Brands Hatch: The final round
“I’m disappointed to not lift the title but also really pleased to finish second, I couldn’t ask for anymore, the team have done a phenomenal job. I feel like I’m riding the best I’ve ever ridden and I’m really proud of every challenge thrown at me I’ve been there fighting”
Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Ducati Racing team could not have given any more this weekend and tried so hard to take the Bennetts British Superbike Championship to the final race of the season. Tommy was astounding at Brands Hatch securing three hard fought second places but also clinched an amazing second place in the British Championship standings.
The weather conditions were a bit mixed this weekend especially for qualifying on Saturday. Tommy rode really hard to gain fifth on the grid for the opening Superbike race. He got a strong start and he was eager to get towards the front quickly. Despite a few collisions with Christian Iddon he was able to stay on, set some super-fast lap times and he was battling Tarren (Mackenzie) for the win. He just was not able to get the better of him and finished second place just 0.16!
He was so quick in race one he was sitting on pole position for race two on Sunday. He got a great start and really battled hard, he was locked in a scrap with Tarren again and led the majority of the race, narrowly avoiding a big crash when Taz had a huge moment out the back of the circuit and Tommy hit his rear wheel! He re-grouped got his head down, got back in the lead and the two had a drag to the line with Taz taking the win and the Championship by 0.087!
Once again Tommy was quickest in the race and sat on pole position again for the final race of the 2021 season. He got a fantastic start and was soon battling up at the front again; he soon took the lead and spent the entire race once again fending off Tarren Mackenzie. Taz snuck underneath him pushing Tommy back to second position at the end of the race.
We are excited already for the 2022 season; we are very grateful to all our loyal sponsors and great to always have their continued support. We would like to congratulate Tarren Mackenzie and the McAms Yamaha team on winning the Championship, we will be back again in 2022 and up for another fight!
Tommy Bridewell: “I’m really happy, obviously the goal was to come away with the Championship but we just couldn’t manage it despite how much we tried. To fight tooth and nail with Tarran all weekend was great, I had nothing left, I gave everything I possibly could, there was nothing left to give!
The last two or three rounds we’ve made massive progress, to have signed for next year and make this progress now is brilliant. I’m disappointed to not lift the title but also really pleased to finish second, I couldn’t ask for anymore, the team have done a phenomenal job. I feel like I’m riding the best I’ve ever ridden and I’m really proud of every challenge thrown at me I’ve been there fighting.
Second in the Championship is brilliant, top Ducati rider and now all our concentration will be focussed on 2022 and going one better.”
Iain Hopcroft: "Such an amazing season that we could not have achieved without each and everyone’s input!
I am so proud of the team and they deserve all your kind words and social media posts (of which I have received a fair amount already) for the hard work and dedication they have put in this season. I am looking forward to what 2022 brings and hope you can join us for the journey once more."
As a team our success sheet reads:
Tommy Bridewell 2nd in the British Superbike Championship
Josh Day 1st in the Ducati Performance TriOptions Cup (three-time back-to-back champion)
Carl Stevens 1st R&G Shield within the Ducati Cup
Ollie Walker 8th Honda British Talent Cup
Ryan Hitchcock 15th Honda British Talent Cup
Tommy Bridewell re-signs to remain with the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team for 2022
Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team are to continue their winning relationship into next year and will contest the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship together for the fourth consecutive year.
Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team are to continue their winning relationship into next year and will contest the 2022 Bennetts British Superbike Championship together for the fourth consecutive year.
Tommy Bridewell: "I am obviously really happy to be staying with the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team for another year. For me it was a logical decision to continue next season, we are strong as a team and the Ducati is the all-round package. I feel that together we can fight for the championship,” said Bridewell.
I am really excited for the rest of this year, pre-season testing and looking ahead to 2022. It is nice to be in a position now where my contract is signed and I can really focus on the final two rounds of this year and continue going forwards."
Steve Moore: "I am really happy to announce that Tommy will be back with the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team next season. We have come a long way since we began working together.
What started as a few races has turned into a long-standing relationship, which is hard to come by. So far, we have celebrated race wins, podium finishes, and we are fighting for the championship, so I am excited to see what we can continue to accomplish as a team.
We can now look ahead to next season, but also importantly focus on this year’s title fight now without any distraction and that is important for all of us.
I also want to thank our title sponsor Oxford Products who continue their association with us along with many of our long-standing partners. This continuity in all areas of the team will only be a positive as we continue our ambition to achieve further success in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship."
Donington Park: Round 10
It was a mixed weekend for Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Ducati Racing team at the penultimate round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Donington Park
It was a mixed weekend for Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Ducati Racing team at the penultimate round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Donington Park. Heading into October, weather was always going to become a factor to the series. Tommy crashed out of wet race one then secured a seventh and fourth in the final two races.
It was cold and wet the majority of the weekend and this played havoc with tyre choices and set-up. Tommy was able to qualify on the second row in sixth for the opening race on Saturday. The weather conditions were horrendous for race one and Donington is renowned for being like an ice-rink once wet. He got a good start and looked settled in second place when he just touched the brakes and down he went, crashing out.
After the disappointment of Saturday Tommy was keen to make amends on the Sunday. The weather once again was cold so Tommy and the team opted for the harder SC0 tyre, sadly this did not work with the Ducati as they had hoped, he started from fifth but just could not get the heat and grip in the tyres that he wanted and finished in seventh place.
