British SBK, SS and STK Saturday round up from Donington

2023 British Superbike Championship
Round Three – Donington Park GP
Saturday

Superbike Qualifying

Kyle Ryde celebrated a first Omologato Superpole win on his first attempt at the one lap shootout style qualifying at Donington Park with the fastest ever BSB lap on the Grand Prix circuit.

Superbike Qualifying Results

Superbike Race One

Kyle Ryde celebrated his second victory of the 2023 Bennetts British Superbike Championship in the BikeSocial Sprint Race for the LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha Team, delivering a masterful performance to keep title rivals Tommy Bridewell and Leon Haslam behind him.

Ryde had hit the front of the pack after a rapid start from pole and he continued to set a pace, taking the chequered flag a second ahead of Tommy Bridewell with Leon Haslam rounding out the podium a couple of bike lengths further back.

Haslam had pushed for a last lap attack on Bridewell, making a move only for an instant fightback as the BeerMonster Ducati rider regained the position with just 0.319s between them at the chequered flag.

The second place means Bridewell now has moved to the top of the championship standings by just a single point from his team-mate Glenn Irwin who finished fifth.

Lee Jackson had managed to make a move on Irwin on the penultimate lap for fourth place whilst Josh Brookes battled his way up the order and into sixth place for the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team after starting from tenth. Brookes put in the eighth fastest lap of the race so will start from eighth on the grid tomorrow.

Ryan Vickers had his best result of the season so far in seventh place for the LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha team ahead of Danny Kent and Storm Stacey who scored a top ten finish for Starline Racing Kawasaki.

Charlie Nesbitt completed the top ten riders, just ahead of Max Cook who was eleventh to celebrate his best result so far in his rookie campaign.

Jason O’Halloran was a very uncharacteristic 14th after starting from the front row. The Aussie had featured in the front pack and was running in second place over the opening couple of laps before steadily losing places as the race wore on as his chosen SCX rear couldn’t sustain the pace. He was tenth on the penultimate lap before being pushed wide by Peter Hickman on the final lap which relegated him to 14th place. O’Halloran recorded the fifth fastest lap of the race which puts him on the second row for Sunday’s longer races.

It was disappointment for Andrew Irwin and Christian Iddon when the pair crashed out together at Melbourne Hairpin along with Dean Harrison shortly afterwards.

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Superbike Race One Results

Kyle Ryde – Race One Winner

“It has been a perfect day with the pole position and following that up with a win. It was actually a very difficult race this afternoon. I knew the pace that I could do and it was good that I did exactly what I thought I could.

“The bike worked great and I did the lap times consistently and my pit board was saying +0.3 and then +0.4, so fair play to everyone else as I think they made a big step. On paper I felt like I was a little bit quicker and they obviously matched it in that race.

“I have put so much pressure on myself all weekend as it’s always like that when you are fast, you expect big things. I’m just glad that I took all the pressure in Superpole and then backed it up in the race with a win in front of all my family. It’s a great achievement for me and the whole team.

“Tomorrow will be strategic in the longer races, but we’ll see where we end up – but I am sure we will be alright!”

Tommy Bridewell – P2

“I’m happy enough with second as it was a good, solid ride. I was putting pressure on Kyle as much as I could whilst also being put under pressure by Leon all race.

“I made an average start and dropped back a bit and by the time I got up to second, Kyle had opened a bit of a gap which I was never able to pull back. Getting off the line is something I need to work on but fair play to Kyle, he never put a wheel wrong although I did feel I was stronger on some parts of the course than him.

“The bike was faultless, and the pace was good so full credit to the team although we’ll have to think about tomorrow’s races a bit more in terms of looking after the tyre but second is great and we’re consistently running at the front.”

Bennetts British Superbike Championship Standings

Supersport / GP2 Sprint Race

Jaimie van Sikkelerus took the Sprint win from Tom Toparis as early leaders Ben Currie and Tom Booth-Amos both crashed out from the front.

Polesitter Tom Booth-Amos had been leading by more than two seconds when he crashed on lap seven, handing the lead to Currie who by then looked to have sealed the deal as he started the last lap with more than three-seconds in hand.

But more drama followed as he crashed moments later, handing the lead to Dutchman van Sikkelerus, who took victory by 1.131s over Toparis.

Luke Stapleford finished third, with Jamie Perrin fourth and Seth Crump fifth.

Joe Collier was eighth overall and took GP2 honours, with Cameron Fraser second and Harry Rowlings third.

Supersport / GP2 Sprint Race Results

Supersport Points

GP2 Points

Supersport Cup Points

Junior Superstock

Edmund Best took his first win of the season as he held-off a charging Sam Laffins to take victory by 0.271s after an exciting, close-fought battle.

The Symcirrus Motorsport rider took the lead from poleman Aaron Silvester early in the race but came under threat from Laffins in the final lap as the pair swapped the lead, before Best took it back with two corners to go.

Louis Valleley was also looking threatening on the final lap but had to settle for third, with Asher Durham fourth and Silvester fifth.

Young Aussie Jacob Hatch qualified 25th but missed the pit exit and had to start from pit lane. Hatch had worked his way up to ninth before going down at Goddards four laps from the end. While working his way forward Hatch recorded one of the fastest laps of the race, faster than the race winner, and that time promotes him to the second row for Sunday’s race.

Junior Superstock Race One

Junior Superstock Championship Points

Superstock 1000 Qualifying

Dan Linfoot will start from pole position after qualifying second quickest behind Alex Olsen – who will line up at the back of the grid after a penalty from Oulton Park.

South Australia’s Billy McConnell was fifth quickest and countryman Brayden Elliott 17th.

Superstock 1000 Qualifying Results