British Superbikes - Silverstone: Glenn Irwin dominates season opener

Glenn Irwin lead every lap from the front to win race one as the 2022 British Superbikes championship got underway at a sunny Silverstone.

Lisa Lewis

Updated: 23 Jan 2024

Honda took the first win of the season after Glenn Irwin put in a domineering performance, leading from lights out to the chequered flag, soaking up the pressure for the looming Yamahas behind around the National layout at Silverstone to win the first race of the British Superbikes season in style.

Honda Racing Uk’s Irwin entered race one with pole under his belt. It was set with a new lap record, but competition was always due to be fierce under race conditions - all of the top twelve in Q2 dipped under the old circuit best.

As Irwin correctly suggested after his sublime qualifying performance where valuable track time came after moving up through Q1, to then confidently sit out the last run for a fast time in Q2 after a red flag in the session, there are no points for pole - but a great start lead to a defensive ride from the front, with neat cornering and an adapted, smooth ride bringing home victory on the Fireblade in the 30th anniversary year for the motorcycle.

The performance, a fifth win in the class, was all the more impressive given the injuries picked up by Irwin in pre-season, which until recently saw a question mark over whether he would make the opening round at all.

The ultra competitive line-up didn’t disappoint with pressure coming every lap from the Rich Energy OMG racing team of Kyle Ryde and Bradley Ray.

Ryde was ahead on the grid but Ray soon saw his chance to sit in behind Irwin and search for a way to pass.

Ryde again pushed in front on lap eighteen, the pair unafraid to race each other - with contact between the duo.

The number 77 held firm and stayed ahead, but not close enough for a final run at first place, crossing the line just 0.139s behind, while his team-mate completed the podium, immediately looking at home on the Yamaha.

It was a case of close but not close enough for FS-3 Racing rider Rory Skinner, who could not bridge the gap to the group in front but was in turn clear of the chasing bikes, for a solid fourth to get his season started.

After a stint at the front of the main pack by Christian Iddon, Jason O’Halloran took the position back on the McAMS Yamaha, holding off a rapidly closing Andrew Irwin (Synetiq BMW Motorrad) on last season’s championship winning bike, with Irwin the best of the ten BMW riders to finish in sixth, making progress from eighth on the grid.

2021 title runner-up Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing) was next to see the finish line on the Ducati in seventh, as Iddon faded to eighth for Buildbase Suzuki.

Lee Jackson claimed ninth for FS-3 Racing Kawasaki. The top ten was completed by a gutsy performance from Danny Buchan on the second of the Synetiq BMW Motorrad entries, making up five places after qualifying down in fifteenth.

A trio of BSB’s most experienced riders were next to see the chequered flag with Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW) eleventh and former World Superbike champion Tom Sykes (MCE Ducati) in twelfth.

His team-mate, Australian Josh Brookes, made up one position on his grid placing in 13th.

FHO Racing’s Ryan Vickers was not far behind in 14th, while the final point on offer went to Honda’s Tom Neave, storming through to 15th from his 24th place grid start.

A race to forget for Leon Haslam

2018 champion Leon Haslam’s much anticipated BSB return ended on lap six when a technical issue took him out of the race, with the engine stopping on his Lee Hardy Racing Kawasaki.

It completed a tough start to the opening round thus far for the class veteran after the number 91 had needed to come through Q1 in qualifying, though hope had shone through after using that time wisely to claim fifth on the grid. Once in the race Haslam soon faded and found himself on the cusp of falling out of the top ten after just one lap before being forced to retire.

Dan Linfoot, Chrissy Rouse and Ryo Mizuno all also failed to see the end of the season opener.

Former Moto3 champion Danny Kent was disappointing 17th.

Where is current champion Tarran Mackenzie?

The British Superbike season is well and truly underway with race one at Silverstone reaching it’s exciting conclusion, but it has begun minus reigning BSB champion Tarran Mackenzie.

The Scottish rider, who when back on track will once again be on board a McAMS Yamaha, took himself out of contention for the season opening round - and his upcoming WSBK wildcard appearance - after a crash in testing left him with a fractured left ankle.

Already plated and under a physio regime, the number one plate should not have too long a wait before it makes it’s appearance on track and Mackenzie can take heart that his title winning season saw him miss five races, so although starting with three blanks is far from Ideal, it should still be possible to launch a title defence when back on track.

British Superbikes return to Silverstone with two more races to complete the opening weekend on Easter Sunday.