Saturday round up from Donington Park BSB – SBK/SS/STK/ST

2024 Bennetts British Superbike Championship
Round Ten – Donington Park GP
Saturday Round Up

British Superbike Race One

Kyle Ryde was victorious in the opening Bennetts British Superbike Championship race of the weekend at Donington Park, holding off Tommy Bridewell, as the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing rider emerged victorious after withstanding the race-long pressure from the reigning champion.

Ryde launched into the lead on the opening lap ahead of Danny Kent and Josh Brookes with Bridewell in the mix, but Kent made a costly mistake at the Fogarty Esses and ran on, rejoining in 12th place. He then had to fight back to finish in fifth place at the chequered flag.

At the front Ryde was constantly shadowed by Bridewell as he continued to pile on the pressure, but the local hero delivered an inch perfect performance to finally break his Honda Racing UK rival over the final laps to win his seventh race of the season and in doing so half the lead in the standings to just three points.

Glenn Irwin returned to the podium in third place for the Hager PBM Ducati team; he was holding fifth place over the opening laps, but soon made a move on Christian Iddon and Brookes to move ahead. In the latter stages of the race Glenn Irwin was closely followed by brother Andrew on the second of the Honda Racing UK Fireblades, but he didn’t have enough to bridge the gap to his rivals ahead of him.

Kent was fifth after coming back from his early mistake to a move on Charlie Nesbitt for fifth with two laps.

Ryan Vickers, Lee Jackson, Brookes and Iddon were all in the battling pack for top ten finishes.

Jason O’Halloran took 13th place just ahead of countryman Billy McConnell.

Countryman Brayden Elliott went out of the race early on.

Rider Quotes

Kyle Ryde

“Twenty laps around Donington Park isn’t easy at whatever speed you’re going at! I’ve had great speed all weekend through practice and qualifying and halfway through that race the pace was pretty good. The pit board said point two, point two, point two and I thought ‘well he’s not going to let off now’, so I just tried to keep doing what I was doing and I didn’t make a mistake. If he was going to come past, he was going to come past. I was really strong in a few points of the track. Stupidly enough I could hear where Tommy was and I was a bit in front every lap when I went into the hairpin, so I knew I was quite good through the chicane. I didn’t make any mistakes, but it was a great race and we have worked hard all of Friday and Saturday morning to put it all together. I mean I want to win two more races, but anything could happen – anything in BSB! Something will happen at some point, but I’m hoping nothing! I’m just going to ride exactly how I have done Friday and Saturday and hopefully we can win again tomorrow. We’re being consistent and when I’ve got the chance to win I’ve won, or been close to it, so now we have just got to do the same tomorrow.”

Tommy Bridewell

“It’s strange to say that today was ‘tough’ because for me typically a ‘tough’ race is a really physically hard race, whereas today I felt like I could ride around at that pace till the sun came down. We are struggling in a few areas and I can’t quite ride how I want to ride but I am happy that we are still doing what we are doing. We are working really hard to find something with the setup to help us improve in a few areas. Kyle is riding really well and I tried to put him under as much pressure as possible but I knew fairly early on I was relying on a mistake, credit to him, he rode mega and handled the pressure. We have to box smart and pick our battles, if we concede three points today but learn from the twenty-lap race how we can improve for tomorrow then so be it. One thing’s for sure though, we will come back fighting tomorrow for sure.”

Andrew Irwin

“Honestly, fourth today is quite a good ride, you know I started from ninth and came through and was quite aggressive when I needed to be to make the progress. I came through the pack to be right on the back of Glenn, and at that stage I thought that he was going to pull us away from those behind, so I wanted to use his pace to create a gap. Then late in the race when I wanted to try and make a pass I just didn’t have the grip in the places that I needed it to pull the move off. It’s frustrating to come forth, but it’s a good result compared to Oulton and after we missed Cadwell, so I am happy in some ways but frustrated in others. I’m looking forward to tomorrow because I think we have the potential to make another step and get ourselves another decent result.”

