As temperatures soared to 30 degrees at Brands Hatch, the competition on track was equally hot during Friday’s free practice sessions for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. Glenn Irwin, aboard the Hager PBM Ducati, emerged as the man to beat, setting a blistering pace in the combined timesheets.
The day’s action saw an incredibly tight field, with mere fractions of a second separating the top contenders. In a dramatic final lap of the afternoon session, Irwin clinched the top spot with a time of 1:25.853, despite a heart-stopping moment when he touched the grass at Stirlings.
Tommy Bridewell, Irwin’s fierce rival from last year’s title showdown, kept the pressure on, finishing just 0.131 seconds behind on his Honda Racing UK machine. The stage is now set for another thrilling battle between these two as they prepare to face off on the Grand Prix circuit tomorrow.
Ryan Vickers, who had dominated the morning session on his OMG GRILLA Yamaha, maintained his strong form to round out the top three. The competitiveness of the field was further highlighted by the fact that five different manufacturers were represented in the top six positions.
Leon Haslam impressed on the ROKiT BMW Motorrad, securing fourth place, while Danny Kent completed the top five on his McAMS Racing Yamaha. Jason O’Halloran, adapting well to his new Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki, claimed sixth.
The day’s sessions also showcased the depth of talent in the field, with the top 17 riders separated by less than a second in the combined times. This close competition sets the stage for an intense qualifying session and opening race tomorrow.
Notable performances came from Andrew Irwin, who put a second Honda Racing UK bike in the top eight, and the veteran Josh Brookes, who secured a top-ten position for FHO Racing BMW Motorrad.
As the teams now turn their attention to fine-tuning their setups for tomorrow’s crucial qualifying session, the scorching weather and red-hot competition promise an exhilarating weekend of racing at the iconic Brands Hatch circuit.
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