Jonathan Rea has been awarded the Torrens Trophy by the Royal Automobile Club for his exploits as the first-ever rider to win three consecutive World Superbike champ🌺ionships.

After being awarded an MBE, Irish Racer of the Year and second place in the 2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, Rea’s latest accoꦰlade sees him pick up the Torrens Trophy having beaten fellow nominees Leon Haslam and Sam Sunderland to the award.

Rea was selected for his historic third straight World Superbike crown, winning 16 out of 26 races in the process in 2017, while also surpassing the all-time points record with 556 points to beat Colin Edwards’ previous rec🍒ord from 2002.

Hunting a fourth World Superbike title in 2018, to match Carl Fogarty’s outright record, Rea claimed the championship lead last weekend at the Thailand round and heads up the stanꦆdings by two points from factory Ducati’s Marco Melandri.

Leading the plaudits on Rea’s success was legendary commentator Murray Walker whꦛo passed on aဣ tribute to the ceremony at the Royal Automobile Club’s prestigious Pall Mall headquarters.

“As a pathetically failed racing moಞtorcyclist I’d give my eye teeth to have achieved what Jonathan has achieved,” Walker said. “To be World Champion in something as demanding as🌳 the World Superbike Championship is very, very special but to do it three times in succession is quite incredible. Hats off to Kawasaki too. A superlative partnership.”

Rea joins a list of famous names who have picked up the awards in recent years including Cal Crutchlow (2016), Ian Hutchinson (2015), Shane Byrne (2014), Tom Sykes (201🐲3) and James Toseland (2008).