Rhys Irwin, centre, celebrates another Superbikes Championship win
Rhys Irwin took victory in the 10-lap Sprint race, extending his lead in the British Superbike Championship standings with a strong performance at Oulton Park on Saturday.
Pole position went to Ben Currie on the Moto Rapido Ducati, with Kilmacrennan native Irwin starting alongside for Gearlink Bike Performance 15.
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Currie made the best start and held the lead into the opening corner, while Irwin settled into second place ahead of Joe Talbot and defending champion Jack Kennedy.
For the first four laps, Currie controlled the race as the chasing group traded places behind. The lead battle shifted on lap five when Kennedy moved ahead of Currie, though the pair swapped positions several times before Talbot moved through into second.
Irwin, who had briefly dropped to fourth, then worked his way back to the front by overtaking both Talbot and Kennedy.
Although Irwin attempted to build a gap, Kennedy stayed close and looked for an opportunity on the final lap.
However, Talbot made a late move to take second, with Kennedy and Talbot exchanging places in the closing stages. By the flag, Irwin had created enough of a margin to win by just under half a second.
Talbot finished second, Kennedy third, Currie fourth and Eugene McManus fifth.
In the Cup class, Ben Tolliday secured the win, with Stephen Thomas second and Josh Bannister third.
The race counted towards the Quattro Group British Supersport Championship.
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