Cadwell BSB: Irwin chases down lap record in FP3

Synetiq BMW’s Andrew Irwin turned in the quickest time for free practice three at Cadwell Park ahead of qualifying for the seventh round of the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship season on Sunday morning.

Continuing a rich vein of form over a single lap on the M 1000 RR following his front row of the grid effort last time out at Thruxton, Irwin swept to the top of the timesheets during the closing stages of the session to depose Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki’s Lee Jackson from the summit.

Also the fastest time of the weekend so far, a 1m 25.861s for Irwin - who was prevented from making the most of that third spot on the grid at Thruxton due to technical issues - put him just under a tenth quicker than Jackson, with Danny Buchan on the sister Synetiq BMW consolidating his teammate’s performance in third.

With Kawasaki and BMW locking out the top five positions, Leon Haslam was fourth best on the VisionTrack ZX-10RR, with Peter Hickman - twice a winner at Cadwell Park a year ago - in fifth on the FHO M 1000 RR.

Yamaha’s confirmed Title Showdown contenders Bradley Ray and Jason O’Halloran ended the session in tandem on the timesheets in sixth and seventh place, with Saturday pacesetter Tommy Bridewell eighth best as the quickest of the Ducati contingent.

Already into Q2 following an eye-catching performance yesterday, Honda’s Suzuka Eight-Hours winner Takumi Takahashi looks well placed to challenge for a maiden BSB top ten in qualifying later today after ending FP3 in ninth, while Rory Skinner completed the top ten on the second FS-3 machine.

Elsewhere, the field has swelled back to 30 riders after Shaun Winfield was added to the entry list on the TAG Honda with the Superstock rider taking over from Tito Rabat