Christian Iddon became the third different race winner of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship weekend at Brands Hatch as the VisionTrack Ducati rider claimed a gutsy win in a restarted seven-lap sprint to the chequered flag. The standings leader held off a late charge from Tarran Mackenzie who was crowned Monster Energy King of Brands.
The initial race start was declared wet, but as conditions continued to change there were a variety of tyre choices throughout the grid. As the race got underway Josh Brookes launched to the head of the field from his 16th place on his sixth row starting position, having opted for wet option on both front and rear.
The defending champion has been relishing the damp conditions this weekend and he headed the pack from Jason O'Halloran, Danny Buchan and Gino Rea. The VisionTrack Ducati gapped the pack initially but by lap, five the conditions had started to change and Buchan had moved into the lead.
Buchan was then holding the leading position as he began to take advantage of his intermediate rear and wet front combination as the SYNETIQ BMW rider bridged the gap on Brookes who was soon under attack from his teammate Iddon.
Iddon’s choice of an intermediate front and slick rear was coming into play and he was charging through the order as he moved into second and was hunting Buchan on a drying track. However a blow up from Gino Rea brought out the red flag and it would be a seven lap sprint to decide the final winner of the weekend.
The restarted race was declared dry and Buchan launched into the lead ahead of Glenn Irwin and Christian Iddon, with the pair wasting no time in making their moves on the opening lap. Iddon had hit the front of the pack, but Buchan regained second place with Glenn Irwin in third.
Tarran Mackenzie though was firing his way through the order and after running seventh on the opening lap, he was then inside the top five after the opening four laps.
As the race reached three laps to go, Iddon was still ahead with Buchan shadowing his every move with a resurgent Brookes holding third place. Mackenzie moved into the final podium position placing on the fifth lap with a move into Paddock Hill Bend.
At the front, Buchan grabbed the lead on the penultimate lap, with a lunge down the inside at Paddock Hill Bend, but as the pair approached Druids, Iddon had reclaimed the lead.
On the final lap, Buchan still had the edge, but it was all change as a determined Iddon returned to the front and was able to hold the position.
He was under fire from Mackenzie, who had broken through into second with a move on Buchan, to give him the edge in the battle to become the Monster Energy King of Brands.
O’Halloran hadn’t given up hope on a return to the podium either and the Australian was also able to pull a pass on Buchan to move into third on the final lap.
Buchan crossed the line in fourth place ahead of Brookes, who claimed his best result of the season in fifth place.
Glenn Irwin held sixth place, fending off Peter Hickman and Lee Jackson, with Rory Skinner and Danny Kent completed the top ten.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Brands Hatch, Race 3 Result
1. Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati)
2. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +0.075s
3. Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +0.761s
4. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad) +1.268s
5. Josh Brookes (VisionTrack Ducati) +1.647s
6. Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing) +3.014s
7. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) +3.169s
8. Lee Jackson (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +3.220s
9. Rory Skinner (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +6.471s
10. Danny Kent (Buildbase Suzuki) +6.538s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Brands Hatch:
1. Christian Iddon (VisionTrack Ducati) 163
2. Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 157
3. Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 137
4. Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad) 130
5. Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 100
6. Rory Skinner (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 86
7. Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) 73
8. Lee Jackson (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 73