BeerMonster Ducati’s Glenn Irwin made amends for his earlier crash to take his second victory of the weekend in the final British Superbike Championship [BSB] race at Knockhill.

The Ulsterman worked his way to the front of the field to reach the flag almost a second clear of team-mate Tommy Bridewell, with Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) in third for his second podium of the year.

Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) got the jump off the line to lead into turn one and continued to lead as the field crossed the line at the end of the opening lap, the Aussie chased by Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Ducati), Bridewell, Irwin, Kyle Ryde on the second OMG machine and Danny Buchan (Synetiq BMW) slotting in behind.

O’Halloran’s lead didn’t last long though as he caught the inside kerb at Clark’s second time around and crashed out, and that handed the lead to Bridewell as Ryde moved up to second. Further back, Vickers overtook Buchan for fifth.

Bridewell continued to lead on lap six from Ryde, Iddon, Irwin, Vickers and Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) but Irwin assumed third at the start of the following lap as he drove up the inside of Iddon going into turn one.

The lead stood at 0.6s after seven laps and the leading pack now consisted of six riders with seventh placed Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW) almost two seconds behind Haslam.

Brookes was locked in battle with Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki), Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) and Tom Neave (Honda Racing).

Irwin repeated the move he did on Iddon on Ryde at the start of the tenth lap to make it a BeerMonster Ducati 1-2 and the duo held a half second advantage over Ryde who continued to resist repeated attack from Iddon at the hairpin. Meanwhile, Stacey was now up to seventh having overhauled both Brookes and Jackson, but bad luck soon struck as a technical issue forced him out on lap 14.

Back at the front and at half race distance, just 0.082s separated Bridewell and Irwin with the latter threatening to make a move at his favourite turn one but one man who did make a move was Iddon who finally found a way by Ryde at the hairpin.

Irwin took the lead from Bridewell at the start of lap 18 with the gap between the two 0.225s at two-thirds race distance but Iddon’s strong race was brought to an abrupt end when a moment on the brakes coming into the hairpin forced him to run straight on.

Irwin and Bridewell were away with it at the head of the field with a two second buffer over now Vickers, the Norfolk rider having leapfrogged his OMG Yamaha team-mate for third.

With Irwin consistently holding a half second lead over his team-mate, he duly took his fourth win of the season whilst second for Bridewell extended his championship lead to eight points.

Vickers held on for his second podium of the season in third with Ryde in fourth as Jackson got the better of Haslam for fifth. Neave took a career-best seventh place finish on the sole factory Honda ahead of Brookes, a recovering Iddon and Dean Harrison (DAO Racing Kawasaki).

BSB Knockhill | RACE 3 Results