OFFICIAL PROGRAMME
STAYING POWER
EXCITING CONTENT
Recently Toprak Razgatlioglu ( Pata Yamaha with Brixx ) turned down the apparent chance to go and race in MotoGP™ next year and has stayed in WorldSBK . Leading the championship before Assen , proving he could go toeto-toe with the very best Superbike rider of his generation in the shape of Jonathan Rea , Razgatlioglu would no doubt have made at least some ripples in MotoGP™ ’ s space time continuum . If not a big stellar splash . He is , to say the least , highly regarded . For his own reasons , however , he elected to stay in WorldSBK . “ Why am I here ? Because my big dream is to be WorldSBK champion ,” said a rider who has already scored as many race win in WorldSBK as double champion Fred Merkel ever did in his whole WorldSBK career . “ I ’ m always focused on this , because many years ago I had the dream , just to be in WorldSBK . I don ’ t ever dream of MotoGP™ because MotoGP™ is like a different galaxy for me . And now my big dream is to be WorldSBK champion .” Before anybody jumps to the wrong conclusion , Razgatlioglu really would like to go and compete in MotoGP™ in the future , but he just feels has unfinished business to attend to over here first . “ Also my dream is changing because now it ’ s possible to go to MotoGP™ ,” he said . “ That door is open , but first my dream is to be WorldSBK champion . I will try this . Maybe this year , maybe next year I ’ ll be World Champion . After , maybe I can go to MotoGP™ .” Razgatlioglu , a rider from a different culture and racing background compared to almost everyone else in the paddock , has found a happy ‘ working environment ’ in WorldSBK already . He found it some years ago , in truth . “ Also , I ’ m really happy in this paddock because I came here many seasons ago . I like it here . I like all the crew and my team and also Dorna . Everything in WorldSBK is good . I rode the MotoGP™ Rookies Cup and I saw many , many people , many riders . All people are like a ‘ star ’. I didn ’ t like the MotoGP™ paddock so much . Okay , it is a different way . MotoGP™ is like F1 . This is the top , but I know that I have my personal dream to be Superbike World Champion . I rode the Rookies Cup and after the first year I understood the Rookies Cup was not for me - and
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