Razgatlioglu’s Dream in Mandalika

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

World Superbike racer (WSBK) Yamaha PATA team Toprak Razgatlioglu (left) cuts grass on the edge of the Mandalika Highway International Circuit, Central Lombok, NTB, Thursday (18/11/2021). Toprak along with his racing team members and other riders took part in the "track walk" session by walking around the circuit to better understand the track conditions.

Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea will compete for the world title during the 2021 Superbike World Championship at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, this weekend. Although the Mandalika race is crucial, the two racers are facing it with ease.

Razgatlioglu, who now leads the standings with a 30-point lead over Rea, often has casual conversations with members of the Pata Yamaha team behind the garage. In fact, while walking down to the circuit with his team, he took the time help the women who were in charge of landscaping cut the grass at the edge of the track.

The Turkish racer borrowed a sickle and cut swaths of grass until his team almost left him. “We leave you here, okay?” said a member of the Pata Yamaha team. "Okay, see you later," replied Razgatlioglu.

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When asked by Kompas whether Razgatlioglu really had an easy-going character, his team agreed. "He's a lovely person. He is always like that,” replied one team member.

Razgatlioglu remembers his father's hopes as a source of motivation to win the three races this weekend, which provide a maximum of 62 points. His father, Arif Razgatlioglu, died in 2017 in a car accident.

"He [Arif] once said, 'Toprak will one day become a world champion'. But there was no way he could see it anymore. Insya Allah [God willing], this weekend I’ll [make it happen]," said Razgatlioglu, as quoted by WorldSBK after walking on the track at the Mandalika Circuit on Thursday (11/18/2021).

I enjoy it. I only focus on myself. I want to go home by plane on Sunday night and feel like I've done a great job here

Likewise, Rea is relaxed ahead of the crucial race this weekend, even though he is 30 points behind Razgatlioglu. Rea, who races for the Kawasaki Racing team, has several casual conversations with the rest of the team. The six-time Superbike world champion doesn't appear to be under any pressure.

"This is not the best position, underdog. However, I enjoy it. I only focus on myself. I want to go home by plane on Sunday night and feel like I've done a great job here,” said Rea.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

The World Superbike (WSBK) racer for the Kawasaki Racing team, Jonathan Rea, rides a standard road motorbike during the production of promo video content for the 2021 WSBK event at the pit lane track of the Mandalika International Circuit, Central Lombok, NTB, Thursday (18/11/2021).

Rea's efforts to win at Mandalika will be even more difficult because Scott Redding, a racer for the Aruba.It Racing-Ducati team, is also motivated to end the season in second place. Redding thinks the Mandalika Circuit is in accordance with the character of the Ducati Panigale

V4 R that he is riding. He is optimistic that he will be able to reach the podium or even win at Mandalika.

“Tracks are very good, very safe. The new asphalt looks good too. We'll see tomorrow. This circuit looks very good for Ducati, and I want to win here," said Redding after the track walk.

The British racer also said he was enthusiastic about appearing in Mandalika. He and the Superbike riders will be riding their bikes starting this Friday, marked by a free practice session.

Tracks are very good, very safe. The new asphalt looks good too. We'll see tomorrow.

“I am happy to race at this new circuit. It will be fun. Tomorrow will be interesting because it will be something new for everyone. We'll see," said Redding. The 28-year-old racer also revealed his first impressions of Mandalika. The last time a world-class motorcycle race, such as Superbike, was held in Indonesia was in 1997. At that time, Redding was 4 years old.

“I had breakfast with noodles earlier, and that's something different for me. However, it's good. I really enjoy being here and the people are very friendly. To be able to race in front of the fans here is an honor for me," said Redding.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

World Superbike (WSBK) racer for Yamaha PATA Team Toprak Razgatlioglu along with members of his racing team and other racers participated in a "track walk" session by walking around the circuit to better recognize the condition of the International Circuit Jalan Raya Mandalika, Central Lombok, NTB, Thursday (18/11). /2021).

Passenger spike

The enthusiasm for the first Superbike race in Indonesia in the last 23 years was also evident at Lombok International Airport. This month, there was an approximately 20 percent increase in air passengers from October.

The general manager of Lombok International Airport, Nugroho Jati, said that this month, the average number of passengers arriving at and departing from the airport reached 4,000 people. The previous month there were only 3,300 people.

In fact, on Thursday, the number of passengers was 5,757 people, an increase of 44 percent from the previous days. A total of 17 extra flights have also been prepared to anticipate the surge in passengers.

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Some of the additional flights to Lombok are being operated by national airline Garuda Indonesia, from 17 to 22 Nov. The airline is serving at least 30 flights to and from Lombok via Jakarta. Garuda also operates wide-body aircraft, the Airbus A330-200 and A330-900 Neo, on this route.

"This is one of our efforts to continue to play an active role in supporting international events in Indonesia, which is in line with the momentum for accelerating the recovery of the national tourism sector," said the president director of Garuda Indonesia, Irfan Setiaputra.

Meanwhile, the governor of West Nusa Tenggara, Zulkieflimansyah, said he would guarantee security in the Mandalika area. (RZF/ZAK/JON)

This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswoko.