Alex Olsen claimed the spoils in the opening Pirelli National Superstock Championship at Silverstone, the Cumins by Team IWR Honda rider coming home almost a second clear of Franco Bourne (Marvel HCL Motorsport Honda) and Billy McConnell (C&L Fairburn Properties/Jackson Racing Honda).

It was pole sitter Dan Linfoot (Optimum Bikes Racing Honda) who led the field at the completion of the opening lap with Bourne, Olsen, Joe Francis (STAUFF Fluid Power Kawasaki), McConnell and Richard Kerr (AMD Motorsport Honda) hot in his wheel tracks, the latter having gained five places from 11^th on the grid. The top three remained the same next time around but McConnell moved up to fourth at the expense of Francis.

Olsen grabbed second from the impressive Bourne – having his first ride in the class – on lap three and a lap later, the leading three riders had opened up a half second gap over McConnell with the Australian holding a similar advantage over Francis who still had Kerr in close company. Indeed, the Irishman took over fifth place on the fifth lap.

Lap six saw change at the head of the field as Olsen took the lead from fellow Honda rider Linfoot and the latter was then pushed back another spot a lap later by Bourne. McConnell remained in fourth but only six tenths of a second covered the leading four riders after seven laps.

At half race distance, it was a clear four-rider battle for the win with Kerr now two and a half seconds adrift of McConnell, but it was Olsen who continued to lead the way, his lead over Bourne after 14 laps 0.331s.

Bourne had halved that gap by lap 17 and at the start of lap 18, McConnell nipped up the inside of Linfoot on the way into Copse. Further back, Kerr had opened up a second gap over Joe Talbot (JR Performance Racing Honda) with Francis having dropped back to seventh.

Despite the pressure he was under, Olsen continued to hold sway and he wasn’t to be denied, going on to take the win from Bourne by 0.828s with McConnell and Linfoot just a tenth of a second further back.

Kerr had a lonely ride into fifth with Talbot doing the same in sixth whilst the top ten was completed by Lews Rollo (IN Competition Aprilia), Ben Luxton (Ben Luxton Racing Honda) and former Champion Alastair Seeley (Synetiq BMW).

2023 SSTK Silverstone | Race 1 Results [Top 15]

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