Just like night follows day and Sunday comes after Saturday, the British Superbike Championship [BSB] succeeded in providing another fantastic season of edge-of-the-seatracing in 2023.

Only half-a-point would split the difference between Tommy Bridewell and Glenn Irwin at its conclusion, but the BeerMonster Ducati team-mates weren’t the only riders to put in stellar performances this season.

But which do BSN think deserve highlighting…? This is our Top 10 Standout BSB riders of 2023.

10. Danny Kent - Rd.1 Silverstone

Lovell Kent Racing - Honda CBR1000RR-R

After two years hindered by injury woes on an ageing Suzuki package, Danny Kent came out of the blocks fighting at the start of 2023 under his new eponymous team banner, Lovell Kent Racing.

Getting his head down over the winter as he worked to get dialled into his new Honda CBR1000RR-R machinery, his diligent preparation work would show when the curtain raised on a new season at Silverstone.

Mixing it with the front runners straight out of the box, Kent even led the vast majority of race three before tyre woes saw him reeled him down to fifth place. Though he’d go on to score two podiums at Brands Hatch mid-season, it is Kent’s bolshy signal of intent here that we’re highlighting.

9. Kyle Ryde - Rd.8 Cadwell Park

LAMI OMG Racing - Yamaha R1

You might find it curious that we’re choosing one of only a small handful of events that didn’t have Kyle Ryde topping the podium at least once over that weekend.

However, as Ryde himself has pointed out, the technical, undulating Cadwell Park has long been something of a bogey track for the ‘Youth’ so to have him muscling it out with Glenn Irwin and Tommy Bridewell in all three races on the Yamaha R1 was indicative of big progress he has made over the last 12 months, not to mention a big confidence boost for the OMG Racing rider.

8. Tommy Bridewell - Rd.8 (Race 3) Cadwell Park

BeerMonster Paul Bird Motorsport - Ducati Panigale V4 R

With only half-a-point splitting him from BeerMonster Ducati team-mate Glenn Irwin at the end of the season, there are multiple options to select when it comes to suggesting where the BSB title was won and lost in 2023.

However, it is Bridewell’s fighting ride to victory in Race 3 at Cadwell Park that we’re going to highlight, the Devizes rider gritting his teeth in the final race of the weekend to put modest results in Races 1 and 2 - both won by arch rival Irwin - to get the better of his team-mate in the final outing. Those precious extra digits would prove very critical.

7. Max Cook - Rd.7 Thruxton

FS-3 Racing - Kawasaki ZX-10RR

The latest rider to be plucked from one of the lower rungs on BSB’s junior ladder, top tipped youngster Max Cook arrived in BSB weighed under by the pressure of high expectations among esteemed company.

However, after a shaky start, Cook’s confidence on the well-sorted FS-3 Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR grew exponentially as the season wore on as he ticked off the landmark of his first points, his first top ten and then very nearly his first podium at Thruxton.

Making the most of his ZX-10RR’s competitive pace around the high-speed circuit, while Cook would ultimately just miss out on the rostrum with a best result of fourth, his mark had been made…

6. Josh Brookes - Rd.1 Silverstone

FHO Racing - BMW M 1000 RR

The winningest rider in BSB, it was feared the best days of Josh Brookes were now behind him following two curiously lacklustre seasons on the Paul Bird Ducati in 2021 and 2022.

However, a move to FHO Racing would give Brookes a much needed spark, the Aussie quickly adapting to his BMW M 1000 RR to come out punching at the Silverstone opener by securing one of the two wins he’d end the year with.

5. Ryan Vickers - Rd.10 Donington Park

LAMI OMG Racing - Yamaha R1

Though Brands Hatch would set the scene for his long-awaited maiden victory in BSB during the mid-season summer spell, we think Ryan Vickers’ dominant second win of the year at Donington Park deserves greater recognition.

Mastering tricky wet conditions that would scupper the fortunes of several other high-profile riders around him, Vickers kept his nerve to pull clear of the opposition and take the flag by a vast margin, in so doing asserting himself as BSB’s new ‘rain master’.

4. Charlie Nesbitt - Rd.7 Thruxton

MasterMac Hawk Racing - Honda CBR1000RR-R

The standout rookie of 2023, Charlie Nesbitt asserted his status as one of Britain’s most exciting young British talents with a starring role in front of his home crowd at Thruxton.

Making the most of his intimate knowledge around the Hampshire circuit, Nesbitt earned his merit with a victory challenge throughout the weekend, eventually settling for an eye-catching personal best finish of second place.

3. Jason O’Halloran - Rd.7 Thruxton

McAMS - Yamaha R1

While this wasn’t to be the year that Jason O’Halloran would step up to secure that elusive first BSB title, there was still proof that - on his day - the Australian is nigh on unbeatable.

This was certainly the case when the series rolled out around to his happy hunting ground of Thruxton, O’Halloran sweeping the board with three classy wins - that’s now eight wins from the nine races held at the high-speed venue since 2021.

2. Glenn Irwin - Rd.11 Brands Hatch GP

BeerMonster Paul Bird Motorsport - Ducati Panigale V4 R

While the overall result didn’t quite go his way, there was certainly no doubting Glenn Irwin’s fighting spirit in his BSB title tussle with Tommy Bridewell.

This was no more evident than during the final round showdown at Brands Hatch, Irwin composing himself after a poor qualifying to fight back up the order in Race 1 to fourth before reeling off two wins in Races 2 and 3.

Though not enough to bridge an eventual half-point margin between himself and title winner Bridewell, Irwin at least went down fighting.

1. Tommy Bridewell - Rd.5 Snetterton

BeerMonster Paul Bird Motorsport - Ducati Panigale V4 R

There is no denying Tommy Bridewell came of age in 2023 en route to his first BSB title on the BeerMonster Ducati.

But while there are multiple examples of his class shining through during his eight race-winning campaign, it was his superb triple at Snetterton that stands proud as our BSB performance of 2023.

A rider that has been accused of not getting his hands dirty enough in elbow-to-elbow situations, a more aggressive Bridewell was on full display around the Norfolk circuit as he fended off numerous rivals to come out on top in three thrilling, closely-matched races.

Having only topped the podium on eight occasions in 12 years prior to the 2023 BSB season, to then do so three times over just one weekend was conclusive proof of Bridewell’s burgeoning title favourite status.