It is crunch time in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship as the Showdown commences at Oulton Park this weekend, with eight Title Fighters beginning the final battle for the 2022 crown over the final three rounds.
Five teams, representing four different manufacturers, feature in the three-round, winner takes all Showdown.
Bradley Ray heads the chasing pack onboard his Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha ahead of this weekend with a 13-point advantage over his closest rival, Jason O’Halloran. Ray heads into the first crucial Showdown event with momentum, following a triple win last time out at Snetterton.
O’Halloran, on the other hand, heads into the business end of the season determined to overhaul the championship leader and claim the title he was agonisingly denied last season.
Reigning champion Tarran Mackenzie begins the Showdown 30 points behind Ray, incidentally an identical deficit to that which he overcame last year. The McAMS Yamaha ace will be hoping that’s a positive omen, heading into the final stages of his defence of the #1 plate.
Glenn Irwin and Honda Racing UK are first in line to try to tackle the three Yamahas ahead. Just 15 points separate him from Mackenzie, but he’ll be looking over his shoulder too with just a slender one-point margin over Lee Jackson in fifth.
Jackson leads a trio of riders who are taking on the Showdown for the first time. The Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Racing Kawasaki rider holds a one-point advantage over Kyle Ryde on the second of the Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamahas, and his teammate Rory Skinner who is the youngest ever Showdown contender.
Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team complete the top-eight ahead of this weekend, returning to a circuit that has previously been one of his strongest on the calendar.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings ahead of the Showdown:
- Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 1061
- Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 1048
- Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 1031
- Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) 1016
- Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) 1014
- Kyle Ryde (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha) 1013
- Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) 1009
- Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 1008
Bradley Ray
RICH Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
Championship leader
“I am looking forward to the Showdown; obviously I have had a really good run heading into it and probably the best BSB season of my career. It is crunch time now and we have the last nine races to try to be as consistent as possible.
“I have an advantage of 13 points on Jason and 30 on Taz who are closest, so we will be doing the best job we can and trying to stay in front. It is going to be difficult over these last nine races, but I am feeling good and we have come off of a run of two really positive rounds, including the triple win at Snetterton, my first ever.
“It has been an unbelievable season so far and we will keep attacking every round like we have been, we won’t change too much. I will approach every weekend the same as I have all season.”
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