Irwin Wins Disrupted Second Snetterton Race –

Tommy Bridewell heads to the BSB Snetterton round as the championship leader after picking up his first win of the year at the Knockhill BSB last time out. After Storm Stacey won Race 1, Glenn Irwin took victory in a dry Race 2.

Race 2

Glenn Irwin took victory in a dry Race 2 at Snetterton which was red flagged after Louis Valleley’s bike caught fire trackside.

Irwin was leading the initial start when the red flag came out, which meant he started from pole position for the restart.

Kyle Ryde started alongside him and made the holeshot, but Irwin reclaimed the lead at turn four on the first lap. He extended his margin to two seconds meaning that by the time Tommy Bridewell made his way through to second at the end of the second lap, Irwin was too far in the lead to be caught in what was a five-lap dash.

Bridewell took second place ahead of Christian Iddon who completed the podium, while Kyle Ryde and Andrew Irwin rounded out the top five.

Danny Kent took sixth place, ahead of Ryan Vickers, Jason O’Halloran, Charlie Nesbitt, and Josh Brookes who completed the top 10.

Race 1

Storm Stacey looked on course for his first BSB win in Snetterton Race 1, but a red flag evened the field out. On the restart, Stacey was at the front again, and despite losing the lead to Lewis Rollo on lap two, Stacey reclaimed the lead on the final lap to secure a maiden BSB win.

The red flag was brought out on the first start on lap nine, with Stacey far in the lead ahead of Ryan Vickers. Rory Skinner crashed at the penultimate corner, and reportedly complained of leg pain. Jaimie van Sikkelerus crashed at the same spot soon after Skinner, and the red flag followed moments later.

On the restart, Stacey went backwards from pole and was fifth entering turn two. However, he was second exiting turn four, and then he inherited the lead when Danny Kent crashed from first place at turn six on the opening lap. Tommy Bridewell followed Kent in, and the two riders collided in the barrier. Bridewell was seen after the race walking away.

With Stacey now out front, it seemed he was on course to take the victory that seemed to have been taken away by the red flag. However Lewis Rollo had better speed behind, and took the lead on the second lap on the back straight.

The Aprilia rider then pulled a slight gap on Stacey, but the #79 reeled him back in in the final two laps, launching back into the lead at the end of the back straight on the final lap. Rollo’s only chance to respond was the final corner, but he wasn’t close enough.

Although Rollo couldn’t deny Stacey his first win, and take his own, he did take a maiden BSB podium having completely missed qualifying and started from the back of the grid.

Completing the podium was Kyle Ryde, who banked important championship points on a day when a number of the other title contenders were either not scoring at all or out of the top positions.

Jason O’Halloran had a similar race in that respect, finishing fourth, ahead of Glenn Irwin who completed the top five, ahead of Christian Iddon. Andrew Irwin was seventh, ahead of Leon Haslam, Ryan Vickers, and Franco Bourne who completed the top 10.

Billy McConnell didn’t start the race having qualified on the front row as a result of his crash which came after setting his best time in Q2.

Qualifying

Ryan Vickers secured pole position for BSB Race 1 at a wet Snetterton, as multiple top riders crashed.

Glenn Irwin, Kyle Ryde, and Danny Kent all crashed during Q2, while Vickers smoothly navigated his way to pole, just under 0.2 seconds ahead of a surprise Billy McConnell in second place, while Storm Stacey was similarly impressive in third.

Tommy Bridewell was briefly third before Stacey completed his lap moments after Bridewell set his 2:06.692. The Honda rider will line up alongside his teammate, Andrew Irwin, and Kyle Ryde on the second row for Race 1.

Josh Brookes will head up row three in seventh place, ahead of Jason O’Halloran, while Rory Skinner will start ninth. Christian Iddon completed the qualifying top 10, ahead of Charlie Nesbitt and Danny Kent who complete row four.

FP2

Only four riders lapped in the 1:47s on Friday at the BSB Snetterton round, with Tommy Bridewell fastest of all.

Bridewell’s FP1 advantage was almost 0.4 seconds, but although he dropped his time by almost one second in FP2, Glenn Irwin was able to get almost within half-a-tenth of Bridewell in FP2.

Ryan Vickers and Kyle Ryde were also able to lap in under 1:48, but Ryde was over 0.6 seconds behind Bridewell.

Danny Kent was fifth, ahead of Josh Brookes, Christian Iddon, Jason O’Halloran, Charlie Nesbitt, and Rory Skinner who rounded out the top 10. Lee Jackson and Andrew Irwin took the final two automatic Q2 spots.

Leon Haslam, who lies sixth in the championship coming into this weekend, finished down in 17th and will be the major name looking to get through Q1 tomorrow.

FP1

Tommy Bridewell was fastest in BSB FP1 at Snetterton and by a comfortable margin of almost 0.4 seconds.

Only the four riders behind him were able to join Bridewell in the 1:48s, with Christian Iddon, Glenn Irwin, Ryan Vickers, and Danny Kent all going sub-1:49. But even Kent, at a 1:48.984, was over half-a-second adrift of Bridewell.

Jason O’Halloran was the first of the riders in the 1:49s in sixth place, ahead of Kyle Ryde, Charlie Nesbitt, Max Cook, and Lee Jackson who completed the top 10.