Sykes and Kawasaki reach new milestones
Like he did in Imola, Tom Sykes dominated the entire weekend in Magny-Cours by scoring pole position, double win and posting the fastest race lap in both races. Such a level of dominance was recorded only 22 times in the Championship history. In Magny-Cours Sykes was able also to lead lights to flag in both races, whereas in Imola he managed to do it only in race two.
These are Sykes' most significant records:
- 14 wins, the same of Scott Russell (1993 world champion), John Kocinski (1997 world champion) and Ben Spies (2009 world champion). They share the fourteenth all-time spot.
- Like Scott Russell, Sykes always won with a Kawasaki machine: they are the most successful riders for the Akashi manufacturer.
- Sykes scored ten of his wins leading from lights to flag. Lap chart data is available only from 1998 onwards and this is the highest value together with Troy Corser's.
- Again considering the period of time from 1998 onwards, Kawasaki for the first time was able to lead more than 1000 km during a season. After the Magny-Cours races the total is 1162. Last year Kawasakis had led for 954 km.
- 31 podium places for Sykes, 21st all-time, he jumped ahead of Giancarlo Falappa (30). 19 pole positions, only two shy of Carl Fogarty.
- 12 fastest race laps this year, the second highest value for a single season: in 1991 Doug Polen recorded 14. Also Noriyuki Haga was able to score 12, in 2007. Tom counts a total of 16 fastest race laps in his career.
- Race 1 was Kawasaki's 50th win, fourth team to reach this goal after Ducati (at the moment at 313 wins), Honda (114) and Yamaha (74).
- Thanks to nine wins from Sykes and Baz winning in Silverstone, Kawasaki counts ten wins this year: they match their most successful season, 1994 (nine wins by Scott Russell and one by Anthony Gobert).
