WorldSBK Argentina SPole Race Results | Razgatlioglu bounces back in scrappy win

Toprak Razgatlioglu took a satisfying 11th win of the 2022 WorldSBK Championship season after successfully executing a daring overtake on title rival Alvaro Bautista on the final lap at the exact spot he dramatically crashed out in Race 1.

The Turkish rider’s aspirations of retaining his title received a potentially terminal blow on Saturday when his attempt to retake the lead he lost to Bautista down the long back straight at Turn 9 on the opening lap resulted in him low-siding off track.

It means Razgatlioglu is fast running out of opportunities to claw back ground on Bautista but while the lower dividends for succeeding in the shorter 10 lap Superpole Race means he’s only reduced the gap to Bautista from 80 points to 77, the manner of his triumph will have at least put some demons to rest.

Getting the hole-shot from pole into turn one from Jonathan Rea, Razgatlioglu led his 2021 title sparring partner initially before the Kawasaki rider held his balance with an unconventional overtake for the top spot at Turn 6.

It would prove a shrewd move for Rea, the six-time WorldSBK Champion - seeking his first win since Round 3 at Estoril - even stretching the pace out to pull Razgatlioglu away from third place Bautista as the Spaniard struggled to find his rhythm.

However, just as Rea appeared to be posing questions Razgatlioglu couldn’t answer, he out-braked himself on the downhill plunge into Turn 1 at the start of Lap 6, sending him out wide just shy of the gravel trap and down to third place.

That promoted Razgatlioglu into the lead but now with an up to speed Bautista breathing down his neck.

As expected, Bautista focused on keeping the Yamaha honest through the first part of the lap before unleashing his Ducati’s advantage under acceleration to make his moves down the long back straight.

However, though Bautista would get ahead the same way each time on the eighth, ninth and final tenth laps, his rival would repeatedly snake his R1 back through in a series of aggressive - if not always successful - retorts..

While Bautista led into the final lap, Razgatlioglu dived back past into Turn 1, only for Bautista to surge past on the back straight again, slicing across his rival’s bow from the outside.

Undeterred, Razgatlioglu steeled himself for a repeat attempt of the blunt block pass into the same Turn 9 left-hander that scuppered him a day earlier. This time, however, Razgatlioglu kept it neat and tidy, sitting up Bautista enough to scamper away to the chequered flag in front of the Ducati man.

Had the race been another lap longer than Rea - charging back into contention - might have factored, but instead the Ulsterman’s victory drought went on in third.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi resisted Alex Lowes and Iker Lecuona to secure fourth place, with the KRT and HRC Honda duo following him up in fifth and sixth.

Unable to show the pace that took him all the way to the podium in Race 1, Axel Bassani had to make do with seventh place, ahead of final point scorers Xavi Vierge and Loris Baz in eighth and ninth.

2022 WorldSBK | San Juan Villicum, Argentina | Superpole Race Results