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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1516537
ROUND 1 / FEBRUARY 23-25, 2024 PHILLIP ISLAND / VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA ROAD RACING I FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP P72 he re-entered the racetrack too quickly from the pit stop and lost just over a second in penalty times. Lowes was then classi- fied ahead of him. A new podium power order was applied in race one, with the previous big three riders from the past few years in various stages of reduced circumstances. With Razgatlioglu fifth (and top BMW), Alvaro Bautista (Aruba Ducati) fell under braking at MG (Mother of God) corner, remounted and finished 15th. It was his own fault: too much brake, no excuses. Jonathan Rea (Pata Promete - on Yamaha) was a dejected 17th after a race filled with serious bike-vibration issues and then a pit stop that went so wrong that his rear brake pads fell out and change tires at the same time as Bulega. By the time they all sorted themselves out onto the same lap at the same time, there was also Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) in the mix. The final top three were Bulega, Locatelli and Iannone. Locatelli would get into sec- ond and stay there to the flag, going faster than Bulega but being too far behind him to take his first win. Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) would finish fourth overall but was then demoted to fifth after lost him around 15 seconds or so. In this field, this season, that kind of interval is an age, and he went from a possible top 10 or better to 17th and was a no- points scorer. Sunday's 10-lap Superpole race had Iannone out front early on, until Lowes went into the lead. Iannone's race would be spoiled by a loose and then lost handlebar rubber. He would finish 14th. Lowes, making the most of his bike's slightly enhanced top end in 2024, was able to gain an im - portant advantage when Iannone dropped back—and again when Locatelli and Toprak started scrapping. He was able to match the fast pace of the hunting Lo - catelli and yet keep a cool head to win for the second time on a Kawasaki, and the third time in 31 GARRETT GERLOFF (9-13-9) WORLDSBK "I don't know what happened, but in the test, [the bike] was horrible," Garrett Gerloff said. "On Friday, I was 19th and two seconds off the pace. On Saturday, we made another Hail Mary attempt at changing the bike, and it worked im- mediately. On my out lap on Saturday, on used tires, I was going faster in my last two sectors than I did on Friday on new tires. Toprak is going fast in a way different way from us [other BMW riders] sometimes. I think here is a bit closer because there are no big braking areas and stuff. I think we are all seeing a lot of differences in what he is doing. He has got his bike set up for all the braking zones and that stuff. It is hard to match him, so I have to pick a spot to try and beat him in a different area. Overall, to have two top-10 in the main races is quite a decent way to start the season." MYOWNRACE It was a weekend to forget for home hero Remy Gardner, who suffered a front- tire deflation after having to run over the crashing Jonathan Rea's bike.