Motorcycling-Two Spanish riders killed in Laguna Seca crash

Bernat Martinez and Daniel Rivas Fernandez, both from Spain were injured in a multiple crash and succumbed to their injuries after being transported to hospital.

Wales’ Chaz Davies has clinched his first-ever pole position by leading a Ducati one-two in qualifying for the ninth round of World Superbikes in Laguna Seca.

Rea leads the championship standings on 407 points, with Sykes second on 282 and Davies third on 263, ahead of the 10th round of the series in Malaysia in two weeks’ time.

July 20 Two Spanish motorcycle racers have died after crashing in a support race for the world superbike championship at California’s Laguna Seca circuit.

In race one it did appear that Rea had more pace than Sykes but he was unable to make it tell and Sykes held on for second.

Carruthers said there were 28 riders in the race and thousands of spectators in the stands when five competitors collided on the first lap.

Carruthers declined to comment on whether MotoAmerica, which organises the race, will investigate.

Bernat Martinez, 35, went by ambulance to hospital in Monterey while Daniel Rivas Fernandez, 27, was flown to Salinas. Their names were not released.

Rea, who continued his remarkable run of finishing on the podium at every single race this year, said: ‘I tried a lot but there was nothing I could do to go through on Tom in race one.

MotoAmerica president Wayne Rainey sent his “sincere condolences” to their families and the “MotoAmerica family”. This is Davies’ second WorldSBK double and the first one for Ducati since Imola 2012.