Visiontrack Ducati racer Christian Iddon made a great start to the 2021 Bennetts British Superbike season, the Stockport rider claiming a trio of second-placed finishes across the opening three races of the year at Oulton Park in Cheshire, watched by fans for the first time since October 2019.

Iddon gave himself the best opportunity qualifying on the front row of the grid, alongside fellow Ducati rider Tommy Bridewell, and set out his intentions by leading from lap one of the 18-lap encounter.

Iddon was to go on and lead almost every lap, until the Yamaha of Jason O’Halloran took the lead on lap eight.

Iddon, up for a fight, regained the lead a lap later but O’Halloran regained the lead a lap later and never looked back, Iddon taking second spot on the podium in the season opener.

Race two was a similar affair, Iddon claiming the lead on the opening lap, from third on the grid. He led for 17 laps and it was only a last-corner lunge from O’Halloran that saw the Yamaha racer claim the win from Iddon by the slenderest of margins.

By race three, the Oulton Park crowd could see a pattern emerging, Iddon doing everything he could to give himself the best chance, claiming the lead from fourth on the grid after just one lap, and it wasn’t until the final lap of the race, and a brave move from O’Halloran in to the ultra-fast Island bend, Iddon once more claiming second place at the flag.

Speaking to Visiontrack Ducati, Iddon said: “It’s hard to take when you lead for that long and get overtaken on the final lap and although three second place finishes are obviously a great start, three wins would have been better.

“Jason had something more than us in certain parts of the circuit though and he had plenty of opportunity to weigh things up by sitting behind me for so long.

“I was half expecting him to come by, especially in the last race but I felt confident leading, and we can take away a lot of positives from the weekend.”

Iddon sits second in the Championship as the series heads North to Knockhill in Scotland over the weekend of the July 10-11.

Elsewhere, Stockport rider Ben Luxton made progress riding his IN Competition Aprilia in round one of the Pirelli National Superstock Championship.

Luxton qualified 31st of the bumper 53-rider entry, making steady progress to finish 25th in his debut race aboard the Aprilia.