Tommy Bridewell delivered an imperious performance in the final Bennetts British Superbike Championship race of the weekend at Oulton Park to claim a double win in the opening round of the Showdown to fire himself into title contention for the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team. However, another crash for Jason O'Halloran means he has relinquished the standings lead to teammate Tarran Mackenzie with just two points in it heading to Donington Park for the penultimate round next weekend (1-3 October).
Bridewell launched off the pole position and instantly hit the front of the pack, setting an incredible pace to break his rivals and at the chequered flag he had a 5.972s advantage, with his victory putting him to within nine points of Mackenzie at the top of the standings.
Bridewell said: “I told my team earlier I’ve got nothing to lose, I’m here to win the championship. The dice rolled in our favour this weekend, we did our first ever double win in BSB and Jason’s had two DNFs and Tarran had a penalty in that last race.
“Pressure is a cruel thing, but I have no pressure on my shoulders. If I win, it I win it and if I don’t I don’t. I’m here to fight and here to win and that’s what I’ll do.
“Genuinely I wasn’t surprised by this weekend, without sounding cocky. This place for me is very strong, the bike is strong here and I feel mentally and physically very good.
“I need to keep this ball rolling at Donington Park and I need to be lifting the trophy at the end of the year.”
The battle for second raged throughout the 18-lap encounter as Josh Brookes charged into second ahead of Danny Buchan and Mackenzie at the start. By the tenth lap, Mackenzie was into third and hassling Brookes.
Lee Jackson had soon moved into the podium battle, holding fourth and was then dicing with Mackenzie. On lap 14, Jackson made a move on the brakes into Old Hall, but on the exit there was contact between him and Mackenzie as the McAMS Yamaha rider went for the inside line. The pair made contact, which sent the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki rider crashing out of the race.
Mackenzie was then issued a long lap equivalent time penalty of three seconds for contact causing a crash, which dropped him from third on track to fifth at the chequered flag.
It was a disastrous race for the second of the McAMS Yamahas as O’Halloran crashed out of contention for the second time this weekend, this time at Cascades on the twelfth lap. That means he now sits second in the standings ahead of Donington Park in a few days’ time.
Brookes was able to hold onto second at the chequered flag with Bradley Ray elevated into third, as he became the sixth different rider to celebrate podium success at Oulton Park this weekend for the Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW team.
Peter Hickman claimed fourth place for FHO Racing BMW, just ahead of Mackenzie with Danny Buchan completing the top six for the SYNETIQ BMW team.
Glenn Irwin bounced back from a race two crash to finish in seventh place for Honda Racing, holding off his brother Andrew, with Gino Rea and Rory Skinner completing the top ten.
Christian Iddon was the eighth of the Title Fighters in eleventh place after contact with Mackenzie on lap 14, with the VisionTrack Ducati rider taking to the gravel at Lodge. He was able to rejoin in 15th before regaining ground to 11th.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Race 3 result:
1. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati)
2. Josh Brookes (VisionTrack Ducati) +5.972s
3. Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW) +6.671s
4. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) +9.286s
5. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +9.502s
6. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +11.021s
7. Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) +15.890s
8. Andrew Irwin (SYNETIQ BMW) +15.956s
9. Gino Rea (Buildbase Suzuki) +16.082s
10. Rory Skinner (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +24.721s
For the full result please click here
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Oulton Park:
1. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 1093
2. Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 1091
3. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 1084
4. Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati) 1060
5. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) 1050
6. Josh Brookes (VisionTrack Ducati) 1042
7. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) 1041
8. Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) 1029
For the full standings please click here