British Superbikes: Glenn Irwin fifth in Silverstone opener as Lee Johnston takes Supersport win

Lee Johnston took his first British Supersport race win since 2021

Glenn Irwin ended fifth in the opening race of the new British Superbike season at Silverstone as Lee Johnston won the Supersport sprint race.

Johnston edged out Luke Stapleford by 0.222 seconds in the Supersport event, with Tom Booth-Amos third after the race was red-flagged on the final lap.

Irwin came home behind race winner Kyle Ryde, Tommy Bridewell, Josh Brookes and Jason O'Halloran in Superbike race one.

Andrew Irwin was eighth after 22 laps on his return to the Honda Racing fold.

OMG Yamaha rider Ryde had 0.436 seconds to spare over PBM Ducati-mounted Bridewell, with Brookes on the podium on his first competitive FHO BMW Racing outing.

Dubliner Jack Kennedy finished in an impressive seventh, the record four-time British Supersport champion on board a Mar-Train Racing Yamaha.

Peter Hickman took 11th spot, with fellow leading road racers Dean Harrison and Davey Todd 15th and 22nd respectively.

Glenn Irwin was a treble winner at the Northamptonshire circuit in 2022 when he was part of the Honda Racing outfit.

Alex Olsen won the first Superstock 1000cc race, with Donegal man Richard Kerr fifth, Alastair Seeley 10th on the Synetiq BMW by TAS Racing machine and David Allingham 11th on the Milenco by Padgett's Honda.

Nikki Coates was third in heat one of the BMW Motorrad F 900 R Cup on his return to the BSB paddock, taking the chequered flag behind winner Richard Cooper and Michael Rutter.

Yamaha-mounted Johnston had set the fastest qualifying time to occupy pole position for the Supersport sprint and led from start to finish.

The result was taken from the positions on the penultimate lap after the race was red-flagged on the final circuit.

"It was a really good race. I chipped away and got a decent gap and then the backmarkers came into play," the Ashcourt Racing rider told Eurosport.

"I'm really happy to get a win in the first race of the season. I'm feeling so much better in myself and really comfortable on the bike," added the Northern Irishman.

Meanwhile Cork rider Mike Browne secured the Enkalon Trophy on his Burrows Engineering/RK Racing BMW after winning the restarted eight-lap race by 0.3 seconds from fellow Republic of Ireland rider Derek Sheils.

Jason Lynn, who still heads the Ulster Superbike Championship, was third, followed by Gary McCoy, Michael Sweeney and Korie McGreevy.

McGreevy won the 10-lap Supersport event, ahead of Lynn, Adam McLean, Browne, McCoy and Sweeney.

McCoy took the Supertwin honours from Christian Elkin after McAdoo Racing Kawasaki rider McGreevy retired on the last lap.