Danny Buchan celebrated a double victory for the SYNETIQ BMW team at Knockhill, making a crucial move on Rory Skinner just a lap before the final Bennetts British Superbike Championship race of the weekend was red flagged.
Tarran Mackenzie led the pack off the line at the start, but it wasn’t long before Skinner was on the attack and he instantly grabbed the lead at the Hairpin.
Skinner was heading the field as Christian Iddon moved into second, pushing Makenzie into third by the end of the second lap.
Peter Hickman was also getting stuck in the battle for third, firing the FHO Racing BMW ahead of Mackenzie on lap four.
Buchan was holding fourth position by lap ten, but ahead of him Hickman had dived up the inside of Iddon at the Hairpin to claim second.
The VisionTrack Ducati rider was targeting his counterattack and as they reached the Hairpin the next time around, he dived up the inside on Hickman. Buchan also saw his opportunity when Hickman was forced to sit up, and he stuck the SYNETIQ BMW ahead, but the pair touched and they subsequently lost ground.
Buchan was determined to fight back for the podium and after hunting Mackenzie, he was able to edge ahead on lap 15, but the McAMS Yamaha rider instantly reclaimed the position.
Buchan eventually made a move that stuck and he then had Skinner and Iddon ahead of him. A lunge into the Hairpin put the SYNETIQ BMW rider back into second as Iddon was nudged back into third and then he was duelling with Skinner for the victory.
Skinner was fighting hard to hold the lead and as Buchan moved ahead the Scot was desperately trying to retaliate, but the race was red flagged when Glenn Irwin crashed a lap later, leaving his stricken Honda in the track.
Mackenzie held on to claim his second podium finish of the day for McAMS Yamaha with Iddon in fourth place and to remain on top of the standings by six points ahead of the next round at Brands Hatch.
Bradley Ray was back in the top five for Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW ahead of Jason O'Halloran, who bounced back from a race two crash to finish in sixth place.
Tommy Bridewell was seventh, holding off Hickman with Ryan Vickers and Lee Jackson completing the top ten.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Race 3 result:
1. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW)
2. Rory Skinner (FS-3 Kawasaki) +0.240s
3. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +0.356s
4. Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati) +0.673s
5. Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing BMW) +1.141s
6. Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +2.724s
7. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +3.226s
8. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) +3.873s
9. Ryan Vickers (RAF Regular & Reserve Kawasaki) +4.102s
10. Lee Jackson (FS-3 Kawasaki) +4.411s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Knockhill:
1. Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati) 111
2. Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 105
3. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) 91
4. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 76
5. Rory Skinner (FS-3 Kawasaki) 61
6. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 60
7. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) 57
8. Lee Jackson (FS-3 Kawasaki) 46