
2013 – Laguna Seca 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2017 – Donington 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10RR)
2013 – Magny-Cours 1 – Tom Sykes (ZX-10R) 2017 – Donington 2 Jonathan Rea (ZX-10RR)

A passionate individual when it comes to anything related to two wheels (or sometimes more), he enjoys the chaotic and magical world of motorsports as much as riding leisurely to the shops on his beloved Vespa. With an education-based background, he is always eager to learn and share about the poetic arts of motorcycling.

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