Synetiq BMW’s Danny Buchan was back on the top step of the British Superbike podium at Cadwell Park following an assertive performance in Monday’s race two to invigorate his Showdown ambitions.

A welcome filip for the Essex rider following a difficult 2022 campaign that has yielded just a pair of top five results, Buchan was back to his best during the second encounter around the Louth venue to fend off Rich OMG Yamaha’s race one winner Bradley Ray.

Starting on the front row of the grid, though Buchan was beaten into the first turn by championship leader Jason O’Halloran, a neat slip up the inside of the McAMS Yamaha at Chris Curve nosed his BMW M1000RR into a lead he’d protect to the finish.

A first win of the season to bring his career BSB tally up to five, Buchan’s rewarding weekend gives his hopes of challenging for one of the eight Showdown spots an unexpected boost. Ascending to ninth in the standings ahead of FHO Racing’s Peter Hickman and VisionTrack Kawasaki’s Leon Haslam, Buchan nevertheless faces a sizeable 37 point margin to the second OMG of Kyle Ryde in the final Showdown position.

Race one winner Ray paid for starting on the second row by running fourth initially before picking off Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki’s Rory Skinner and O’Halloran for third and second respectively, but running out of time to reel in Buchan before a red flag with two laps to go prompted by a tumble over The Mountain for Josh Brookes.

Despite this, the result sees Ray leapfrog O’Halloran back into the lead of the standings after the Australian could only finish eighth.

Pole man Tommy Bridewell failed to make the most of his advantage at the start with a slow getaway on the Oxford Products Ducati dropping him to fifth place initially before fighting his way back up to third place, while Haslam enjoyed one of his strongest races of the year with a fighting fourth.

Skinner faded to fifth, with Andrew Irwin consolidating Synetiq BMW’s landmark day with a strong run to sixth. Fellow BMW rider Hickman chased him home in seventh place, with O’Halloran enduring a surprising drop off in pace as he was muscled aside by advancing rivals to drop from an early lead to an eventual eighth.

Honda’s Glenn Irwin and MCE Ducati’s Tom Sykes rounded out the top ten, with the final points’ paying positions going to reigning champion Tarran Mackenzie, Buildbase Suzuki’s Christian Iddon, FHO’s Ryan Vickers, Lee Jackson on the second FS-3 machine and Ryde.

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