2022 British Superbikes, Thruxton - Race Results (3)

Tarran Mackenzie proved it is possible to defeat Jason O’Halloran at Thruxton, with Bradley Ray again fighting for the podium as the trio provided another exhilerating finish in race three of round six of the championship.

The race ran to a similar pattern to the first of the day, with the trio pulling away. This time it was Mackenzie out front on the McAMS Yamaha as his team-mate O’Halloran tried to conserve tyres as the weather became sticky and humid at the Hampshire track.

Church was once again the scene of of most of the action. The #22 revisited his favoured overtaking spot after Ray had pulled ahead at turn two on lap sixteen.

• British Superbikes - Thruxton: Race one win for O’Halloran, photo for second
• 2022 British Superbikes, Thruxton - Race Results (1)
• 2022 British Superbikes Thruxton- Race Results (2)

With two laps to go the defending champion showed his cards and retook the lead. The Australian tried Church again on the penultimate lap with a huge lunge which moved him to first, with Mackenzie unable to use the slipstream to pass.

All three bikes were squirming all over the track on the final lap, as their tyre grip deserted them in the heat. That allowed all three to again pull alongside each other for an explosive finish.

Ray looked to pull clear of the drama, but Mackenzie was soon right back on the rear of his Yamaha, the duo slid to the line together, with another photo finish placing Mackenzie ahead at the line.

Ray was just behind on the Rich Energy OMG Racing bike, a tiny gap of 0.019s all that stopped him visiting the top spot on the podium.

That prevented another McAMS 1-2 with O’Halloran taking his twelfth consecutive podium finish in third.

Peter Hickman had his battery terminal strap break, he had ran the same plan as in race two and was keeping pace again to gap the field on his FHO Racing BMW before grinding to a halt.

Glenn Irwin was leading the race for position behind and inherited fourth and held it well to take the flag, once again, as the top Honda.

Lee Jackson was next to see the chequered flag for Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki, only just ahead of Leon Haslam in sixth for VisionTrack Kawasaki.

Tommy Bridewell finally found some form on his home circuit as he made a determined climb to seventh as the top Ducati finisher for Oxford Products.

Andrew Irwin again made big gains, making his way up to eighth by the close of the race for SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad.

He had Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3) in close company but kept ahead.

Thruxton Race One Result:
1: Jason O’Halloran
2: Tarran Mackenzie
3: Bradley Ray

Thruxton Race Two Result:
1: Jason O’Halloran 
2: Tarran Mackenzie
3: Bradley Ray

2021 at Thruxton

Race One (Sprint): Jason O’Halloran
Race Two: Jason O’Halloran
Race Three: Jason O’Halloran

Tom Sykes at one stage held fifth, which would have been a seasons best, but he faded back into the chasing group and then onto the front of the next one to lead the race for tenth over the line instead for MCE Ducati.

Christian Iddon had hoped to challenge for fifth of sixth too and showed he had the pace to do so in the early stages before he dropped to eleventh for Buildbase Suzuki.

Ryo Mizuno again had a strong finish to his grand prix, climbing up to twelfth over the final laps, his best finish of the season for Honda.

Ryan Vickers (FHO Racing BMW with Attis Sports) was 13th with the remaining points going to  Honda’s Takumi Takahashi in 14th and the Buildbase Suzuki of Danny Kent who slipped back to 15th.

Thruxton DNF’s

Peter Hickman was not the only rider to exit the race early.

Dan Jones was a non-starter, with Dean Harrison also out before the race was really started.

A frustrated Danny Buchan had an issue on lap three and coasted off the track, right before Josh Brookes did the same.

Kyle Ryde was a faller after six laps, while Tito Rabat retired to the pits.

Where does the race three results leave the championship?

The same eight riders hold the Showdown slots, with the already confirmed Jason O’Halloran at the top with a total of 331. His rostrum finish sees him with 48 podium points.

Ray remains second overall with 307, and his second podium on Sunday sees him now also book his place for the Showdown. He holds 35 podium points.

Lee Jackson remains third overall  thanks to his consistent run, his podium points remain unchanged on 14.

Skinner, Glenn Irwin and Ryde hold onto 4th - 6th while his win sees Mackenzie move up to seventh, with the third biggest podium points tally with 24 to his name.

Hickman is ninth behind Bridewell, his DNF making it a much bigger task to make the top eight as the rounds count down.