Gino Daniel Rea (born 18 September 1989) is an English motorcycle racer who returned to racing in the Superstock class at the Le Mans 24-hour race in April 2024,[1] his first competitve event after suffering serious injuries in a practice crash at the Suzuka 8 Hours in August 2022.
After emergency hospital treatment including an induced coma, after a month he was transferred by a specialised medical aircraft from Japan to London.[2][3]
After partial recovery, Rea has been invited to ride a machine in a parade lap at the Le Mans 24-hour round of EWC in April 2023.[4]
In 2020 he competed in the FIM Endurance World Championship with Wojcik Racing Yamaha, finishing 4th in the World Championship Standings and joined the British Superbike Championship aboard a Suzuki GSX-R1000R with the Buildbase Suzuki team to replace an injured rider. Rea participated in Wojcik Racing's first ever Podium in the FIM EWC at the Bol d'Or 24hr, finishing in second position and winning the Dunlop Independent Cup,[6] following that up with another podium at the Estoril 12hr EWC race. Rea joined the Buildbase Suzuki team as a substitute rider at the fourth British Superbike race of the 2020 season. Rea went on to lead his first BSB race at Donington Park, finishing in 4th position across the line.[7]
Rea was a successful Motocross and Supermoto rider before switching to circuit racing in 2007. He began racing in the European Superstock 600 series in 2007, finishing 12th overall with a podium at Valencia. In 2008 he finished 3rd overall, taking a win at Portimão plus four further podiums and two poles. Rea won the Championship in his third year claiming a win and 6 podiums in total, clinching the title by a single point in the final round at Portimão.[9] He contested 32 races in the class, with 31 finishes including 12 podiums.[10]
Supersport World Championship
Rea tested Cal Crutchlow's 2009 title-winning Yamaha YZF-R6 in October 2009, before the team opted to withdraw,[11] and ultimately joined the Intermoto team.[12] He started 2010 with a solid run of top ten finishes. He finished fourth at Brno[13] before taking his first podium at Silverstone.[14] He finished a very close second to Eugene Laverty in the next round at the Nürburgring, but was excluded for a technical irregularity.[15]
Rea stayed in the World Supersport Championship for 2011 and although he suffered many retirements due to mechanical issues and crashes, Rea took his first World Championship Win at Brno in front of ex-World Champion Fabien Foret and 2011 World Champion Chaz Davies. Rea landed on the podium at his home race in Donington Park and went into the final race of the year in 5th position in the Championship standings. A mechanical failure there ended his season on a low and it meant being bumped down to 11th in the final standings.
Moto2 World Championship
Rea went on to test for the Gresini Moto2 team at Valencia and Jerez, leaving Valencia as the quickest rider earning him the Gresini Moto2 ride for 2012. An up and down year meant Rea could not progress the way he wanted to but managed to get on the podium at Sepang, Malaysia. Rea crossed the line in the lead but as the red flag came out, the results were put back 2 laps, robbing Rea of the win but still a 2nd position. At the final race of the year, he battled for a podium spot with the Moto2 World Champion Marc Marquez but fell at turn 2. Rea rejoined for an 11th position, finishing 21st in the Final Points standings.
For 2013, Rea agreed to ride with the newly formed ESGP team in Moto2 but the team pulled out at the last minute (5 February), leaving him without a ride. But this major setback was not enough to stop Rea. He would stay in the race, even if he had to go it alone. With backing from his father and a loan machine from UK bike manufacturer FTR and support from his loyal fans, the Rea's set about running their own team. Rea set up a Donation & Sponsorship page where the public could help keep him on track. Rea asked his followers to help him race by donating to his race fund but instead of just taking money, he decided to give back to his supporters. Rea created different packages, from signed photos, signed T-shirts to hospitality packages. With contributions from all of his supporters, Rea was able to compete at selected wildcard rounds of the Moto2 Championship during 2013.
Running his own team on a shoe-string budget was certainly challenging. Rea acted as his own crew chief, downloading and analysing the data, making the fuel maps and making tyre choices. Impressing in these selected rounds led to a team partnership with Montaze Broz, forming Gino Rea Montaze Broz Racing Team. They would compete in the remaining European rounds but would miss the three flyaway races in Malaysia, Australia and Japan due to budget constraints. Rea stood in for a injured rider and rode for FGR Racing for those rounds and scored valuable points for the team, the only points they ever received in that year.
