WSBK Jerez Superbike Superpole: Nicolo Bulega smashes the record in a crazy session!

Fantastic Nicholas Bulega during the Superpole qualifications of the Superbike in Jerez: he smashes the record with a masterful lap, the direct confrontation with Toprak Razgatlioglu will make sparks…

De Paul Gozzi / Corsedimoto.com

Nicholas Bulega was fantastic in the Superbike qualifying session at Jerez: he smashed the record with a masterful lap and set up a new direct confrontation with Toprak that will make sparks fly. The Ducati rider set an incredible 1'37″596, no one had ever managed to lap so fast on this track during the official sessions.

Finally, the wall of 1'38″247 is crossed, the previous absolute record of Jerez established by Jonathan Rhea, which had already held since 2019, when the Northern Irishman had chained two consecutive triumphs with the Kawasaki. In the double round, Bulega was faster than the Turkish ace of the BMW on both occasions. With the second ultra-soft tire, Toprak was closely followed by his teammate Michael van der Mark, but the fall of Jonathan Rhea in the hairpin bend made the attempt fail. Here the soft tyre lasted two laps, but in the second it was impossible to go as far as it would have been necessary.

Bulega has changed gear
Last Sunday in Estoril, Nicolò faced Toprak and beat him in a direct confrontation, for the first time in this Superbike adventure. "It was a sprint race, you have to try the long distance", repeated the talented Ducati rider on the eve of the race. Jerez, a circuit he knows well for having raced there in CEV and GP, could be the springboard for a decisive battle. Toprak Razgatlioglu will not want to celebrate the world championship by finishing second, we are sure he will do everything to win race 1. But he will find a lot of resistance, more than ever. It could be very risky to try to beat Nicholas BulegaThe pursuer has little or nothing to lose, the world championship leader has a lot. It will be an unforgettable afternoon, no matter how it ends.

Poker in qualifications
Nicholas Bulega closes the qualifying series with four poles, a remarkable result over the twelve rounds. The previous poles in Cremona and Aragon were not lucky for him, because it was at these two places that, also due to an unforeseen Ducati breakdown, the youngster lost contact with Toprak, who was returning from injury at Magny Cours. Without the retirement in Race 1 at Motorland, the end would have been different. But we have to be content with that, because it promises a lot.

Petrucci on top, Iannone on bottom
The error of Jonathan Rhea, who will only start 16th after a good qualifying, also caused problems for Andrea Iannone, who had caught Toprak's wheel but suffered the same consequences as the Turk. The Maniac will have to settle for the fourth row. Instead, Danilo Petrucci is saved, who will start in fourth position: this is the ideal position to aim for a top result.

14:00 p.m., match point for Toprak
The first Spanish challenge begins at 14:00: Toprak starts with a 44-point lead and can close the world championship games early if he beats Nicolò Bulega, regardless of the ranking, or if he finishes second in the event of success for the Ducati rider. It would be the second world title for the Turkish star, the first for BMW in Superbike.

Results of the Superbike Superpole in Jerez: 

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Paul Gozzi

 

Superbike Jerez Superpole