Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider Nicolo Bulega was able to fend off the advances of Kawasaki Racing Team’s Alex Lowes to take his first WorldSBK victory since February during a hotly contested Superpole Race at Magny Cours.
The leading duo finished nose-to-tail in a frenetic race with Barni Spark Racing Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci winning out in an intense battle for the final podium spot.
Lowes, Bulega and Bonovo BMW rider Scott Redding lined up on the front row under blue French skies at Magny Cours, in stark contrast to the wet Saturday affair which met the field for ROKiT BMW Motorrad BMW rider Michael van der Mark’s sensational victory in Race 1.
For Ducati, it was paramount to get a strong result, with championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu continuing to miss out due to injuries sustained in practice – especially for Bulega, who crashed out on Lap 1 during Saturday’s race.
Joining the Turkish rider on the sidelines was Pata Prometeon Yamaha’s Jonathan Rea, who sustained injuries to his thumb after tangling with Bulega in Race 1.
Lowes got a strong start to lead from Bulega and Garrett Gerloff with van der Mark fourth and Honda’s Xavi Vierge in fifth.
Bulega and van der Mark looked to make progress on Lap 1, moving into first and third respectively at Turn 5 whereas there was a disaster for Alvaro Bautista, crashing out before he could complete a single tour of the Magny Cours circuit.
Van der Mark, a sensational victor on Saturday was looking to repeat that success, going to and fro with Lowes on Lap 2, but the Kawasaki man held firm.
The field was tight four laps in, with Remy Gardner in 11th just a few laps back from the race leader, but there was a mini breakaway forming.
Bulega, Lowes, van der Mark and Vierge had a little bit of breathing room over the chasing pack as Pata Yamaha rider Andrea Locatelli and Barni Spark Ducati man Danillo Petrucci scrapped over fifth place.
Sadly that scrap came to an untimely end on Lap 5, with the pair colliding at Turn 5 at Locatelli’s expense – who dropped down to the back of the field and eventually pulled into the pits on Lap 6.
Meanwhile, out in front, Lowes was all over the back wheel of Bulega’s Ducati and the fight for victory was well and truly on.
The front pair had a moderate gap to van der Mark in third, who had Vierge, Petrucci and Redding for close company.
The elbows came out between Petrucci and Vierge in the battle for fourth with the Honda rider forced wide on Lap 7 at the Turn 11/12 chicane, allowing Redding to cut past both riders.
On Lap 8, the victory battle was truly heating up, with Lowes passing Bulega into Turn 5 before the Ducati man got the cut back to reclaim the lead.
Tucking into the slipstream, Lowes had another look into Turn 5 a lap later but thought better of making a move.
Petrucci had fought his way into third at this point with van der Mark falling back into a massive pack of duelling riders.
Redding, Vierge and Gerloff all found their way past the ROKiT BMW man on what was a tough penultimate lap for the Dutchman.
The final lap saw Bulega take a slight gap over Lowes and it looked as if the race was settled.
Try as he might, Lowes couldn’t get close enough to make a move for victory and Bulega took his first win since the opening race of the season at Phillip Island in February.
The maximum 12 points for Superpole Race victory meant Bulega narrowed the margin to Razgatlioglu in the Riders’ standings to 80 points.
It was still a fine effort from Lowes, who shared the podium with the feisty Petrucci after the Barni rider fought several riders to claim the final rostrum spot.
That left Redding to finish fourth for the second successive race with Vierge completing the top five in a fine showing for Honda.
Gerloff finished sixth to make it two Bonovo BMWs in the top six with Iker Lecuona ensuring the factory Honda squad saw two riders in the top-10.
That left Race 1 winner van Der Mark to finish eighth, ahead of Gardner, who claimed the final Superpole Race point in ninth.
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