BSB: Showdown spots decided as three riders win at Silverstone National

Three races produced three different winners at the Silverstone National Circuit. Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) inherited victory in Race 1 following a coming together between the McAMS Yamahas of Tarran Mackenzie and Jason O’Halloran. The teammates fought back to triumph in Races 1 and 2 respectively.

Crucially, the showdown contenders were decided as the championship heads into its final quarter. O’Halloran, Mackenzie, Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati), Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati), Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW), Irwin, Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad) and Josh Brookes (VisionTrack Ducati) secured their spots and will battle it out for the title.

The updated standings going into the showdown finale see O’Halloran lead Mackenzie by 30 points. Iddon sits 45 points adrift of the top with Bridewell another two behind. Hickman, Buchan and Irwin hold a 56-, 57- and 59-points disadvantage respectively while Brookes has 69 points to overcome.

RACE 1

The McAMS Yamahas led at the lights but punches through the opening corners elevated Bridewell into P1. Gino Rea (Buildbase Suzuki) lined up second from O’Halloran, Hickman and Mackenzie. The race was over for Hickman on Lap 2 though when slight contact with O’Halloran brought him down.

A coming together between Buchan and Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki) brought out the safety car on Lap 3. Bridewell still headed the field from O’Halloran and Rea. Mackenzie, however, had dropped numerous positions and both Irwin brothers as well as Iddon were running ahead of the Yamaha.

Racing resumed going into Lap 7 and O’Halloran snatched P1 into Copse only to lose it again some turns later. The Australian executed the move on Bridewell again and made it stick the next time round. The pair remained locked together and were under increasing pressure from Glenn Irwin.

Halfway through the race, the trio at the front was still the same, but Iddon had closed in in fourth. They gradually gained some breathing space as punches were exchanged in the group behind.

Mackenzie took charge in the chasing pack from Lap 15 and reduced the gap again, dragging Rea along with him. Bridewell looked uncomfortable and lost spots down into fifth. O’Halloran was untroubled in front as Irwin and Mackenzie ruffled each other’s feathers behind him.

The advantage did not hold though and with two laps remaining, Mackenzie was glued to his teammate’s rear tyre. McAMS suffered disaster on the penultimate lap though when Mackenzie committed to a move down the inside at Brooklands, highsided and left O’Halloran with nowhere to go.

Irwin inherited the lead and the race victory as the red flag came out. Iddon and Bridewell completed the podium.

RACE 2

Polesitter Rea stayed ahead at the lights with the McAMS Yamahas slotting in behind. Brookes claimed O’Halloran going into Luffield and did the same to Mackenzie at Copse. A few turns later, he was in the lead.

Iddon went on the hunt for his teammate but was troubled by a charging Bradley Ray (RICH Energy OMG Racing BMW). The BMW rider closed Brookes in and patiently sat in P2. The race turned processional with the top six gradually stretching away.

Brookes and Ray were gifted breathing space as Iddon and Bridewell ruffled each other’s feathers in third and fourth. Rea and Mackenzie ran closely behind but neither forced a move.

Iddon lost the front on Lap 14 and heroically saved it on his knee. He just about stayed aboard his Ducati but was relegated into seventh.

At halfway distance Brookes still led from Ray with the duo holding a marginal advantage over Bridewell and Rea. Mackenzie was clinging on while O’Halloran was running in a lonely sixth.

Bridewell was charging and moved up into second through Copse on Lap 19. Mackenzie too was on the pace and claimed Rea to slot in behind Bridewell and Ray. The trio exchanged punches which allowed Brookes to break as well as Rea and O’Halloran to close in.

Late race pace was on Mackenzie’s side and the Scotsman punched his way into second on Lap 26. He chipped away at the gap to Brookes and was swarming all over the Ducati with three laps remaining.

Mackenzie executed a manoeuvre for the lead at Copse going into the final lap. Brookes fell under pressure from O’Halloran who moved past and almost beat his teammate to the line, losing out by eight hundredths. Brookes stayed narrowly ahead of Ray for the remaining podium spot.

RACE 3

Mackenzie clinched the lead on the opening lap but was swiftly beaten to the position by Rea. O’Halloran too cut past the Scotsman who now had his hands full with Bridewell and Ray.

Both O’Halloran and Bridewell claimed Rea and the Australian aimed for an early break from Lap 4. A marginal gap opened, but Bridewell relentlessly hung in.

Brookes was on the move and stole P2 through Copse going into Lap 8. He swept down the inside exiting Brooklands and hit the front. Wary of the Ducati’s pace, Bridewell made his way into second to halt Brookes’ escape.

The red flag stopped the race just before halfway distance following a crash from Luke Stapleford (Buildbase Suzuki) who was brought down by his own oil.

Racing resumed for a 15-lap sprint and Brookes held on to the lead into Copse. Rea in second was swiftly beaten by Bridewell and fell into the clutches of the McAMS Yamahas. Lap 2 marked the end of Rea’s race when he lost the front at Brooklands and slid out.

O’Halloran emerged as Brookes’ first chaser and the lead changed hands on Lap 7. Mackenzie too claimed Brookes, but Bridewell and Iddon lost ground due to the former forcing them wide. Brookes also ran wide, leaving the McAMS teammates set to decide victory between themselves with five laps to go. Further behind, Buchan had found pace and was up to fifth.

Nothing separated the top duo going into the final lap and Mackenzie went for P1 through Brooklands. O’Halloran retaliated straight away and cut down the inside to reclaim the position and bring it over the line. Brookes, Bridewell and Buchan kept exchanging positions with the Ducati eventually coming out best.