Jonathan Rea - Dream. Believe. Achieve. My Autobiography

HarperCollinsPublishers

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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018

This updated edition published 2019

SECOND EDITION

Jonathan Rea 2018, 2019

Cover layout design Sim Greenaway HarperCollinsPublishers 2019

Cover photography Graeme Brown/GeeBee Images

All other photos courtesy of the author unless otherwise indicated.

While every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright material reproduced herein and secure permissions, the publishers would like to apologise for any omissions and will be pleased to incorporate missing acknowledgements in any future edition of this book.

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

Jonathan Rea asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780008305109

Ebook Edition October 2018 ISBN: 9780008305116

Version: 2019-04-02

For Tatia, Jake and Tyler

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 Jonathans 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 Jonathans 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 dont 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 lads 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 didnt 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! Im often asked how that feels and the honest answer is that, if I had to lose the record to anyone, I couldnt be happier that it was Jonathan who beat it. Family connections aside, there is nobody more talented, more determined or more deserving, and there isnt a box that he doesnt tick for me. Hes also a genuinely good guy, a proud family man who doesnt 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

Ive been knocked out more times than I can remember I have a separated acromioclavicular joint in my shoulder Ive had a broken left collarbone, two broken ribs, two scapholunate wrist reconstructions (left and right) a broken right radius, two bad breaks of my left femur (one compound, one very complicated) a complete reconstruction of the medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligaments in my left knee and an ACL reconstruction in the right a broken right tibia and fibula, a broken left ankle and a few broken metatarsals. Worst by far are my knees: theyre in really bad shape, especially the right one.

Ive had the end of my finger worn down to the bone. And Ive been told Id never ride a motorbike again, let alone race one.

I didnt listen, though.

This list is nothing unusual and Im not complaining, its just the price I pay to do the sport I love. From head to toe, my body has paid its dues.

You must be mad. Racers are crazy. You must take your brains out before you put your helmet on.

Listen. I am not crazy.

Focused? Yes.

Selfish? Of course.

Driven? For sure.

But a crazy thrill-seeker? You dont understand me or my sport.

Ive been riding since I was two, racing since I was six. At the time of writing, Ive been crowned World Superbike Champion three times, scored the most points ever in a single SBK season and won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race. Ive ridden in one British Supersport season, three British Superbike, one World Supersport and ten SBK championships so far. And Im pretty far from being done.

This is an elite sport. You have to be very, very clever and very, very fit. You win by working margins in the thousandths of a second. You throw a 165kg motorcycle from side to side, guide it as fast as possible around tight turns, brake hard and late while fighting G-forces and intense winds. It can and does go wrong, with devastating physical and emotional consequences. But I dont see anything reckless or crazy in risking that. Do you?

I see it as a true sport and sometimes even an art form in trying to get it right, to keep aiming for perfection.

They say racing is like a drug, but Ive lived quite a clean life, so I cant really say. I know racing is a bug that bit me young and has not let go.

And I know that winning is what drives me.

That means, yes, I am selfish. Every elite sport demands levels of sacrifice and commitment that are hard to imagine from the outside. Endless training and preparation and thinking and rethinking. Countless days and weeks in hospitals and months in rehab.

Any rider who has reached the top has travelled a long and bumpy road, marred by serious injury and, in some cases, worse. Having a family now, it has become harder. Im responsible for my wife Tatia and our boys Jake and Tyler. And while this is my lifelong dream and my overriding passion, I do understand its not theirs.

I get nervous on the grid, but not about getting hurt. I focus on the perfect start, nothing else. I never think What if I crash?, What if my brakes dont work? or What if I get hit by another rider? You never think its going to be you.