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Roads-scene alumni in abundance starred, excelled during the past weekend’s BSB Oulton Park meeting.
BeerMonster Ducati’s Glenn Irwin opened his 2023 Showdown account in prosperous fashion, pocketing successive race wins, finishing runner-up to Tommy Bridewell in the third, final 18-lap Superbike race.
Irwin’s BSB race victories tally for this year now stands at eight, the same number presently totalling his North-West 200 wins collection.
His productive form at Oulton, has enabled him to capture the slenderest of Championship leads, going into Donington Park (29th September-1st October).
Just half a point covers the quickest TT Races newcomer in history and above focused team-mate Bridewell.
Senior TT Champions FHO Racing BMW, second Oulton Park expedition of 2023, saw them acquire five top ten finishes with best finishes of fifth x3, attained by Super Twins TT podium finisher Josh Brookes.
25 times TT winner Michael Dunlop, latest BSB voyage, yielded only one race finish (19th Superbike Race 1), with the Irish road racing, Mountain Course legend crashing out of SBK race two, retiring on lap eleven of SBK race three.
2019 IRRC Superbike Champion, reigning King of The Roads Champion Davey Todd having his first outing in TAS Racing/Synetiq BMW colours, banked a brace of points finishes.
New team-mate, North-West 200 wins record-holder Alastair Seeley, came oh so close to Superstock 1000 race 2 victory spoils with National Superstock 1000 Championship leader Dan Linfoot, pipping the ‘Wee Wizard’ by just 0.027 of a second.
Quattro Group British Supersport wise, three times TT victor Dean Harrison produced striking displays.
Warming up in style for this week’s Steve Henshaw Gold Cup, Harrison swept up sixth, fourth place finishes plus had the distinction of setting the fastest lap of the feature Supersport race.
Fellow Boyce Precision Engineering/Russell Racing Yamaha pilot Richard Cooper proved again his purpose-built circuit racing calibre, placing second in the 14-lap feature Supersport race stint.
Photo credit: Michael Wincott
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
