Pata Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu leaves Spain equal on points to Jonathan Rea after boosting his WorldSBK Championship hopes with a race two win at Navarra.
The Kawasaki mainstay rode a determined and defensive race holding off Ducati’s Scott Redding for the majority of the contest before the ex-MotoGP man found his way through with just three laps to go.
On grid dramas saw Kohte Nozane wheeled off, with the start delayed, before the lights were able to release the afternoon’s action as the GRT Yamaha was removed to the pit lane. The new race distance declared as 22-laps while the pack waited in the blistering heat, with further problems for Lucias Mahias forcing the Puccetti Kawasaki to the back of the grid and under investigation for irresponsible behaviour.
Redding’s strong start was bolstered by his pole position as the final Los Arcos race got underway. Andrea Locatelli pushing through to second with teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu third before the Turk swept through to lead midway through. Disaster at turn nine on the opening lap saw Chaz Davies striking out and taking Garrett Gerloff with him in the aftermath.
It was Razgatlioglu from Rea and Redding next time around as Tom Sykes too got the better of Locatelli for fourth. Michael van der Mark through on his former team-mate Alex Lowes for fifth with Axel Bassani, Alvaro Bautista and Michael Ruben Rinaldi completing the initial top-10. Leandro Mercado the next to fall, this time at turn 13 with the Argentinean regrouping at the back with his MIE Honda.
Razgatlioglu held a four-tenth lead as the race unfolded, Redding hassling hard on the wheels of the Kawasaki ahead as the podium battle continued, with Mahias issued a double long lap penalty for his earlier grid manoeuvres.
The second group clashes saw Lowes better van der Mark for sixth with Locatelli doing likewise on Sykes two places ahead, while Leon Haslam circulated just outside the top-10.
Rea was honing in on his title rival for the lead by lap nine, with the Ducati running half a second back as he continued to watch for his own perfect opportunity. The trio pulling three-seconds ahead of the battles behind.
Lap 14 saw an early end to Haslam’s race after the Honda rider crashed out from 11th position at the second corner.
The late stages witnessed a needle battle between Rea and Redding, the Ducati repeatedly challenging the Ninja before forcing his way through as the Northern Irishman saved multiple moments and the second position almost as soon as the strike occurred.
Three to go and the Gloucester rider was finally through, immediately breaking free and stretching a one-second gap as the next lap played out, Razgatlioglu a further second clear out front and with the flag in his sights.
The Pata Yamaha rider secured the victory to equal the points tally of his title rival, and third place finisher, Rea - now 311 apiece - with Redding completing the podium in second.
Locatelli came home best of the rest from Sykes and Lowes with Rinaldi, van der mark, Bautista and Bassani rounding out the top-10. Tito Rabat, Jonas Folger, Christophe Ponsson, Mahias and Mercado the last of the points finishers as Jayson Uribe and Loris Cresson completed the pack.
