Editorial Note: American Brandon Paasch crashed out while racing for the lead in British Motostar Race Two. The race was won by Spaniard Victor Rodriguez, who also won Race One. Paasch still holds a 27-point lead in the Championship after six of 18 races.

Buchan claims first Bennetts BSB win as Scott lands race two victory

Danny Buchan and FS3-Racing Kawasaki celebrated their first victory in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Knockhill as he became the fifth different race winner of the season after a faultless race one. However in race two Scott Redding delivered another winning performance to return to the top of the championship standings and add to his Podium Points tally.

At the start of the opening race Tarran Mackenzie launched off the front row to lead the pack from pole-sitter Xavi Forés and Buchan with Christian Iddon and Jason O’Halloran in close contention. A moment for Forés dropped him behind Buchan on lap five and then the FS3-Racing Kawasaki rider was hunting down Mackenzie at the front.

Buchan was piling the pressure on Mackenzie at the front and with a decisive move at the Hairpin on lap five and then posted consistent lap times to begin to make a break from the pack. Mackenzie though crashed out of contention before mid-race distance ending his chance of a podium finish.

Buchan was untroubled at the front but behind the battle for second place went down to the wire as Scott Redding was cutting through the pack from his 16th place grid start; by the final ten laps the Be Wiser Ducati rider had closed down the battle for second with Forés leading Iddon.

Redding had closed the gap and with three laps to go he made a move at turn five on Iddon to move ahead of the Tyco BMW rider and then repeated the move a lap later to move into second place as Forés held third.

Redding celebrated a determined second place finish ahead of Forés and Iddon who claimed Tyco BMW’s best result of the season. Tommy Bridewell was fifth ahead of Bradley Ray and Luke Mossey. Luke Stapleford and Glenn Irwin completed the top ten.

In race two Redding returned to the top of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship podium at Knockhill, mastering the Scottish circuit to claim the race two victory for Be Wiser Ducati and move back to the top of the standings by four points.

At the start of the race Mackenzie claimed the initial advantage into turn one, but Buchan carved ahead just a corner later to put the FS3-Racing Kawasaki back at the front of the field. Redding was in third and he moved second on lap two with a move at the Hairpin on the Be Wiser Ducati.

Iddon had been sitting in eighth place but a crash at turn four on the third lap left the Tyco BMW with a fractured left fibula. The BMW Safety Car was deployed and as the pack formed up behind, Buchan, Redding and Mackenzie were the leading trio with Josh Brookes, Ray and Bridewell next in line.

Redding was instantly on the attack when the race resumed and after two laps he had pulled a decisive move on Buchan to take the lead. Buchan and Mackenzie then were embroiled in a battle for second, but Bridewell was also on the move and desperate to forge his way further up the order.

By lap 17 Buchan had made a move on Redding to regain the lead, but a lap later an unfortunate crash saw the FS3-Racing Kawasaki rider tumble out of the action unhurt. That gave Redding the advantage he needed and he was able to hold the advantage until the race was red flagged on lap 25 when Ray suffered a mechanical failure and subsequently affected the track conditions.

Mackenzie had been eager to make amends for his race one crash and he was able to hold off Bridewell in the closing stages as the pair completed the race two podium with Brookes and Andrew Irwin completing the top five.

Peter Hickman had been giving chase to Ray before his technical problem and that meant the Smiths Racing BMW rider claimed sixth place ahead of Dan Linfoot and Mossey who held off Glenn Irwin and James Ellison.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Race 1 result:

Danny Buchan (FS3-Racing Kawasaki)

Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) +6.232s

Xavi Forés (Honda Racing) +7.079s

Christian Iddon (Tyco BMW) +7.448s

Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) +9.644s

Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) +10.774s

Luke Mossey (OMG Racing Suzuki) +14.125s

Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) +18.456s

Luke Stapleford (Buildbase Suzuki) +20.742s

Glenn Irwin (Quattro Plant – JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +20.884s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Knockhill, Race 2 result:

Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati)

Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) +1.428s

Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) +2.658s

Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) +4.710s

Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing) +5.373s

Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) +6.014s

Dan Linfoot (Santander Salt TAG Yamaha) +6.578s

Luke Mossey (OMG Racing Suzuki) +12.453s

Glenn Irwin (Quattro Plant – JG Speedfit Kawasaki) +12.756s

James Ellison (Smiths Racing BMW) +13.035s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings after Knockhill:

Scott Redding (Be Wiser Ducati) 176

Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Racing Ducati) 172

Josh Brookes (Be Wiser Ducati) 145

Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) 128

Danny Buchan (FS3-Racing Kawasaki) 119

Xavi Forés (Honda Racing) 96

For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com

Danny Buchan – FS-3 Racing Kawasaki

Bennetts BSB Race 1 winner

“It’s still not sunk in yet and I’m pretty overwhelmed by it, it was such a long first race. At the beginning of the race I actually hit Taz (Mackenzie), I hit his exhaust going down the straight. It was a good race and I knew I could do a good job, mid race onwards I settled into a rhythm and brought the bike home and took my first win.

“Credit to the FS3 team for all their hard work that they have put in, to pick up my first win and the team’s first BSB win, it has been a long time coming. I’ve been trying and trying it’s been a stressful three years for everyone around me. Thanks to all my family and friends who have always supported me.”

Scott Redding – Be Wiser Ducati

Bennetts BSB Race 2 winner

“Scotland is great! Danny (Buchan) is the man at Knockhill this weekend – he has been strong in the wet and dry. He won the first race so he had that confidence, I was confident as well as I came through I knew I had the pace.

“I didn’t really want to lead. I wanted to learn as I am still learning the tracks so when he came by he was pulling away, but I could catch him so I was like, just stay there. The Safety Car came out and I just thought, ‘ok regroup’, we went again and he had a little moment and I thought should I just stay behind?

“And I thought no I will just try and lead a little bit and see how it goes. I led a couple of laps and felt good, then I think I ran a bit wide in to one of the corners and Danny came by and I thought, that’s alright I will try and stay and learn.

“I learnt a little bit through the chicane and I thought I will just stay here and have a dig at the end and he lost the front and I thought, oh now I am leading again! I picked my pace up and then it was done. The race was good, I am happy to have the win with the second this morning; people said will Redding manage the British tracks once we get to Knockhill – now we know!”