Rea, who currently lies fifth in the World Superbike Championship, is favourite to replace Australian Casey Stoner over the next handful of races. Stoner, who suffered an ankle injury during the qualifying session in Indianapolis, will undergo treatment in his homecountry Australia.
“It's an opportunity of a lifetime and I'm thankful to Honda for asking me to be here, although I'm gutted for the guys in the team and obviously for Casey as he’s the guy that should be here and I wish him a fast recovery,” said the 25 year old Northern Irishman.
"The bike isn't that difficult. It's the tyres and the way they work that I'm finding hard. I'm struggling to finish off the corner, which is definitely a confidence issue as I just need to load the front and find that confidence, but it's my first day and I don't want to find that limit or risk overstepping it just yet."
“It's great to be able to see Dani's data and learn where to go fast, that's a big help. I don't underestimate how tough a job it is, I just need some time and I don't feel pressure to perform; it's a learning process with the team and people around me. It's been a great day, one of the best days of my life. I've been a Honda rider all my career and now to ride the best Honda machine in the world has been a dream come true,” Rea added.
