Jonathan Rea is on 17 points after the first two races in Australia

Isle of Man resident Jonathan Rea said he is satisfied to be sitting sixth in the World Superbike standings after a tough and eventful opening round.

Rea finished 12th and 4th in the two races, despite three heavy crashes in testing and qualifying for the Phillips Island event.

"If you'd told me when I was lying in hospital that I'd come away sixth, I'd have laughed at you," he said.

Both races were won convincingly by Spaniard Carlos Checa.

Checa leads the standings with a perfect 50 points with Rea in sixth on 17.

Rea added: "Big thanks must go to the team, who got a physio here to help me between sessions and races to help me relax, and the bike, which never missed a beat."

James Toseland, another Isle of Man resident, finished 17th and 14th in the two races.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version