Triple World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea has been shortlisted for the 2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, the first motorcycle racer to have been nominated in 10 years.
Northern Irishman Rea enjoyed a banner third season with the factory Kawasaki Racing Team in WorldSBK, becoming the first–ever rider in the series’ 30–year history to secure three titles back–to–back.
Rea dominated the season with 16 wins, six of those coming as doubles, while also moving into second on the all–time winners list with 54 and securing the record for most points scored in a single season with 556 – beating double world champion Colin Edwards’ 2002 total of 552.
Rea‘s achievements were universally praised, and even an online petition was started to have the Northern Irishman – who received an MBE this year – nominated for the annual BBC award.
The KRT rider is the first motorcycle racer since James Toseland in 2007, after the Briton won his second WorldSBK title, to be nominated, and is aiming to become the first bike racer to win the accolade since the late, great John Surtees in 1959.
Rea joins the likes of four–time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton and Olympic athletics champion Sir Mo Farah on the 2017 shortlist.
The award ceremony will take place in Liverpool on December 17.
