Factory Ducati rider Nicolo Bulega delivered the goods with a last-corner overtake on Toprak Razgatlioglu to win the WorldSBK Superpole Race at Aragon.
The two title contenders went head-to-head once more, but in the end, Bulega claimed the win, with Alvaro Bautista joining them on the podium.
Bulega managed to take the holeshot into Turn 1, redeeming himself after being block-passed by Razgatlioglu in Race 1.
Dominique Aegerter, Yari Montella, and Tito Rabat all crashed out on the first lap, though it remains unclear whether they were involved in the same incident.
Bautista made amends for his crash in Race 1 to take third spot after Lap 1, but fell 0.7s behind after Lap 2.
Razgatlioglu took the lead into Turn 15, but Bulega responded at Turn 1 on Lap 3. The BMW rider dived back up the inside shortly after, yet Bulega countered again at Turn 12, with both riders going side-by-side into the corkscrew.
Razgatlioglu remained out front, but the battle for third ensued as Marc VDS rider Sam Lowes slotted past Bautista to take third.
Bulega powered down the back straight and found a competitive edge, stretching his lead to 0.3 seconds. The overtakes kept coming in what became yet another unpredictable race.
His team-mate Bautista set the fastest lap and reclaimed third place, closing in on the leading duo. The latter stages showcased the Spaniard’s pace, but whether he could pass the characteristically late-braking Razgatlioglu was another question.
Bulega held firm until Razgatlioglu pulled off an impressive block pass at Turn 7, but the Italian quickly reclaimed the lead at Turn 12.
The last lap, however, Bulega made a slight error in Turn 7, which stunted his momentum into Turn 12. It looked like that error cost him the victory, but he made an impressive move at the final corner to claim victory.
Bulega’s victory ended Razgatlioglu’s bid for a record-breaking 14 consecutive wins and marked his own first triumph since May at Most.
Razgatlioglu’s second for BMW sees his championship lead reduce to 41 points after losing out on victory by a tenth of a second.
Bautista made up for his crash in Race 1 to round off the podium spots in the Superpole race.
Andrea Iannone defeated Marc VDS rider Lowes to claim fourth, closely followed by Bimota rider Alex Lowes.
Danilo Petrucci crossed the line seventh to wrap up the Independents Team title for Barni Spark Racing.
Six-time champion Jonathan Rea posted eighth for Pata Maxus Yamaha, finishing 5.1s behind the lead duo.
Michael van der Mark continued his strong momentum, securing ninth place on the BMW after a hard-fought battle against Xavi Vierge, Axel Bassani, and Andrea Locatelli, representing four different manufacturers.
Tarran Mackenzie finished 13th on the Bonovo Ducati, defeating Ryan Vickers and Garrett Gerloff, who closed out the final points.
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