(Motorsport-Total.com) – 15 years ago today, Jonathan Rea wrote his name on the list of WSBK race winners. On June 21, 2009, the later record world champion of the Superbike World Championship stormed to the first of a total of 119 race victories in the series-based championship at the race weekend in Misano (Italy).

We spoke to Rea about this milestone at this year’s WSBK event in Misano and also revived the memories of former team boss Ronald ten Kate.

Rea moved up from the British Superbike Championship to the Supersport World Championship for the 2008 season and duelled with his current crew chief, Andrew Pitt, for the championship. The following year, Rea returned to Superbike and drove a Fireblade for the Ten Kate Honda team. Rea found a strong teammate in former MotoGP rider Carlos Checa.

The start of the season was promising, but after that it was a period of ups and downs. In the summer, the team made the risky decision to change the manufacturer of the suspension elements. Their courage was rewarded, as the Honda Fireblade, now equipped with Öhlins components, impressed in the success in Misano.

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In the Superpole, Rea missed pole by 0.174 seconds and qualified for second place on the grid behind Jakub Smrz (Guandalini-Ducati). World Championship co-favorite Ben Spies (Yamaha) was third. The favored factory Ducati of Michel Fabrizio and Noriyuki Haga only finished fourth and sixth.

Factory-supported Honda newcomer defeats the factory Ducatis

The history of the Superbike World Championship was rewritten in the second race. The then 22-year-old Rea fought a tough duel with the factory Ducatis and won by 0.069 seconds ahead of Michel Fabrizio and 0.457 seconds ahead of Noriyuki Haga.

“It’s been 15 years already, right?” Rea wonders when meeting Motorsport-Total.com in the Misano paddock. “What a weekend!” But Rea does not only have positive memories of the 2009 WSBK season: “The 2009 season started really complicated. My start to the season was really bad. Then we made a change and the results got better.”

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The switch from WP to Öhlins was the key to success. The Ten Kate team was supported by Andreani, a specialist in suspension components who has his workshop not far from the Misani World Circuit. “We immediately won a race and built up momentum. After that, I was regularly on the podium,” recalls Rea.

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The victory in Misano was the start of a great success story. “It was a really special weekend,” notes Rea. “Especially because Misano was Ducati’s home race. Fabrizio and Haga were always very strong here. It was an absolutely indescribable feeling to win here.”

The fact that 15 years have passed since his first victory in the Superbike World Championship gives Rea mixed emotions. “I feel old when I think about it,” commented the now 37-year-old from Ballymena in Northern Ireland. “But I can be very proud of my career because I was able to hold my own in the World Championship for a long time.”

Why Misano 2009 was so emotional for the Ten Kate team

We also asked former team boss Ronald ten Kate how he experienced the future series world champion’s first WSBK victory. Ten Kate already knew before the liberation on June 21, 2009 that Rea was of a special caliber.

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“It was clear from the start that Jonathan was capable of extraordinary things on the bike. And his personal side also convinced us,” commented Ten Kate. “It was clear to all of us that at a certain point he would deliver and be one of the best riders.”

The Ten Kate team was responsible for Honda’s WSBK appearance at the time and received direct support from the factory. However, the Dutch team never had the reputation of a real factory team and did not find the same conditions when battling against the factory teams of Yamaha, Ducati, Aprilia and BMW. But with strong team spirit, creative solutions and their own highly valued know-how in tuning engines, Ten Kate managed to challenge the factories for years.

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“The weeks before the Misano weekend were pretty hectic for us,” Ronald ten Kate recalls and describes: “We tested with different suspension elements because we wanted to change manufacturers. It was a very busy phase. We were unsure whether it was a good idea and expected that we would need more time.”

But the first victory came on the first mission. The success on June 21, 2009 was special in many ways. “The emotions were high when we celebrated the victory. We had to work very hard to make this success possible. Additional trips and tests were necessary. We had to produce additional parts. A lot of overtime was necessary,” explains Ronald ten Kate.

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“The change took place within a week and a half. The team was under a lot of pressure. And then it was Jonathan’s first win,” Ronald ten Kate describes the special situation on that Sunday.

The success was made even sweeter by the fact that they were able to beat Ducati, the most successful manufacturer in the Superbike World Championship, at their home race. “Misano is to Ducati what Assen is to us. It’s their home track. It’s always great to win. Winning here was even better for us,” explains Ronald ten Kate.

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“They are always under a lot of pressure at home games. Winning here of all places made it even more special,” says Ronald ten Kate, indicating that the success was celebrated accordingly the following night: “Normally we are very relaxed and not too emotional. But on that day everything came out. The party afterwards was really good too (laughs; editor’s note).”

Impressive series: Jonathan Rea has been victorious since 2009

The victory in Misano was the first of 119 race victories in the Superbike World Championship to date. This puts Jonathan Rea comfortably at the top of the statistics. Also very impressive: Rea has won at least one race every year since 2009. But since switching to Yamaha last winter, victories have been out of reach.

“It would be great for the statistics if I can win this year, because that would make it 15 years in which I have won a race in the Superbike World Championship at least once a year. I don’t plan on this statistic ending and I’ll try to win,” says Rea combatively.

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But at the moment Rea has little reason to be happy. In the twelve races of the current season, Rea has not yet been on the podium. “I’m really disappointed that things aren’t going better,” he admits.

Like many fans, former team boss Ronald Ten Kate is amazed at how big Jonathan Rea’s problems are at the moment. “It’s obvious that these are not the positions he should be in. I’m not too involved and I don’t try to be. But I’m really surprised,” commented the Dutchman.

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“Normally, Jonathan is a rider who can adapt well to new situations. He can get used to new motorcycles very quickly. I’m a bit shocked at what’s happening right now. Especially since the other Yamaha riders are achieving decent and good results. Locatelli is fast, Gardner too, and Aegerter had good races in Misano until he started having technical problems. It’s really strange,” wonders WSBK veteran Ronald Ten Kate.

Jonathan Rea and Ten Kate united under the Yamaha roof

After many years with different manufacturers, Jonathan Rea and Ronald ten Kate’s team will be reunited this year under the same manufacturer. In autumn 2018, Honda surprisingly parted ways with Ten Kate. The team reorganised and returned to the Superbike World Championship with Yamaha during the 2019 season.

Rea moved to the Yamaha factory team last winter after nine years with Kawasaki. However, a return to WSBK for Ten Kate is currently not planned, mainly due to the financial challenges.