Source: Supplied.

Oulton Park will host the crucial ninth round of the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship this weekend as the vital triple-header of races will decide which four riders join Josh Brookes and Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne in the Showdown battle.

The Cheshire circuit will host the closest-ever Showdown decider in history, with four Title Fighter positions still up for the taking for the first time since the concept was introduced in 2010.

Brookes and Byrne have their positions secured so the pair will be vying for the final Podium Points on offer. With a maximum of 15, the three races this weekend could be pivotal to the final title battle after the three round Showdown.

James Ellison is the first rider lining up to stake his claim in the Showdown as he returns from injury with the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team, but having been sidelined for the past two rounds he has seen his buffer cut dramatically to just six points.

Tommy Bridewell in fourth position has gained ground on Ellison ahead of him in the standings and the Tyco BMW rider will be gunning for a repeat of his victory at the circuit back in May to cement his position. However Stuart Easton is just two points adrift in fifth place ahead of the three Oulton Park races as he bravely battles back from injury.

The danger man ahead of the triple-header decider is Michael Laverty on the second Tyco BMW; he holds sixth place ahead of the weekend but precariously only holds a 21-point advantage ahead of Honda Racing’s Dan Linfoot in seventh.

The next pack of riders still have the top six as their target with a maximum of 75 points available and Richard Cooper, Luke Mossey, Billy McConnell and Peter Hickman are all covered by just six points.

All of the riders pushing to make the top six from Linfoot in seventh to Peter Hickman in 12th have scored podium finishes so far this season making this the most closely contested Showdown decider in history.