The 2015 FIM World Superbike (WSBK) season was a landmark for the Kawasaki Racing Team and its Ninja ZX-10R, as the iconic brand clinched its first ever Manufacturer Championship. The manufacturer’s title caps off one of the most dominant WSBK campaigns in history for Kawasaki as newly crowned 2015 World Champion Jonathan Rea won 14 races en route to his first WSBK title, while his teammate, Tom Sykes, collected four race wins during the 2015 season.
In 13 rounds of World Superbike Championship competition, Kawasaki captured a total of eight pole positions, finished on the podium an incredible 38 times and earned a series-leading 18 race wins, ultimately building a point’s lead of more than 100 points over the next manufacturer. The WSBK Manufacturer Championship is a coveted one for Kawasaki as it represents the highest level of competition for a production-based racing series in the world.
It was a wire-to-wire championship performance for Rea aboard his Ninja ZX-10R, clinching the title in Jerez, Spain, with two rounds remaining. In addition to his 14 race wins, Rea started in the pole position twice and finished on the podium a remarkable 23 times. Sykes made a late season charge to finish third in the championship; his season highlighted by four race wins, six pole appearances, and 15 podiums finishes throughout the championship.
“This season has been incredible to say the least,” said Rea. “The team and I worked extremely hard to win the championship and now for Kawasaki to be awarded the Manufacturer Championship is awesome and much overdue. My Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R was outstanding all year and I’m happy my teammate and I could both be on the [championship] podium at the end of the year.”
Rea will return to defend his and Kawasaki’s WSBK titles and will be joined by Sykes when the series kicks off in 2016.
