Irwin crashes out in British Superbike race

Glenn Irwin led the British Superbike Championship earlier in this season but has dropped 26 points behind series leader Tommy Bridewell

Northern Ireland rider Glenn Irwin's British Superbike Championship hopes suffered a blow as he crashed out in Sunday's opening Sprint Race at Thruxton and could then only finish 15th in Race Two.

Irwin, 34, was in third place early on lap one in the Sprint Race when he high sided off his Hager PBM Ducati.

The Carrickfergus man's mishap caused the race to be red flagged but he was unable to take part in the re-start as he was taken away in an ambulance.

His crash meant he started Race Two from the back of the grid but while he was the fastest man on the circuit at one point as he moved up to 12th by lap seven, Irwin lost ground in the closing laps to finish in 15th spot.

Irwin did secure one championship point but has dropped to fourth place in the series, some 47 points behind leader Tommy Bridewell, who earned seventh and sixth-place finishes in Sunday's races.

Bridewell has a 25-point lead over Kyle Ryde with Christian Iddon a further 10 points off the pace.

Ryan Vickers' maintained his recent resurgence to win both Sunday's races and he now looks back in championship contention as he stands just 50 points behind Bridewell.

Bridewell loses lead in Race Two

The sprint race had to be re-started as a shortened 10-lapper minus Irwin with Vickers taking victory ahead of Max Cook, who was earning his first podium position in the championship, with Danny Kent in third spot.

Josh Brookes, Billy McConnell and Christian Iddon completed the top sixth as Bridewell was seventh and Irwin's brother Andrew took 14th.

Bridewell led Race Two for the opening four laps before an apparent electrical problem led to him suddenly dropping back to 11th spot.

That left Vickers in a lead which he maintained to the finish despite having a few nervous late moments which included a slide in the second last corner.

Vickers regrouped to hold off Danny Kent by 0.15 seconds as Australian rider McConnell secured his first British Superbikes podium position.

Ryde, Charlie Nesbitt and Bridewell completed the top six with Andrew Irwin finishing ninth.

Dublin rider Jack Kennedy moved to the top of the British Supersport Championship by taking a dramatic last-corner win over Luke Stapleford.

Kennedy's manoeuvre gave him a 0.06 second victory with Benjamin Currie completing the podium positions as Northern Ireland riders Eugene McManus and Alistair Seeley finished fourth and fifth, with Rhys Irwin in ninth and Lee Johnston 15th.

The Dubliner now has a five-point lead in the championship over Currie with Stapleford 27 points off the pace and Seeley and McManus occupying fourth and sixth places - albeit more than 100 points behind Kennedy.