On 25 November 2013, the Rea family reached an agreement with Dave Peterson to form Rea Racing World Motors to compete in the 2014 Moto2 World Championship on a full-season basis as a permanent team. With title sponsorship from AGT (American Green Technology), the team will be known as AGT REA Racing. 2014 got off to a difficult start with Rea breaking his left foot at the first pre-season test. Hescored his first point scoring finish at Assen, after making his way into the top 10, only to run off track and finish in 11th. Rea made good progress throughout the season, showing his potential towards the end of the season when he raced to 14th at Motegi after starting 23rd. Rea was on for a strong finish to the season and looked to score points at Sepang, Malaysia until a crash at turn 2 resulted in his right foot being run over, leaving him with three broken metatarsals.[16]
Rea had two plates and screws inserted and raced the following week at the final race in Valencia. He started from the back of the grid and finished 24th with three broken bones in his foot.
Return to World Supersport
During the first months of 2015, Rea's Moto2 team withdrew from the Championship leaving him without a ride for the season. Rea joined the CIA Landlord Insurance PTR Honda Team to make a return to the World Supersport Championship.[17] Rea had an operation in Melbourne two days before Round 1 to remove a screw from his previously injured right foot. Having to wear a boot two sizes bigger than normal, he still managed to finish on the podium in 3rd place. He went into the final few races in position to challenge for the top five in the World Supersport Championship standings but had to battle through injury after a horrendous crash at Magny Cours, France when his front brake locked on, sending him over the handlebars. He finished the 2015 World Supersport Championship in 6th.
In 2016 Rea signed with a newly formed team named GRT Racing, switching bike manufacturer to MV Agusta to remain in World Supersport.[18] Even with limited testing and race DNF's due to engine failures, Rea was able to consistently beat the MV Agusta Factory World Supersport Team, finishing on the Podium three times with a best finish of 2nd at Assen, Netherlands. Rea went into the final two races of the season in 4th position in the World Championship Standings but was forced to sit out of both remaining races after a collision with Japanese rider Hikari Obkubo which resulted in a broken left hand. Rea was ultimately pushed back to 7th in the 2016 series standings.
For 2017, Rea signed with Team Go Eleven Kawasaki to remain again in the World Supersport Championship.[19] A run of technical failures and uncompetitive machinery throughout the season resulted in a career worst Championship standing of 17th with a best finish of 6th at Misano, Italy. It marked the first year of World Supersport racing where Rea did not finish on the podium.
British Superbike Championship
In 2018 Rea is made his debut in the British Superbike Championship with OMG Racing UK Suzuki,[20] with a wildcard entry in the Donington Park round of the World Superbike Championship, where he lined up with Championship regulars Jonathon Rea, Chaz Davies, Tom Sykes and Marco Melandri.
Rea made decent progress throughout the 2018 BSB season, finishing the year with a 7th-place finish at the Brands Hatch finale behind Championship winner Leon Haslam.
For 2020, Rea agreed to race in BSB for the Bike Devil Ducati racing team on the Ducati Panigale V4R that took Scott Redding to victory in 2019.[21] Due to COVID-19 and financial issues, the Ducati didn't arrive so the team made a last minute switch to a Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
After the first race weekend of the 2020 BSB season, Rea parted ways with the Bike Devil Racing team.[22]
Rea joined the Buildbase Suzuki team as a substitute rider at the fourth BSB race of the 2020 season and quickly showed his ability to adapt to a new bike and surroundings by topping the Free Practice session at Silverstone, lapping under the circuit record in only his second weekend on the bike. Rea went on to lead his first BSB race at Donington Park, finishing in 4th position across the line, just tenths from recording his first BSB podium.[23]
FIM Endurance World Championship
On 2 March 2019, Rea joined Polish Team Wójcik Racing Team as a rider in FIM Endurance World Championship in Formula EWC class. At the Bol d'Or 24hr Race, Rea led the race for two hours, taking the team to their first podium in the series and recording the first podium in history for a Polish team,[24] finishing in second position and first Dunlop Independent Team [25] as well as first privateer team.[26]
Rea went on to guide the Wójcik Racing Team to another podium, this time at the Estoril 12-hour EWC round, finishing the 2019-2020 FIM EWC Championship in 4th Position and Dunlop Independent Cup Winners.[27]
Career statistics
European Superstock 600 Championship
Races by year
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
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