Irwin claims first BSB win of the year, Haslam clinches title

Full BSB race one results from Brands Hatch

Glenn Irwin has claimed a first win of the year in the Bennetts British Superbike championship in the opening race of the Brands Hatch finale as Leon Haslam seals the title with sixth place.

The Be Wiser Ducati rider made a lightning start to lead into the first turn ahead of pole-sitter Jake Dixon, who was battling to keep his BSB title hopes alive with a 61-point deficit to Haslam, with the championship leader slotting into seventh place.

In a tactical race with focus on the title, Irwin held on to his lead while pulling along a six-rider breakaway, with Richard Cooper crashing out in front of Haslam on lap five, to see the JG Speedfit Kawasaki rider hold on to the provisional title win with sixth place.

Dixon was pushed into third place as Andrew Irwin on the sister Be Wiser Ducati moved ahead on lap eight, only to drop away late on, but second place for Dixon wasn’t enough to stop Haslam taking the title in sixth.

Irwin kept clear of Dixon to seal his first win of the season for Be Wiser Ducati in front of the RAF Regular & Reserves Kawasaki rider.

Tarran Mackenzie sneaked into the final rostrum place on the McAMS Yamaha with a penultimate-lap pass on Irwin, with Peter Hickman seeing off Haslam to keep hold of fifth place.

2015 BSB champion Josh Brookes had to settle for eighth place for McAMS Yamaha, dropping behind Irwin in the riders’ standings, with James Ellison (Anvil Hire Yamaha) and Danny Buchan (FS-3 Racing Kawasaki) rounding out the top ten.