Turkish rider Razgatlioglu poised to claim Superbike World Championship title in Portugal

By Selçuk Buğra Gokalp

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish racer Toprak Razgatlioglu has a chance to secure the Superbike World Championship title at the upcoming Round 11 races in Portugal.

The competition will be held at the 4,182-kilometer Estoril Circuit in in Alcabideche, from Oct. 11-13.

This season, the 27-year-old has achieved an impressive 21 podium finishes, comprising 15 victories, four second-place finishes, and two third-place finishes. He set a record with 13 consecutive wins in the championship.

Known as "El Turco," Razgatlioglu made history by becoming the first motorcycle racer to win three consecutive races in Italy, England, the Czech Republic, and Portugal this season.

In his World Superbike Championship career, Razgatlioglu has participated in 216 races, with 136 of those resulting in podium finishes.

Currently, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK rider leads the championship standings with 414 points, holding a 39-point advantage over his closest rival, Nicolo Bulega of the Aruba Ducati team. Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista of Ducati holds third place with 333 points.

In the main races, the first-place finisher earns 25 points, the second place receives 20 points, and the third place gets 16 points. In the Superpole, the first-place rider is awarded 12 points, the second place nine points, and the third place seven points. Razgatlioglu can clinch his second world championship title if he expands his points lead over Bulega to 63 points or more.

Should Razgatlioglu secure the title, it would be the first championship victory for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team.