Glenn Irwin enjoyed a race long battle with his PBM teammate Tommy Bridewell, which saw him come out on top in the sprint to open the race action as the Showdown sect𒁃ion of the championship got under way at Oulton Park, for round nine of the championship.

Bridewell launched from ▨pole for the third time this season, but it was Irwin who got the best start, the holeshot seeing him fly into the lead.

Paul Bird machines fly away out front

The emotion in the paddock at a meet dedicated to the late Paul Bird poured out onto the track, with the late team boss’s bik🐷es duelling it out in front.

The #2 lead from that start until the last lap when Bridewell made his move - it didn’t last, with I🉐rwin ♓immediately back in front. At the chicane Bridewell was close, too close, and to prevent contact hit the brakes and shot up the run off at the side of the track.

Exiting Shell Oils, that left Irwin clear to win. The race was r🤡un as a tribute to Paul Bird and his winning mentality and instantly the Northern Irish rider addressedꦦ the crowd pointing at the sky, dedicating the win to his former boss.

Behind Lee Jacks♕on and Leon Haslam had taken advantage of𓆏 the slow cat and mouse game ahead and reeled in the duo.

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• Paul Bird, the British Super✃bikes team ༺owner, dies aged 56
• Verstappen faces triple investigati🌳on for impeding in qualifying

As they neared, the Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki rider saw his꧋ opportunity to take and drop Haslam, forcing himself into a lead three - side by side on trac♏k.

Jackson, who started eighth, kept Irwin honest to the line, finishing second and picking up some silverware on his birthday. Haslam completed the podium on his Rokit BM🌊W Motorrad entry aft♎er Bridewell rejoined in fourth.

Josh Brookes caught and passed Kyle Ryde, who at one point wa🍒s in a chasing trio with Haslam and Jackson, 💛to claim a distant fifth for FHO Racing.

Ryde had to settle for sixth as bike issues played a part, leading to a la💫ck of feeling, but was the only LAMI OMG Yamah🌃a to finish the race - his teammate Ryan Vickers was shown the black flag for not taking his penalty for a jump start.

Christian Iddon was next in line to hunt down Ryde but needed a few more laps. Right behind at the chequered flag, h𒁃e placed seventh for Oxford Products Ducati.

Jason O’Halloran made little progress in the race. Initially the McAMS Yamaha rider went backwards, then gained a place along with all those behind him when Vickers was forced to exit, finishing a laclustre eighth after struggling to ꧑feel in control of the bike enꦬough to push to the limit.

It was a different story behind, with both Peter Hickman on the second FHO entry and Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) making up for their qualifying woes to finish inside ♊the top ten, gaining the most places-nine each.

Max Cook was in the same group on track vying for position, bringin🐠g the second Cheshire Mouldings bike home in eleventh.

Davey Todd’s ride at Synetiq BMW b🅺rought him his best 🦋finish of the season in twelfth.

The remianing points on offer went to Bradley Perie (Lee Hardy Racing Honda) in 13th after surviving 🍷an early save, Tom Neave in 14th for Honda Racing UK and his teammate Franco Bourne in 15th.

 Official British Superbike Oulton Park Records:

Lap Record: Bradley Ray (Yamaha) 1m 33.620s (2022)

2023 At Oulton Park(Round Two)

Pole:Josh Brookes (2nd Leon Haslam 3rd Storm Stacey)

Race One:
1: Josh Brookes
2: Leon Haslam
3: Glenn irwin

Race Two:
1: Josh Brookes
2: Glenn Irwin
3: Leon Haslam

Race Three:
1: Glenn Irwin
2: Leon Haslam
3: Kyle Ryde

2022 at Oulton  Park

Round Two - Pole: Kyle Ryde (2nd Josh Brookes, 3rd Rory Skinner)

Race One:
1:Bradley Ray
2:Rory Skinner
3:Kyle Ryde

Race Two:
1:Bradley Ray
2: Lee Jackson
3: Leon Haslam

Race Three:
1: Lee Jackson
2:Tommy Bridewell
3: Bradley Ray

Round Nine (Showdown)

Pole: Bradley Ray (2nd Tommy Bridewell, 3rd Jason O’Halloran)

Race One:
1: Bradley Ray
2: Tommy Bridewell
3: Jason O’Halloran

Race Two:
1: Lee Jackson
2: Tommy Bridewell
3: Bradley Ray

Race Three:
1: Tommy Bridewell
2: Glenn Irwin
3: Lee Jackson

Last Round (Cadwell Park)

Pole: Ryan Vickers (2nd Leon Haslam, 3rd Glenn irwin)

Race One:
1: Glenn irwin
2: Kyle Ryde
3: Ryan Vickers

Race Two:
1: Glenn Irwin
2: Kyle Ryde
3: Jason O’Halloran

Race Three:
1: Tommy Bridewell
2: Glenn Irwin
3: Leon Haslam

Crashes and Injuries and replacements

Storm Stacey⛦ got a huge start but slipped out of contention at Lodge at the end of the first lap.

Luke Mossey was forced to retire with Jack Kennedy exiting soon after.𓆏 Luke Stapleford (in at McAMS Yamaha) also crashed out of contention, while Louis Valleley pulled int♌o the pits.

Davey Todd is in at Syne♑tiq BMW for the weekend,replacing the still recovering Danny Buchan.

Brayden Elliott (18th) made his race debut with DAO Kawasaki, taking over after Dean Harrison’s depa𒆙rture.

Michael Dunlop (19th) answered the call🐎 to join Hawk Racing, in place of Josh Owens, who is out of action with a broken wrist and fingers.

Where does that leave the championship?

With one result Irw🐟in halved his championship deficit 🐈dropping the gap from 14.5 at the start of the weekend to 7.5 after his win.

The momentum he enjoys sees him pull ever closer, but Bridewell retained his overall lead by ensuring he finished after his excursion, on⛦ 321 points.

The rest of the hopefuls saw their title hopes fade further, with Ryde fading again, so a larger 55 points away from 🐭his t🐈arget,. O’Halloran remains an even more distant fourth, 62.5 away from Irwin.

Haslam is at least heading in the right direction as he remains fifth on 247, with J🌱ackson sixth overal🌳l with a total of 238.5.