Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu clinched a ninth straight victory in this year’s World Superbike Championship as he won the superpole race in the Czech Republic to extend his series lead to 59 points.
After winning Race One on Saturday, pole position setter Razgatlioglu dropped to third behind Nicolo Bulega and defending champion Alvaro Bautista on the opening lap but was back in front early on lap four.
As Razgatlioglu pulled clear, Spaniard Bautista crashed out on the final lap as he battled for second spot with Ducati team-mate Bulega.
That left Bulega 3.812 seconds behind Razgatlioglu at the finish as Great Britain’s Alex Lowes completed the podium spots on his Kawasaki.
Lowes’ brother Sam crashed out midway through the race and brought down compatriot Scott Redding in the process.
Northern Ireland’s six-time champion Jonathan Rea was 10 seconds behind Razgatlioglu after finishing ninth place on his Pata Yamaha, which moved him up to 10th in this season’s standings but some 214 points behind the leader.
Razgatlioglu’s triumph was the 50th World Superbike win of his career and he will aim for his third successive weekend treble later on Sunday in Race Two at the Most circuit.
Bautista’s mishap leaves him 79 points behind the Turkish rider with Alex Lowes fourth in the championship, a further 27 points off the pace.
Razgatlioglu won Race One from Italian duo Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Iannone as Bautista and Bulega could only manage fourth and sixth positions, with Rea in 10th spot.