BSB Snetterton: Irwin Takes Second Snetterton Win After Late Bridewell Battle

Round five of the 2024 British Superbike Championship takes the series to Snetterton with Tommy Bridewell leading the championship. After Storm Stacey took a shock Race 1 win, Race 2 went to Glenn Irwin after a red flag, and Race 3 was won again by Irwin after  alate fight with Tommy Bridewell.

Overview

• Race 3 - Irwin beats Bridewell in last lap showdown

• Race 2 - Irwin wins shortened, red-flagged race two after Valleley fire

• Race 1 - Stacey wins wet, red-flagged Race 1 ahead of Rollo

• Qualifying - Vickers takes pole in treacherous, wet qualifying

• Friday Practice - Bridewell top but Irwin in touch after day one

Race 3

Glenn Irwin took his second victory of the Snetterton weekend in BSB Race 3, beating Tommy Bridewell.

Irwin started from pole, but the race was led by Christian Iddon until lap seven when Irwin made his way back through. By then, Tommy Bridewell was in third place, and he made that second shortly after Irwin had taken the lead.

Irwin and Bridewell were unable to break away from the riders behind, but were able to put just enough distance between themselves and Iddon to ensure that only the two of them would decide victory.

For Bridewell, his best chance came at turn two on the final lap when Irwin ran wide, but the reigning champion was unable to take advantage. 

A final corner lunge was a possibility, but Irwin covered it off well, and then the #2 Ducati out-paced the #1 Honda to the line, sealing the deal for Irwin.

Bridewell secured second, ahead of Iddon who ensured the Race 3 podium was a repeat of Race 2’s.

Behind, Danny Kent beat Kyle Ryde to fourth, ahead of Andrew Irwin, Josh Brookes, Ryan Vickers, Jason O’Halloran and Charlie Nesbitt who completed the top 10.

Full BSB results from Race 3 in Snetterton are below.

2024 Snetterton BSB | Race 3 Result

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.

Full BSB results from Race 2 in Snetterton are below.

2024 Snetterton BSB | Race 2 Result

Race 1

Storm Stacey took victory in a wet BSB Race 1 at Snetterton, after a red flag for Rory Skinner.

The red flag was brought out on the ninth lap of the initial start. Stacey was leading after gambling on intermediates at the start, with the track clearly drying. The red flag, brought out for a crash for Rory Skinner who required trackside assistance, seemed to cost Stacey the win, as his tyre advantage was lost.

Rain in the time between the stoppage and the resumption of the race, held over five laps, meant that everyone was one wets for the restart. 

Stacey went backwards off the line and Danny Kent made the holeshot. But Stacey was back in second place by turn four, and Kent had crashed by turn six, meaning Stacey was back in the lead. Championship leader Tommy Bridewell also crashed at turn six, and hit Kent directly as he reached the barrier. The Honda rider was shown by TV cameras to be walking away with his helmet off after the race.

After he’d took the lead, Stacey was back in the position that he held before the red flag, but Lewis Rollo — who had missed qualifying and started the initial race from the back of the grid — was showing better pace. On lap two, the Aprilia rider took the lead, and gapped Stacey.

Stacey, though, dug in, and by the final lap he was back on the rear wheel of Rollo. On the exit of turn seven, he got better drive on his Kawasaki, and made the move on the brakes at the end of the back straight. Rollo only had the final corner to respond, and he wasn’t close enough.

Although Rollo was unable to take his own first win, and prevent Stacey from taking his, he was able to secure a maiden BSB podium, on a rostrum which was rounded out by Kyle Ryde.

Behind, Jason O'Halloran and Glenn Irwin rounded out the top five, while Christian Iddon was sixth. Andrew Irwin took seventh place, ahead of Leon Haslam in eighth and Ryan Vickers in ninth. Franco Bourne completed the top 10.

Full BSB results from Race 1 in Snetterton are below.

2024 Snetterton BSB | Race 1 Result

Qualifying

Ryan Vickers took pole position in a sodden Snetteron qualifying for British Superbikes at the fifth round of 2024. The Yamaha rider was 0.2 seconds ahead of Billy McConnell after a dramatic session which saw crashes for Kyle Ryde, Danny Kent, and Glenn Irwin.

Tommy Bridewell, who had dominated practice in the dry on Friday, qualified fourth, behind Storm Stacey who completed the front row, and ahead of his Honda teammate Andrew Irwin, and the second OMG Yamaha Kyle Ryde who complete row two.

Row three is comprised of Josh Brookes, Jason O'Halloran, and Rory Skinner, while Christian Iddon, Charlie Nesbitt, and Danny Kent will start from the fourth row. Glenn Irwin, after his crash, qualified down in 14th.

Full BSB results from qualifying in Snetterton are below.

2024 Snetterton BSB | Qualifying Result

Friday Practice

Tommy Bridewell was fastest in both Friday sessions at the BSB Snetterton round. Bridewell's morning advantage was almost 0.4 seconds, but that had shrunk to 0.052 seconds by the afternoon despite the Honda rider improving his own time by more than one second in FP2.

Glenn Irwin was the rider who ran Bridewell closest, and other than the two major protagonists of the 2023 season only the two OMG Yamaha riders, Ryan Vickers and Kyle Ryde, were able to lap in the 1:47s.

Behind, Danny Kent was fifth, ahead of Josh Brookes, the best BMW rider. Christian Iddon was seventh, ahead of the leading Kawasaki of Jason O'Halloran, while Charlie Nesbitt and Rory Skinner completed the top 10. Lee Jackson and Andrew Irwin were the final two riders to book automatic spots in Q2.

Full BSB results from FP1 and FP2 in Snetterton are below.

2024 Snetterton BSB | FP2 Result

2024 Snetterton BSB | FP1 Result

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Image credit: Ian Hopgood.