Round 4 - Brands Hatch GP
The Oxford Racing Ducati team headed to round four of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship this weekend at the Brands Hatch GP circuit where rider Tommy Bridewell gained another podium in third in race one and he was a strong second in the second race.
Tommy Bridewell now leads to British Superbike Championship by 14 points.
All the practice sessions went well and Tommy just missed out on a front row qualifying position in fourth place.
Race One
The rain came down fairly heavily on race day morning and it was always going to be a tricky race with the conditions changing before they started. All bar one rider opted for full wets and it was a matter of preserving the tyres as much as possible for the 20-lap duration. Tommy led several laps of the race but it was a charging Josh Brookes who was working his way through the pack. Fighting with Dan (Linfoot) for the lead it was soon obvious that Josh was on a mission to come through. Tommy was pushed back to third but still secured another podium, more podium credits and the Championship lead.
Race Two
Tommy had another stunning race in race two and was fourth during the opening laps but he soon got his head down and was on a mission working his way through the pack setting some awesome lap times in the process. He was soon making inroads on Josh Brookes who had a healthy lead but Tommy was cutting the gap every lap. In the end he just wasn’t able to make the pass but secured a fantastic second place only losing out by 0.2 to Josh, setting the fastest lap of the race in the process.
Tommy: “The positive are that we are a little team from Winchester and we are leading the British Superbike Championship by 14 points, I’ve never done that before. It’s mega for me and the team and just shows their hard work.
We made a change in race two which was extremely positive step. I’m slightly disappointed I didn’t get the win again but I know it is coming, I just need to be patient. I gave everything in that race and if Josh was getting away I would be questioning why, but I was able to catch him but just not make the pass on him.
It’s a real credit to the Oxford Products Moto Rapido team, they’ve given me a phenomenal package which has allowed me to get these great results. The Ducati turns fast, exits fast and handles so well, I couldn’t ask for more and I can’t thank the team enough for all their hard work.”
BSB Highlights can be seen on ITV4 this week (or catch up on Eurosport and Quest).