Читать книгу Dream. Believe. Achieve. My Autobiography - Jonathan Rea - Страница 6

My first connection with the Rea family was more than four decades ago in 1977 when my dad, George, finished second behind Joey Dunlop in his first TT victory on the Rea Racing Yamaha sponsored by Jonathan’s grandad, John.

John Rea was a jovial Irishman who loved his racing, and I was a bit in awe of him when I first met him for my debut at the 1987 North West 200 and he gave me some words of encouragement. The family connections continued when I raced on the roads against Jonathan’s dad, Johnny. I was fourth on the bike I borrowed for the Junior race in 1989, when Johnny claimed his only TT win.

Many years later, Jonathan was one of a number of up-and-coming British lads, along with the likes of Leon Camier, Cal Crutchlow and Tom Sykes, who my Foggy Petronas Racing team considered for our final year in World Superbikes in 2006, before we finally opted for the late Craig Jones.

I don’t remember speaking to Jonathan until I answered a call from an unknown number when staggering out of a beach club in Marbella, after a couple too many shandies. He was racing for HM Plant in the British Superbike Championship in 2007 and had just received an offer from Ducati to compete in the World Superbike Championship the following year. You had to respect the lad’s confidence for calling me up out of the blue. I told him that the Ducati team manager, Davide Tardozzi, would look after him and that he should take the offer. He obviously didn’t listen to a word I said, because he signed for Ten Kate Honda!

Within a couple of years, I was convinced that he was the fastest, most talented guy in the World Superbike Championship. But, relatively new to the class, he was a bit inconsistent, which was to be expected. His career mirrored mine in a lot of ways – I had to prove myself in a team and on a bike that were not the best out there. A few people started to doubt what I was saying about him, but I told them to be patient. The best rider nearly always ends up with the best package, and that happened to Jonathan, too, when he signed for Kawasaki.

The rest is history – including my record number of 59 wins! I’m often asked how that feels and the honest answer is that, if I had to lose the record to anyone, I couldn’t be happier that it was Jonathan who beat it. Family connections aside, there is nobody more talented, more determined or more deserving, and there isn’t a box that he doesn’t tick for me. He’s also a genuinely good guy, a proud family man who doesn’t have an arrogant bone in his body. And, not content with beating my records, he even had the cheek to try to sell more books than me by asking me to write this Foreword.

Dream on, mate! :) #1