BSB round up from a sunny Saturday in Scotland

2023 British Superbike Championship
Round Four – Knockhill
Saturday

Superbike Qualifying

Glenn Irwin claimed his first Omologato Pole Position of the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship in this afternoon’s eBay Qualifying at Knockhill to fire the BeerMonster Ducati to the top of the times in another incredibly close session in Scotland.

Irwin set the fastest lap of the session with six minutes still on the clock and as the positions shuffled behind him; he was able to stay ahead at the chequered flag by 0.067s.

Ryan Vickers secured his first front row start in eBay Qualifying this season for the LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha team, he also set his best lap before the closing stages of the session and despite Jason O’Halloran closing in, he held third fastest on the McAMS Yamaha.

Kyle Ryde missed out on the front row by just 0.099s on the second of the LAMI OMG Racing Yamahas, just ahead of Charlie Nesbitt who had his best qualifying performance of the season on the MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing.

Leon Haslam was sixth fastest for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team as he completes the second row for the BikeSocial Sprint Race, pushing Josh Brookes on the leading FHO Racing BMW Motorrad into seventh.

Brookes held the position by just 0.001s from Storm Stacey on the Starline Racing Kawasaki with Lee Jackson and championship leader Tommy Bridewell completing the top ten, with the 18 riders in eBay Q2 covered by just 0.732s.

Superbike Qualifying Results

Superbike Race One

Glenn Irwin served up his third victory of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship season for the BeerMonster Ducati team in the BikeSocial Sprint Race at Knockhill, holding off his Yamaha rivals Kyle Ryde and Jason O’Halloran ahead of tomorrow’s two races.

O’Halloran had initially launched off the front row into the lead onboard the McAMS Yamaha, but Irwin was instantly fighting and on the second lap, he made his move on the brakes into turn one. He then controlled the race with the leading trio making the break.

Irwin was able to extend his advantage to 0.606s at the chequered flag and the victory moves him back to the top of the standings, trading places with teammate Tommy Bridewell to lead the title chase by three points.

Ryde has traditionally found the Scottish circuit a challenge in the past, but he proved that he remains a threat to his Ducati rivals as he secured his first podium finish at Knockhill in Bennetts BSB for the LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha team, just ahead of O’Halloran in third place.

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Bridewell meanwhile carved his way through the pack to claim fourth place, giving him a six-point edge over Ryde in the standings ahead of tomorrow’s two races.

Christian Iddon equalled his best result of the season in a hard-fought fifth place for Oxford Products Racing Ducati; he was able to move ahead of Leon Haslam who finished sixth despite his recent shoulder injury.

Ryan Vickers had a good start from the front row, but a mistake on the brakes into the Hairpin on the early stages dropped him right down the order and he had to fight back to seventh, narrowly ahead of Storm Stacey who celebrated his best finish of the season in eighth place.

Josh Brookes was the leading FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team rider in ninth place with Lee Jackson completing the top ten.

Superbike Race One Results

Bennetts British Superbike Championship Standings

Superstock 1000 Race One

Dan Linfoot was back on the box after storming to the opening Superstock win at Knockhill ahead of polesitter Richard Kerr.

After a strong race, Linfoot eventually crossed the line 3.756secs ahead of Kerr, as Alex Olsen finished third, a further two seconds back.

Fourth place went to local hero Lewis Rollo as Alastair Seeley took fifth.

Superstock 1000 Race One Results

Superstock 1000 Championship Points

Supersport / GP2 Sprint Race

Tom Booth-Amos beat Luke Stapleford by a mere 0.067secs after a dramatic run to the finish line following a close race.

The pair had looked evenly matched throughout the 20-lap Sprint race as they swapped positions several times and it all came down to a last lap scrap.

Booth-Amos had the lead on his Gearlink Kawasaki but Stapleford made a dive down the inside at the hairpin, resulting in a last-gasp drag race to the line, which Booth-Amos was able to win.

Rhys Irwin finished third on the Astro-JJR Suzuki as Ben Currie was fourth and Jamie Perrin fifth.

In GP2, points leader Joe Collier crashed out on the Kramer leaving Cameron Fraser to take top points. Harry Rowlings was second and Lucca Allen third.

Supersport / GP2 Sprint Race Results

Supersport Points

GP2 Points

Supersport Cup Points

Junior Superstock

Owen Jenner pulled off a cool last lap move to take victory in today’s Superstock race – denying long time leader Oliver Barr of his first win.

Barr had led for most of the race after an early battle with Declan Connell, but Jenner had bene keeping a watching brief in third place, ready to pounce.

By the final lap, Connell had fallen back to 10th and Barr looked like he may have it in the bag – but Jenner was plotting a move, and dived under the leader at the hairpin on the final lap to make it two wins in a row.

Barr took second with Asher Durham third, Aaron Silvester fourth and Louis Valleley fifth.

Junior Superstock Race One

Junior Superstock Championship Points