For the second meeting in a row Glenn Irwin enters the final race of the day poised to pull off a treble with a win, but it was his teammate who had cr✨ossed the line first in a thrilling end to race two of round nine as the Showdown continued as BSB returned to Oulton Park.

Tommy Bridewell ﷽had confirmed he was in tune with Sunday’s conditions, topping warm-up, while Irwin had opted not to take any risk🦹s, happy with his package.

From pole the #46 initially lead the BeerMonster duo on trac🌃k, but Irwin hit the fron𝓀t at the end of lap two.

From there Irwin was sat in behind, stuck to Bridewell like glue. This time matt🐠ers came to a head between the pair as the♐ safety car peeled back in.

• 2023 British Superbikes Oul😼ton Park: Qualifying R♚esults
• 2023 Br⛦itish Superbikes - Oulton Pa🦄rk: Race Results (1)
• British Superbikes🧜: Oulton Park - Emotional win for Irwin

Safety car brings joy for Irwin and penalty for Bridewell

A late crash for Storm Stacey at Clay Hill saw him walk away, but hiꦰs bike needing to be cleared, so the safety car was deployed. The pack closed up behind Bridewell o🐼n lap fifteen as they waited for the car to re-enter the pits.

The race restart was a mess on track. Bridwell ran close to the back of the car, leading to him bunching up th༒e pack more than𓂃 was safe, with several riders, notably Lee Jackson and Ryan Vickers, needing to shoot out ahead of him when no overtaking was allowed, to avoid collisions behind.

They retook their places in the pack and racing resumed. Unus🏅ually for a safety car appearance the final laps saw everyone pretty much where they started, 🍷including Bridewell in front who celebrated over the line.

Almost instantly a investigation was announced, with a long lap pe🔥nalty added ꦅsoon after. Unaware, Bridewell did not take the loop in on track, so a three second time penalty was applied, sending him down to sixth as the riders behind had gained under the safety car.

Irwin didn’t make a lunge🤡 on the last lap, presuming there might be a penalty to be had. The result meant the Northern Irish rider again found himself taking the top spot on the podium whil🐓e his teammate returned to the garage, shutters slammed down.

Gains for Jackson

The ༒saftey car made a huge difference to Lee Jackson. The Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki rider had been in the front group as a five, but by the latter stages was battling with Leon Haslam for fourth as Kyle Ryde pulled ꦅaway.

The #14 had been battling rear brake issues, which he and the team had thought to be ironed out in warm-up, only to return in the race. The safety car allowed Jackson a shot at progression, which he grabbed to 𝐆finish 1.823s, promoted to second.

Kyle Ryde worked hard with his team overnight and had been reaping the benefits on track, catching the PBM duo on more than one occasion, while steering clear of trouble on the restart to return to the podi🍰um in third for LAMI OMG Yamaha.

The trophiesꦑ for the podium finishers were presented to them by the late Chrissy Rouse’s niece, Betsy, in honour of his passing.

Itꩵ was once again a mix of manufacturers at the front of the race, with Leon Hasꦑlam, who was proving hard to pass for Jackson before the safety car appearance in fourth on his Rokit BMW Motorrad bike.

Josh Brookes had been at the head of the chasing pack, but the situation allowed him to finish right behind the #91 in fifth for FHO Racing, with Bridewell slotted 🔴back into sixth.

Christian Iddon was a distant seventh for Oxford Products Ducati, whi🔜le a pair of eighth places effectively ended McAMS Yamaha🍃 rider Jason O’halloran’s slim title hopes.

Ryan Vickers, m♏oved back into ninth and stayed there to the line on the second OMG Yamaha machine, with Peter Hickman elveated to a top ten finish on the second FHO 𒁃bike.

 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

Bradley Perie took his equal best finish, elevelth for the fourth time this season, and was the best of the rookies for Leeﷺ Hardy Racing as they all crossed the line together.

Charlie Nesbitt was next in twelfth for MasterMac Honda, with Max Co🧜ok thirteenth for Cheshire Holdings Kawasaki after gaining the most places in the race.

The remaining points went to Luke Stapleford🦋 in 14th for McAMS Yamaha and Luke Mossey (Tactix by Lloyd and Jones BMW) in 15th.

Crashes and Injuries and replacements

Davey Tod꧟d wasꦏ the best of the replacement riders in 16th in for Danny Buchan at Synetiq BMW.

Brayden Elliott (18th) in his debut BSB weekend wi🌳th DAO Kawasaki,replacing the departed Dean Harrison was 19th, while Michael Dunlop (Hawk Racing- in for Josh Owens) suffered an early exit.

Jack Kenned𓆏y, Franco Bourne and Tom Neave also failed to finish, joining Dunlop and Stacey.

 
Where does that leave the championship?

Irwin takes over at the top following the late race drama. The #2 holds a total of 338.5 point𝔍s, now a small 3.5 ahead of teammate Bridewell as the pair swap places.

Kyle Ryde is mathematically still in with a shot following 💟his podium, with 286 points, 52.5 behind Irwin.

Jason O’Halloran remains fourth overall, now a distant 70 points adrift. Leon Haslam is closing down on him in the standings in fifth, just 3.5 points behind. Lee Jackson is als💦o capable of pa🐻ssing him in the overall standings as he moves onto 260.5 points, with just 4.5 less than Haslam.