More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Ryde romps to third victory of the season in first Cadwell Park contest
OMG GRILLA Yamaha’s Kyle Ryde powered to the Bennetts British Superbike Race One win at Cadwell Park, as he beat local favourite Lee Jackson by 0.791secs in the opening battle of the weekend.
Ryde stormed past polesitter Jason O’Halloran as the pack headed into Coppice for the first time, and although the Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki rider moved back ahead at Charlies it wasn’t to last, as Ryde charged past to hit the front again at Park.
Behind, Charlie Nesbitt settled into third, just ahead of MasterMac Honda team-mate Jackson as the pack completed the opening lap – while disaster struck for Ryde’s team-mate Ryan Vickers, who was hit with a technical problem and forced to retire.
Up front, Ryde looked solid and in control as he took charge, quickly building a comfortable half second lead which proved untouchable as the race continued.
Behind, reigning champion Tommy Bridewell was on a charge. After starting in 12th position, he wasted no time in starting to pick off the riders ahead and after a move on the ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad’s Leon Haslam, was up to sixth by the end of the fourth lap.
On lap six, Jackson passed Nesbitt to move third and started to reel in O’Halloran, passing him for second on lap 12 as behind, Bridewell was pressuring Hager PBM Ducati’s Glenn Irwin, passing him for fifth a lap later as Nesbitt also found his way past O’Halloran to move into third.
Irwin wasn’t to going to give up his spot easily and made a determined move back past his rival into the chicane, with Bridewell running subsequently on the grass briefly as the pair’s rivalry again ignited.
The top three wasn’t to change as the final five laps ticked by, but both Bridewell and Irwin were still fighting hard, Bridewell getting back ahead with a move up the inside at Park on the penultimate lap and this time, Irwin had no answer.
As the pack headed into the final lap, Ryde had around a second in hand and was in no danger, but O’Halloran lost out again, as both Bridewell and Irwin got past, dropping him to sixth.
Ryde crossed the line 0.791s clear of Jackson, as Nesbitt was third, Bridewell fourth, Irwin fifth and O’Halloran sixth.
FHO Racing BMW Motorrad’s Josh Brookes won the battle of the BMWs as he finished seventh ahead of Haslam in eighth, as Billy McConnell secured ninth for the C&L Fairburn Properties/Look Forward Racing Honda squad and Danny Buchan rounded out the top 10 on the DAO Racing Kawasaki.
Today’s result keeps Bridewell at the top of the championship standings, as Ryde remains second and Oxford Products Racing Ducati’s Christian Iddon holds onto third, despite a tough race where he was handed a two-second penalty for course-cutting, finishing 13th.
Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing UK) did not start race one after being declared unfit following a heavy crash in Free Practice 3, and will be reviewed by the BSB Medical Team tomorrow.
Kyle Ryde
OMG GRILLA Racing Yamaha
“I carried as much consistency as I could throughout the race. At one point I thought that my lap timer and dashboard had got stuck as I kept doing the same lap time!
“I’m buzzing really, after getting second twice last year, I think I deserved a win. It feels surreal, I didn’t think I’d be on the podium after Friday night, I was so far behind Ryan [Vickers], it was a bit scary. But I made a big step in qualifying which put me on the front row, and with Ryan and Tommy [Bridewell] not really setting a lap time, I knew I had to try and make the most of it and get as many points back as possible.
“It wasn’t that much, Tommy rode a great race to come from 14th or 15th back to fourth, so he’s going to be a big doer tomorrow, so will Lee [Jackson]. But after the start to the weekend, I’m over the moon just to be stood here talking to you, the win is just a massive bonus.”
