OFFICIAL PROGRAMME
He explains his personal silverware set-up , saying , “ I kept all my race win trophies . Because I ' ve been so fortunate to be on the podium so much it became senseless to keep the second or third place trophies because I don ' t have enough space . So I gave a lot of them to schools and charities to give out as awards . But I have all my race win trophies , in a little trophy room . Some other trophies , like Motorcyclist of the Year or my Sports Personality of the Year award ( a BBC TV end of year popularity competition , but across all sports , in which Rea was a runner-up in 2017 ), all those things are displayed in my living room . And I have got an office with loads of bits and bobs in it .” Bits and bobs ? We can only imagine how cool and quirky that collection is …
Once upon a time , Rea was not the best Superpole qualifier , even when he was winning his first few World Championships . But an uptick in those one lap performances means that he has been awarded not only a trophy for each pole position , but a very nice Tissot Watch . Is it not called Tissot-Superpole , after all ? These Swiss timepieces are a form of trophy in themselves , and Rea said of them , “ I try to keep one watch from each season . I hold on to one myself and then pass them out to mechanics , family , friends - I am known as the Tissot-Man around here !”
Another WorldSBK Champion , Toprak Razgatlioglu from the Pata Yamaha Team , also appreciates that value and satisfaction in sharing . He is maybe the least attached to the physical trophies than anyone we spoke to .
“ Normally , I do not take my trophies after the races ,” said Toprak . “ I give them to my team , sometimes to the people , the fans . The Fastest Lap Trophies , the Pole Position Trophy - I normally give these to the people at the Paddock Show . I give these trophies
42