Buchan blows Brookes away for Cadwell BSB win

Danny Buchan upset the odds to claim an impressive victory in the first British Superbike Championship race at Cadwell Park, taking on and defeating pre-race favourite Josh Brookes.

Starting on the second row in fifth place, a good start allowed the FS-3 Kawasaki rider to hustle his way up to second position behind Josh Brookes, the Australian converting pole position into an early lead on the Be Wiser PBM Ducati

The pair quickly established a gap back to the chasing pack, helped in part by luckless front row starter Bradley Ray pulling up with mechanical issues on the warm-up lap and championship leader Scott Redding plummeting to tenth after a poor getaway.

Already under the lap record this week, while many might have expected Brookes to break away, he was pegged back by a feisty Buchan, who shadowed his every movement as he sized up an opportunity to pass.

A task given more urgency by the closing presence of Tommy Bridewell in third, Buchan pounced for the lead on lap 11 with a beautifully executed pass under braking at Mansfield.

With Brookes immediately falling into the clutches of Bridewell, allowing Buchan some breathing space, though there was never more than one second to cover the trio to the chequered flag, they’d remain as they were.

BSB Title Showdown battle heats up

A second win of the year for Buchan and FS-3 Racing, his success greatly improves his chances of progressing through to the Title Showdown for the first time in his career.

Similarly, second for Brookes and fourth for Redding makes them the first to be mathematically confirmed in the Showdown, while Bridewell is also likely to book his position in race two.

Redding got in some more overtaking practice with a determined ride back to fourth place, albeit at the expense of Christian Iddon, who ran off on the penultimate lap to drop behind the ex-MotoGP rider and also BMW counterpart Peter Hickman.

Jason O’Halloran started strongly to run third before fading to seventh, ahead of the Irwin brothers – Glenn leading Andrew – and rookie Ryan Vickers.

Luke Stapleford notched up points for Buildbase Suzuki after Ray’s crushing disappointment, while Gino Rea scored the first points for the Bike Devil MV Agusta team with a strong run to 12th position. 

The injured Tarran Mackenzie soldiered on for three points in 13th in what was an unwelcomingly physical race for the McAMS Yamaha rider involving many back-and-forths in the pack, even if he did get the better of one of his Title Showdown rivals, Xavi Fores in 14th. TT winner Dean Harrison completed the points’ paying positions. 

With Buchan’s win putting him 41 points clear of seventh place in the standings, attention switches to who will notch up positions 5 and 6 in the Title Showdown. Right now, only 13 points covers fifth to eighth in the order of Mackenzie, Andrew Irwin, Fores and Hickman.