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British Superbike Race One Results

British Superbike Championship Points

British Superbike Qualifying Results

British Supersport / GP2 Sprint Race

Honda Racing UK’s Jack Kennedy moved into the lead in the championship after winning Saturday’s Sprint race – as rival Luke Stapleford crashed out.

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Kennedy was fastest off the line but Stapleford managed to squeeze past at the loop in the opening lap – then crashed from the front seconds later.

Ben Currie moved ahead on the second lap as TJ Toms passed Kennedy a couple of laps later, but the multiple former champion was back into second with two laps to go.

On the final lap, he made his move on Currie, making a clean pass at the loop and then charging to the line, beating Currie by 0.057secs as Toms finished third.

Jack Kennedy

“I don’t know where to start! I can’t get my head around that I won that race! I was trying to line something up to pass Ben for the lead but then TJ was coming at me too which I knew was the last thing that I needed. When TJ came past on the last lap I needed to focus on keeping him behind me to keep second place and get the points, but then as the lap went on I kept edging Ben in closer and closer. I knew that if I didn’t have a go for the wing then I wouldn’t sleep tonight so I knew that Melbourne Loop was my only opportunity even though Ben was super strong on the brakes there. I just broke later than he did and went for it, managed to get it stopped, got it turned and then defended like crazy to the line and got the win. I want to dedicate this win to the whole Fitzsimons family who have been a massive part of my racing and have sadly lost someone special recently, so this win is for them.”

Harry Truelove was fourth after a solid race as Eugene McManus was fifth.

Owen Jenner was seventh overall and the GP2 winner by a country mile, with Jack Nixon second and Keo Walker third.

In the Cup, it was Lewis Jones who took victory with Cameron Hall second and Tom Tunstall third.

British Supersport / GP2 Sprint Race Results

British Supersport Championship Points

GP2 Points

HEL Cup Points

Pirelli National Superstock Race One

Luke Mossey stormed to the opening Superstock race win of the weekend as he beat Davey Todd by 2.827secs.

Todd hit the front first but wasn’t able to keep a charging Mossey behind for long, the Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles rider getting past on the second lap and holding the place all the way to the flag.

Todd’s title rival Joe Talbot was third, with David Allingham fourth and Scott Swann fifth, as Todd now leads by seven-points.

Pirelli National Superstock Race One Results

British SuperTeen Race One

Carl Harris beat championship challenger Brodie Gawith to the win in today’s opening Superteen race, as points leader Kalvin Kelly took fourth.

After a busy race where Gawith and his ROKiT Rookie team-mate Kelly were battling for the win, Harris came to the fore late on, taking the win after leader Gawith went wide on the final corner.

Calum Beach was third, with Kelly fourth as Henry Snell took fifth.

British SuperTeen Race One Results

British SuperTeen Race Two

Brodie Gawith took victory in the second Superteen race the day as he led a ROKiT Rookie one-two-three on the podium.

The lead had swapped several times during the race but on the penultimate lap, leader Carl Harris crashed out and Gawith, who had been a very close second, moved into the lead.

This left Gawith leading fellow Aussie and team-mate Henry Snell along with points leader Kalvin Kelly – who dropped back after being forced to avoid Harris’ bike.

Lewis Smart was fourth and Zack Weston fifth after Ted Wilkinson, who had been running fourth, also got caught up in the Harris crash.

Henry Snell

“It was an incredible feeling to be stood on the podium again, which was made even better as I was joined by Brodie beside me. I’m feeling very confident around the track, and the bikes feeling spot on.  It’s the final day of the season tomorrow, and with one race to go, I think it’s time to put on a show.”

Heading into Sunday’s decider Kalvin Kelly has a strong 17-point lead over Brodie Gawith.

British SuperTeen Race Two Results

British SuperTeen Points