2023 British Superbikes Donington Park Race Results (2)
Results from race two, round three of the 2023 Bennetts Superbike Championship at Donington Park.
Jason O’Halloran came out on top after the safety car shake-up that helped settle the second race at Donington Park, round three of the British Superbike championship.
The McAMS Yamaha rider was looking to reverse his fortunes - two DNF’s in Oulton Park were shook off with a front row superpole - before tyre choice and a forceful move from Peter Hickman saw him on the grass and finishing the sprint 14th.
From fifth on the grid the ‘O Show’ was immediately in the hunt for the podium places in race two, but after Leon Haslam briefly showed him a wheel and hit the front, Kyle Ryde was looking unpassable again - until he crashed out.
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Saftey car changes the race for O'Halloran
The resulting safety car to clear up the debris after local rider Ryde flew into the gravel was out long enough to bunch the field back up - completely changing the complexion of the race.
By this point the #22 had worked his way up to third, with Tommy Bridewell dutifully following the car around the track.
When the lights went out the return to racing was electric - nobody was willing to waste a second chance.
It was scrappy with all the frontrunners running wide at some point over the final few laps as they struggled with grip, but it was the Australian who came out on top bringing the Yamaha home first for his first podium of the season.
Ryan Vickers made sure there was still a LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha on the rostrum in the absence of his teammate. The 24 year-old claimed his first ever podium finish, a massive achievement as he returns to racing nursing his recent scaphoid injury.
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The #7 had already got himself into the mix before the safety car and was running fourth before it made an appearance, but he too made good use of it and put in some remarkable moves under his rivals to finish just 0.347s shy of O’Halloran.
The final rostrum spot went to Josh Brookes who fought back from a bad start which saw him on the edge of the top ten for the opening laps to also be in a position to pounce once the safety car pulled in to take third for FHO Racing BMW Motorrad.
Leon Haslam started from pole after breaking the lap record in race one but struggled badly for grip on his Rokit BMW Motorrad once the pack got back up to pace after initially taking the lead from Bridewell, he finished fourth.
Lee Jackson picked up places on the final few laps, finding himself fifth once the chaotic final fling unravelled as the top Kawasaki for Cheshire Mouldings.
Charlie Nesbitt recorded his best result to date, working his way up to sixth for MasterMac Honda.
Peter Hickman was as low as thirteenth but was also reinvigorated by the safety car, pushing his way to seventh by the chequered flag for FHO Racing.
Tom Neave was already on course for a best result but guaranteed it with his final push bringing home his Honda in eighth, making up a huge twelve places from his start.
Neave just held off Christian Iddon (Oxfrod Products Ducati) before the three-way scrap for a top ten finish hit the chequered flag.
That was won by Jack Kennedy for Mar-Train Yamaha, who finished just ahead of rivals for the spot Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) in eleventh, with Max Cook twlefth for Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki.
Hector Barbera was 13th for TAG Racing Honda, with Josh Owens 14th after a big save in the race aboard his Crendon Honda.
Bradley Perie picked up his first championship point in 15th for Lee Hardy Racing. Liam Delves (Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki)missed out as the only other rider to finish the race.
Big names fail to finish
A faultless race from Kyle Ryde saw him lead from start to finish in race one, but an unusual crash took him out of race two, with the resulting safety car helping decide the race. Of the big names in the title hunt he was not alone in taking a DNF.
There were no PBM Ducati bikes on the podium after Bridewell lead when the race restarted only to fall back with a bike issue, eventually retiring.
His team-mate Glenn Irwin saw his fortunes take a turn for the worse, but at the start of the race. The BeerMonster Ducati rider started fourth but was 17th at the end of the first lap after seeming to have an issue with selecting gear. Trying to fight back he too saw his race end in the gravel - a first fall of the season for the #2.
Danny Buchan’s race was over before it started - pulling back into the pits with a problem on the warm-up lap before the race before joining the race at the back. The SYNETIQ BMW Motorrad rider worked his way back into the race but retired to his pit box when the saftey car made it’s appearance.
Danny Kent also suffered a mechanical failure, pulling off track.
Andy Irwin was flying high when he became the first to exit. Jack Scot, Luke Mossey and Tim Neave also failed to finish.
Davey Todd was absent in warm-up and Dean Harrison joined him on the absentee list after falling in that session.
BSB Records Donington Park:
Old BSB Lap Record - Donington Park: Bradley Ray (Yamaha) 1m 28.597s (2022)
Lap record 2023: Leon Haslam (BMW) 1m27.593s)
2022 at Donington Park:
Round three - pole: Jason O’Halloran (2nd Bradley Ray, 3rd Kyle Ryde)
Race One:
1:Kyle Ryde
2:Jason O’Halloran
3:Bradley Ray
Race Two:
1:Jason O’Halloran
2:Bradley Ray
3: Lee Jackson
Race Three:
1:Jason O’Halloran
2:Bradley Ray
3:Lee Jackson
Round Ten (Showdown) - pole: Jason O’Halloran (2ndBradley Ray , 3rd Tom Sykes)
Race One:
1:Tom Sykes
2:Jason O’Halloran
3:Peter Hickman
Race Two:
1:Tom Sykes
2:Bradley Ray
3:Glenn Irwin
Race Three:
1:Bradley Ray
2:Andrew Irwin
3:Glenn Irwin
Where does that leave the championship?
Josh Brookes finding his way to a podium finish sees him take back over at the top of the standings after race two, with a total of 111.
With both Tommy Bridewell and Glenn Irwin failing to add to their tally they now sit second and third overall with 103 and 102 points respectively.
Leon Haslam Joins Irwin on the same points but is placed fourth on wins countback.
Ryde remains on 91, which is now good enough for fourth, while Jason O’Halloran scooped the maximum 18 points on offer to climb to fifth, with 61 to his name.
