The 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship kicked off at Silverstone this weekend with an exhilarating start to the season as three different race winners, representing three different teams and manufacturers celebrated a race victory.
Reigning Champions LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha had the edge in yesterday’s Bennetts BikeSocial Sprint race with Kyle Ryde, but today they narrowly missed out on the podium in race two with a fourth place and ended the weekend with seventh in race three.
The second race of the weekend marked the triumphant return of Josh Brookes to winning ways as the double Champion claimed his first victory in two seasons, delivering a determined ride on his first race weekend with the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team.
Brookes held off the BeerMonster Ducati teammates led by Tommy Bridewell by just 0.094s when the race was red flagged with three laps remaining when Danny Buchan crashed out, claiming his 55th win in the Championship as Glenn Irwin completed the podium after fighting his way through the pack.
Glenn Irwin then became the third different race winner of the opening round in a hard fought final race of the weekend as he held off tough opposition to end the weekend on top for PBM on the BeerMonster Ducati.
Jason O’Halloran, Brookes and Kent had all been at the front of the pack before Irwin captured the advantage on lap 18. He was defending hard from Brookes who had regained second place with three laps to go, whilst Bridewell had also moved up the order and fought his way into third.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Silverstone:
- Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) 48
- Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) 46
- Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) 43
- Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 39
- Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 35
- Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) 30
- Danny Kent (Lovell Kent Racing Honda) 26
- Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Yamaha) 26
- Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing UK) 15
- Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) 15
