BSB Cadwell: Danny Buchan clinches first win of 2022 with dominating race two performance

Danny Buchan sealed his and BMW’s first win of the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season in race two at Cadwell Park.

The SYNETIQ BMW rider led the majority of the race and held a comfortable gap over race one winner Bradley Ray. The race came to a premature end with a couple of laps remaining when the red flags were waved due to a crash for Josh Brookes coming over the Mountain.

Buchan becomes the seventh winner of the 2022 season, and it’s first victory since his double at Knockhill in 2021. He moves up to ninth in the standings and only 39 points behind Kyle Ryde, who currently holds the final spot in the Showdown, with four races left in the ‘Main Season’.

Meanwhile, Ray moves level on points with championship leader Jason O’Halloran after coming home in second and has just five fewer podium credits heading into the final race of the weekend. O’Halloran finished off the podium for the second race in a row and finished down in eighth.

Tommy Bridewell completed the podium after fighting back from a difficult start which saw the Oxford Products Racing Ducati rider drop from first to fifth on the opening lap.

Leon Haslam was the best of the rest in fourth spot after getting the better of fellow Kawasaki rider Rory Skinner. The latter is now third in the championship with 230 points and has a chance of confirming his Showdown spot in race three. Peter Hickman was seventh after overtaking O’Halloran with a few laps remaining.

Glenn Irwin and Tom Sykes completed the top 10 ahead of reigning BSB champion Tarran Mackenzie. Christian Iddon and Ryan Vickers were 12^th and 13^th respectively, with Lee Jackson battling through from the back of the grid to finish 14^th. Ryde secured the final point in 15^th.

The third and final Superbike of the weekend is due to begin at 16:30.

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BSB Cadwell: Bradley Ray reduces championship deficit with comfortable race one victory

First published: 28 August 2022 by Josh Close

Bradley Ray has closed the gap to Jason O’Halloran in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship after dominating the opening race of the weekend at Cadwell Park.

The Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha rider led the [restarted] race from start to finish to earn his fourth win of the 2022 season. It’s Ray’s first win since race one at Knockhill in June, and he’s now only 12 points behind O’Halloran. The victory also takes him to within eight podium credits of the Aussie.

Rory Skinner clinched his first podium since Knockhill in second spot, holding off the challenge of Danny Buchan in the closing stages. Skinner remains fourth overall in the standings, but is level on points with teammate, Lee Jackson. Meanwhile, it’s Buchan’s first podium of the 2022 season, and the 19^th of his BSB career.

O’Halloran missed out on the podium in fourth, bringing an end to his 12-race podium streak which also included seven victories. Tommy Bridewell completed the top five on his Oxford Products Racing Ducati.

Peter Hickman finished his home race in sixth, ahead of a resurgent Andrew Irwin. Seventh is Irwin’s best result since the opening weekend at Donington, when the SYNETIQ BMW rider finished third in race three.

Leon Haslam pipped Glenn Irwin to eighth, whilst Josh Brookes completed the top 10 on his Ducati V4 R. Reigning champion Tarran Mackenzie was 11^th, ahead of fellow Yamaha rider Kyle Ryde.

Ryan Vickers, Tom Neave and Christian Iddon secured the final few points on offer today. The later was involved in an incident with Tom Sykes on the penultimate lap. Iddon attempted a move down the inside but went in too deep and clipped the Ducati rider.

The original race was red flagged on lap two following a multi-rider incident at the top of the Mountain. Jackson was the rider who crashed first, with his bike left stranded in the middle of the circuit.

Dan Jones was left unsighted and rode straight into Jackson’s Kawasaki. Jones was treated by medical staff at the scene before being taken to Hull Hospital for assessment and treatment. Jones was conscious as he left the circuit via helicopter.

Takumi Takahashi also went down, whilst Ryde suffered damage to his back wheel. Ryde was able to make the restart with a fresh wheel fitted on his R1. Unlike Ryde, Takahashi and Jackson did not make the restart.

Chrissy Rouse crashed out of the restarted race at Mansfield on lap 10.

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BSB Cadwell: Bradley Ray smashes all-time lap record to conquer Superpole

First published: 28 August 2022 at 14:58 by Josh Close

Bradley Ray smashed the all-time Bennetts British Superbike Championship lap record at Cadwell Park to take pole position.

Ray mastered the returning Superpole format, which sees riders getting just one flying lap to get everything right. The Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha rider produced a stunning final sector to overhaul a gap of over two tenths, posting the record-breaking time of 1:25.457.

He took that honour away from Rory Skinner, who had only just claimed the title of being the fastest-ever two-wheeled competitor at the Lincolnshire circuit (1:25.715). Skinner ended up 0.258s adrift of Ray in second.

