Josh Brookes extended his lead at the top of the British Superbike Championship table on Sunday afternoon with the FHO racing BMW rider taking victory in the opening race of the weekend at Oulton Park.

Brookes got the verdict from Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) and Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) in a race which was stopped on the penultimate lap due to rain falling at Shell Oils Corner.

It was Brookes who got the holeshot and he led into Old Hall from Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) and Haslam with the latter quickly moving into second as they swept round Island. Glenn Irwin then pushed the Kawasaki rider back another place at Hizzy’s.

Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) grabbed fourth at Lodge but his race was soon over as he highsided on the exit of Cascades and the running order at the end of the second lap was Brookes, Haslam, Glenn Irwin, Peter Hickman on the second FHO Racing machine, Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) and Stacey. Danny Kent (Lovell Kent Racing Honda) was now in seventh with Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) up to 11^th from 15^th on the grid.

Back at the front and the leading trio of Brookes, Haslam and Glenn Irwin had opened up a two-second gap over fourth-placed Hickman with Kent up to sixth on lap three and Bridewell ninth. The latter then moved up to sixth on the fourth lap.

By lap six, half race distance, Hickman had cut the gap to the leading trio – which remained Brookes, Haslam and Irwin – to one second and Bridewell was now the fastest man on the circuit with a lap of 1’34.689 which put him just half a second behind Andrew Irwin.

Brookes continued to lead the way but by lap eight Haslam was right on his rear wheel with just 1.3s now covering the top four. Bridewell was a further three seconds back with Andrew Irwin still in sixth and there was then a six second gap to new seventh placed man Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) who had moved ahead of Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati).

Going into the final third of the race, there was still little to choose between the front three with Hickman still half a second in arrears but Brookes continued to keep everyone at arm’s length and rain was now falling on the far side of the circuit at Shell.

Indeed, the race was red flagged on the penultimate lap which meant Brookes took his second win of the season with Haslam claiming his first podium of 2023 in second. Glenn Irwin got third from Hickman, Bridewell and Andrew Irwin whilst further back Ryde held on for seventh ahead of Iddon, Stacey and Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki).

Charlie Nesbitt, Jack Kennedy, Luke Mossey, Tom Neave and Kent completed the points scorers.

BSB Oulton Park - Race 1 Results