2023 British Superbikes - Oulton Park: Race Results (3)

Results from race three, round nine of the 2023 Bennetts Superbike Championship at Oulton Park.

17 Sep 2023

Oulton Park, Race Three,Bridewell,Showdown, round 9 , 2023, BSB, British Superbikes — Oulton Park, Race Three,Bridewell,Showdown, round 9 , 2023, BSB, British…

Tommy Bridewell did his talking on track as the tense atmosphere as PBM spilled into the race for victory as he broke Glenn Irwin to conclude round nine at Oulton Park.

The Showdown points system contributed to a fierce fight, with Bridewell and Irwin swapping position at the front.

The #46 turned his meeting around,putting himself back in charge with series of laps in the low 1m 34s range which saw him pull away as the laps ticked down. Bridewell then pulled out the fastest lap of the race on the penultimate lap, to ease over the line, ahead by 1.147s.

Bridewell got the chance to dedicate a win to late team boss Paul Bird, who’s BeerMonster team took another 1-2, with Irwin behind.

The atmosphere was frosty following the Northern Irish riders take on the earlier safety car incident, which saw him handed the race two win after Bridewell finished ahead on track.

Jackson back on the podium

Over the first few laps other riders kept with the Ducati pace, but fell back one by one. Lee Jackson had dropped to fifth from his front row start, but with his Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki working the best it had all weekend underneath him he was able to pass his rivals, and once around Leon Haslam, who again held firm for as long as possible, gave chase to finish a second behind Irwin.

That late push left Haslam a distant but solid fourth for Rokit BMW Motorrad. The #91 was in turn clear of Josh Brookes, who again found himself at the front of the main chasing group on track for FHO Racing.

Kyle Ryde started brightly, running in the lead group, but faded to sixth, the best placed Yamaha for the LAMI OMG team.

Oxford Products Ducati rider Christian Iddon held firm in seventh, winning his battle for position over Ryan Vickers, who had to settle for eighth on the second LAMI OMG entry.

Jason O’Halloran saw his title hopes take a further dent in ninth, his worst finish of the weekend for McAMS Yamaha.

Storm Stacey stayed upright to finish race three in the top ten for Starline Racing Kawasaki.

Stacey won a fierce late battle with Peter Hickman (FHO Racing) over the closing laps, the pair swapping position all the way to the line.

Twelfth went to the top rookie in the race Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing).

The remaining points on offer went to Max Cook on the second Cheshire Holdings bike in 13th, Bradley Perie (lee Hardy Racing in 14th, and Davey Todd, the best of the replacement riders as he continued to fill in for Danny Buchan at Synetiq BMW in 15th.

Official British Superbike Oulton Park Records:

Lap Record: Bradley Ray (Yamaha) 1m 33.620s (2022)

2023 At Oulton Park(Round Two)

Pole:Josh Brookes (2nd Leon Haslam 3rd Storm Stacey)

Race One:
1: Josh Brookes
2: Leon Haslam
3: Glenn irwin

Race Two:
1: Josh Brookes
2: Glenn Irwin
3: Leon Haslam

Race Three:
1: Glenn Irwin
2: Leon Haslam
3: Kyle Ryde

2022 at Oulton Park

Round Two - Pole: Kyle Ryde (2nd Josh Brookes, 3rd Rory Skinner)

Race One:
1:Bradley Ray
2:Rory Skinner
3:Kyle Ryde

Race Two:
1:Bradley Ray
2: Lee Jackson
3: Leon Haslam

Race Three:
1: Lee Jackson
2:Tommy Bridewell
3: Bradley Ray

Round Nine (Showdown)

Pole: Bradley Ray (2nd Tommy Bridewell, 3rd Jason O’Halloran)

Race One:
1: Bradley Ray
2: Tommy Bridewell
3: Jason O’Halloran

Race Two:
1: Lee Jackson
2: Tommy Bridewell
3: Bradley Ray

Race Three:
1: Tommy Bridewell
2: Glenn Irwin
3: Lee Jackson

Last Round (Cadwell Park)

Pole: Ryan Vickers (2nd Leon Haslam, 3rd Glenn irwin)

Race One:
1: Glenn irwin
2: Kyle Ryde
3: Ryan Vickers

Race Two:
1: Glenn Irwin
2: Kyle Ryde
3: Jason O’Halloran

Race Three:
1: Tommy Bridewell
2: Glenn Irwin
3: Leon Haslam

There were only three other finishers in the race - Luke Stapleford, on the vacant McAMS ride, Jack Scott and Hector Barbera.

Crashes and Injuries and replacements

Franco Bourne was the first to exit, with Luke Mossey retiring to the pits shortly after.

Jack Kennedy ran straight on on lap five and out of the race, with Brayden Elliott finishing his debut BSB weekend with DAO Kawasaki with a DNF. Michael Dunlop finished his stint at Hawk Racing (for Josh Owens) in the same manner, with Louis Valleley, having made up the most positions before also failing to go the distance.

Where does that leave the championship?

After the first round of the Showdown, the points difference helped make the standings incredibly tight with just half a point between Irwin and Bridewell.

Irwin retains the lead he gained following his race two win, on 360.5, with the race three win seeing Bridewell close the difference right up on 360. Kyle Ryde remains their closest rival for the title in third, sixty points behind on 300.

Jason O’Halloran is now 77.5 off Irwin in fourth with a tally of 283, with his rivals again catching for overall position as Leon Haslam moves onto 280.5 with Lee Jackson just four points further back.