Lee Jackson ensured that both Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Racing Kawasaki riders were on the front row with an equally stunning lap-time of 1:25.734. Jackson will be hoping to produce something special at his home circuit this weekend.

Danny Buchan’s positive weekend continued onboard the SYNETIQ BMW. Buchan is joined on the second row by local hero Peter Hickman and Tom Sykes, who were separated by only 0.001s. Sykes, known for his Superpole exploits in the World Superbike Championship, was the first rider to take on the one-lap format.

Championship leader Jason O’Halloran will have work to do in the opening race after qualifying on the third row in seventh. He’s joined on row three by Tommy Bridewell and McAMS Yamaha teammate Tarran Mackenzie.

Glenn Irwin heads the fourth row in 10^th, lining up alongside nine-time Cadwell Park race winner Leon Haslam. Surprise package Takumi Takahashi also joins his Honda Racing UK teammate on row four in 12^th. Christian Iddon qualified 13^th on the Buildbase Suzuki.

Ryan Vickers crashed out of his one and only lap at Hall Bends and will start race one from 14^th as a result. Andrew Irwin is 15^th after also crashing out during Superpole, hitting the deck at Mansfield.

Kyle Ryde as caught up in some traffic during the opening qualifying session and failed to make it through to the Superpole session. The Yamaha rider will start race one from 16^th on the grid.

It’s the first time that Ryde has competed at Cadwell Park onboard a Superbike. Ryde fractured his heel during the evening test prior to last year’s event, whilst the Lincolnshire circuit didn’t feature on the shortened 2020 calendar.

Josh Brookes’ difficult run of form continued down in 17^th, qualifying ahead of Tom Neave, Dean Harrison, and Chrissy Rouse. Danny Kent was also a victim of riders looking for space on the circuit and as a result he qualified 21^st.

Dan Jones crashed out of the first qualifying session at Chris Curve and will start the opening race from the back of the grid.

The opening race of the weekend takes place this afternoon at 16:30 (August 28).

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BSB Cadwell: Tommy Bridewell beats Bradley Ray to top spot on day one

First published: 27 August 2022 by Josh Close

Tommy Bridewell heads into the opening Bennetts British Superbike Championship race day at Cadwell Park as the man to beat after topping FP2.

The Oxford Products Racing Ducati rider posted the only 1:25 lap-time of the day, recording a 1:25.989 to pip Bradley Ray to top spot by 0.035s. Moments after setting the fastest lap, Bridewell had a fall at Mountain Bottom, but both rider and bike suffered no damage. Bridewell is running a new factory swingarm this weekend.

Danny Buchan enjoyed a much-needed positive day in third spot and was only a further 0.065s adrift of Bridewell’s best lap-time.

Local hero Lee Jackson was the quickest Kawasaki rider in fourth, with Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Racing teammate Rory Skinner just behind him in fifth. The Scot returns to BSB following his Moto2 wildcard appearance at the Red Bull Ring, Austria, last weekend.

Andrew Irwin ensured that both SYNETIQ BMW riders ended the day inside the top six, finishing ahead of Leon Haslam. Championship leader Jason O’Halloran was eighth, ahead of surprise package Takumi Takahashi, who was as high as third at one stage.

Christian Iddon completed the top 10, whilst Ryan Vickers and Tarran Mackenzie clinched the final two automatic Superpole Qualifying spots.

Mackenzie missed races two and three at Cadwell Park last season after clipping the grass between the hairpin and Barn Corner and consequently being thrown over his handlebars during the opening race. The eventual BSB champion broke two fingers as a result and opted to miss the remainder of the weekend.

This weekend sees a change to the traditional qualifying format, with the one-lap Superpole shootout making its return. The top 12 from Saturday will be joined by the top three in tomorrow’s opening, regular, qualifying session. Each rider will then get just one flying lap to get it right and qualify high up the grid.

Two-time 2021 Cadwell Park winner Peter Hickman will need to go through that opening qualifying session after ending the opening day in 13^th. Ryo Mizuno was next for Honda Racing UK, whilst Glenn Irwin (15^th), Tom Sykes (16^th), Josh Brookes (17^th) and Kyle Ryde (18^th) all have plenty of work to do as well.

Danny Kent and Lincolnshire’s own Tom Neave completed the top 20. Elsewhere, 2014 Moto2 World Champion Tito Rabat is back for his second BSB outing, posting a personal best lap-time of 1:29.713 in FP1.

Tomorrow’s (August 28) opening qualifying session is due to begin at 13:30, with the Superpole session following at 14:00. The opening race of the weekend will then take place at 16:30.