Lee Jackson celebrated his first Bennetts British Superbike Championship race win at Oulton Park in the final race of the weekend, becoming the third different race winner of the season for the FS-3 Racing Kawasaki team.
On the opening lap, Kyle Ryde led the pack off the line before his Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha teammate Bradley Ray dived ahead, but a crash for Tom Neave at Old Hall instigated the deployment of the BMW Safety Car for the start of lap two. The Honda Racing UK rider suffered concussion and was transferred to Stoke hospital for further scans and was released later that evening.
The race resumed on lap four and Ray and Ryde led the pack from Rory Skinner, Jackson and Tommy Bridewell. Andrew Irwin crashed out unhurt as Tom Sykes was forced to take evasive action in the middle of the pack.
Ray had made a break, but as the laps counted down Bridewell had made his way into third behind Jackson and the pair were closing the advantage. Ryde meanwhile faded in the second half of the race to finish in tenth, but the battle for the podium positions was intensifying.
By lap 13, Bridewell and Jackson had closed down on Ray and were piling the pressure on the double race winner. A lap later, Bridewell fired the Oxford Products Racing Ducati ahead on the run down to Island Bend and Jackson also pushed him back a further position with a move at Knickerbrook.
Jackson had his sights firmly set on a debut win in the Championship and a lap later he dived ahead on the inside of Bridewell with a decisive move at Shell Oils corner.
Jackson then held on and eased an advantage of 2.909s at the chequered flag with Bridewell becoming the eighth different podium finisher of the season so far.
Jackson said: “It’s been a long time coming. A few years ago I went down a class to rejuvenate my career and FS-3 have had full faith in me this whole time. The team, my family and everyone around me has had full faith. I’m my own worst critic, but now it’s finally come, I’m almost speechless.
"To be fair to Tommy he pulled me along there, he gave me that fight and I knew as soon as I got behind him I had to just go, keep my head down and not do anything stupid.”
Ray completed the podium with a third place to seal the Milwaukee Race of the North trophy. He remains in contention to win in the Milwaukee Spring Grand Slam if he can secure at least two race wins at Donington Park.
Skinner had another strong performance to finish in fourth place, narrowly ahead of Leon Haslam who completed the top five for VisionTrack Kawasaki team.
Jason O'Halloran was sixth on the lone McAMS Yamaha ahead of Glenn Irwin and Josh Brookes whilst Peter Hickman and Ryde completed the top ten.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, Race 3 result:
- Lee Jackson (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki)
- Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +2.909s
- Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) +3.036s
- Rory Skinner (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) +5.596s
- Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) +5.841s
- Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +6.741s
- Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) +9.594s
- Josh Brookes (MCE Ducati) +9.762s
- Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) +9.897s
- Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) +13.468s
For the full result please click here
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Oulton Park:
- Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 102
- Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) 96
- Rory Skinner (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 86
- Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 81
- Lee Jackson (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 80
- Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 60
- Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 56
- Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) 47
For the full standings please click here