Synetiq BMW’s Danny Buchan stole the show with a 1’35.067 lap as the first Bennetts BSB Superpicks 12 free practice fired up at Oulton Park on Friday.
Fellow BMW rider, Peter Hickman had led for the majority of the 40 minute session as he repeatedly refined his lap times to consolidate his position. Holding the opening practice with a 1’35.103 until Buchan arrived with one minute to go. Ducati’s Tommy Bridewell completed the top three less than two-tenths adrift of the leading pair.
Glenn Irwin kicked off the action as FP1 geared up under a cloudy but warm Cheshire sky. The Honda rider sat atop the initial times before Hickman took over almost a second quicker. The FHO BMW was running 1’35.362 pace as the session unfolded with Irwin improving to retain second after the opening 10 minutes of action.
Buchan and VisionTrack Ducati’s Christian Iddon were battling for best of the rest further back until championship leader Jason O’Halloran arrived to third and Hickman moved the goalposts once again. This time with a 1’35.1.
Kawasaki’s Ryan Vickers began his Oulton weekend from sixth ahead of fellow Ninja Lee Jackson and the Suzuki duo of Gino Rea and Bradley Ray, with Synetiq’s second rider, Andrew Irwin,s completing the early top 10.
Bridewell was the next to strike as he entered the top three, just half a second down on the leader and a mere 0.025s back from his nearest rival. Tarran Mackenzie and Josh Brookes circulated outside of the top 10 at the halfway stage before the Australian boosted his way into fourth. His countryman having taken second in the same lap, while the second McAMS Yamaha was left down in 13th.
Buchan nudged his BMW into the middle of a Ducati sandwich with 15 minutes left to play as he found fifth once again, between Brookes and Bridewell, with Vickers fine-tuning his lap for seventh.
The Oxford Products rider was back on the move in the closing stages, securing second with nine minutes left to run thanks to a 1’35.206, Ray following suit three minutes later to round out the top three.
But it was Buchan who was on a flyer as the clock counted down, taking the standings thanks to his 1’35.067 effort as his teammate made his way up to fifth and FS-3’s Jackson slid in just one ahead.
