Rea begins Japan test late due to delayed flight

Published: 15 July 2010 Updated: 24 November 2014

Rea onboard the F.C.C TSR Honda at Suzuka

1 of 1

WSB star Jonathan Rea completed his first day of testing at Suzuka yesterday in preparation for his participation in this year Suzuka 8-hour race on 25th July.

Rea was due to compete in the Suzuka 300 race, which takes place in June as a build up to the 8-hour but was forced to withdraw after sustaining neck and chest burns when he crashed at the Miller Motorsports Park race in America.

Rea arrived in Japan after claiming his impressive first and second place finishes in Brno at the weekend, but due to a delayed flights only arrived yesterday morning. Despite the delay Rea was taken directly to the track and was on track testing by 2pm.

Riding the F.C.C TSR Honda complete with Showa suspension and Bridgestone tyres, compared to his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda WSB bike with Ohlins suspension and Pirelli tyres, Rea was immediately on the pace in the fully wet conditions.

Speaking to MCN at the end of the day Rea said:
“I was having problems with the rear of the bike on acceleration on the chassis side of things but other than that I really enjoyed it. The track was full of riders and there were lots of slow guys out there but I had 2 hours to build up my speed. My team-mate Kosuke Akiyoshi is having similar problems so at least we can improve our machine setting together.”

Rea will get another three hours of track time today.

By Michael Guy

Sports Editor - If you’re looking for sport insight that’s got its finger firmly on the pulse and gets to the very heart of the action with the fattest contacts book in bike sport (rather than simply relying on watching TV coverage and hoovering up what other people are saying on social media) – then Michael is your, erm, ‘guy’. An integral part of MCN’s in-depth sport coverage for over twenty years, Michael has been a fixture in every major bike sport paddock, and a few minor ones, too. He has spent a significant portion of his life living in the World Superbike global travelling circus, inside the British Superbike paddocks all around the UK, as well as traipsing the corridors of power within MotoGP and regularly making the Isle of Man a working destination for the legendary TT. Not only is he the consummate racing aficionado and journalist, but he’s also appeared on numerous podcasts, has delivered live race commentary from the booth, and has competed in trials, enduro, rally and track racing to a high level (with plenty of trophies and scars to show for his efforts, too). I you want to be in the know, Michael and the MCN sport team will get you close enough to the biggest stories in racing to be able to tell if they brushed their teeth this morning.

Rea onboard the F.C.C TSR Honda at Suzuka