He started race three from ninth and as they sat on the grid the heavens opened again and soaked everything, a delayed start enabled the team to make some changes, find a problem they did not know they had and start again, wet race declared. After the previous day Tommy was extremely cautious for the entire race and it was a battle to bring the Ducati home in one piece, he was able to secure a strong fourth position.
It is still all to play for at the final round at Brands Hatch with three races and 75-points up for grabs! There are only 21 points now separating the top four in the series and as Oulton and Donington have proved, anything can happen. We will be fighting hard to the end.
Tommy Bridewell: “The weekend was full of mixed emotions; there is a lot at stake. It was a tough weekend with the weather which we knew would play a part in the final rounds. I think it’s obvious to see that Donington is dangerous in the wet, I did absolutely nothing wrong, I did exactly the same as what I did all weekend and it took me out of second place. 20 points would have seen me second in the Championship and now we are 21 points behind. It was a massive dent to crash out of the race.
In the dry I just didn’t have the feeling with the bike that I really wanted due to limited track time in the dry conditions. We made some good changes for the final dry race of the weekend but then it rained really heavily.
I didn’t have the pace to match the top three, I knew I was safe in fourth, it wasn’t a race it was more like survival of the slowest! It is all still the play for, Brands has always been good for us, the bike is phenomenal there and I hope we can be back challenging for wins there.”
Iain Hopcroft: ”Tommy rode so well all weekend and is thinking about the championship, we came away from Donington with an amazing opportunity to Win this championship!! Roll on Brands Hatch in a couple of weeks!”
Moto3
it was to see the return of Ryan Hitchcock who had crashed at Thruxton earlier in the season and broken his arm, being the last round of the season he used the time to settle back into riding and prepare himself for some winter testing and the 2022 season.
Ollie Walker had some great practice sessions and even qualified 5th for the race but unfortunately crashed out of the session breaking his arm and some ribs, like a champ he stayed on to watch his team mates before heading to hospital back in Bristol where he undergoes surgery today.
Oulton Park: Round 9
What an amazing weekend for Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Ducati Racing team at Oulton Park in the first showdown round of the Championship. He secured a strong sixth place in the opening race on Saturday and was just incredible on Sunday taking victories in both races, his first double win!
What an amazing weekend for Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Ducati Racing team at Oulton Park in the first showdown round of the Championship. He secured a strong sixth place in the opening race on Saturday and was just incredible on Sunday taking victories in both races, his first double win!
The weekend started well for Tommy and the practice sessions went really well putting him straight into Q2 on Saturday. In the final practice session in the wet conditions Tommy was quickest and despite damp condition for qualifying, unfortunately Tommy had a tyre issue and he was not able to gain grip anywhere which left him in 15th on the grid for the opening race.
He got a good start and was soon picking his way through the fierce riders and made good progress with some fast lap times. He managed to work his way back through to a strong sixth place.
He was also placed in sixth on the grid for the second race on Sunday; a tough start saw him drop back to ninth after the opening lap. He made a move on Mackenzie into the chicane but out braked himself and he was forced to run on through the barriers on the slip road. He re-joined down in 13th place and knew it was going to take a severe amount of determination and effort to get back to a podium position. One thing Tommy does not lack is grit and determination and his pace was exceptional, plucking off riders every lap and he was soon on the back of the leading pack. As always he made some clean and consistent passes, he had a foot on the podium but wanted more and had the pace to get more. On the final lap he made another strong pass on race leader Jason O’Halloran and took one of the best wins we have seen all season!
His super-fast lap times in race two saw him sitting in pole position for the third and final race of the day. Tommy got a fantastic start in race three and there was no turning back, despite spots of rain throughout the race Tommy just disappeared into the distance, gaining nearly a nine second lead at one point. He was absolutely phenomenal taking a hugely dominant win; he is now only 9 points off winning the Championship!
Tommy Bridewell – “Firstly I would like to dedicate my wins to Dean Berta Vinales who sadly lost his life at Jerez this weekend. Things like this affect the entire racing paddock and my wins are for him.
All in all it was a great weekend. I felt really good on the bike after some changes in warm-up, we made some big changes. I was struggling to stop the bike and I ended up running straight on down the long lap penalty, which was my fault. That obviously dropped me a long way down the field and I lost about 2.5 seconds. It wasn’t the time I lost it was the time and effort I had to put in to pass the riders I’d already passed! I seemed to have really good pace compared to anyone else which helped me take the win!
The plan in the second race was if I could make the start and get to the front just go! That’s what I managed to do, it’s easy to let another riders to do the hard work at the front but I knew if I could get off the line I had the pace. I couldn’t believe I could do nearly lap record pace on several laps, the bike was awesome, the team were amazing and now we’re 9 points off winning the Championship. We have to keep the pressure on Yamaha and see what we can do in the final two races of the year.”
Ducati Cup – Dominant Day reigns supreme!
Josh Day has been dominant all season and this weekend was no different!! He was fastest in every session and continues his streak of pole positions for qualifying.
Race 1 on Saturday Saw Josh take control of the race and win in style and Sundays Race 2 was the realisation that he could win the championship with one round remaining. Everyone else knew to keep the hunt alive they ad to beat Josh and David Shoebridge gave it his all and lead the race early on but Josh played it smart and as the race entered two thirds distance made his move, this was to be perfect as the race was then red flagged and Josh took the Championship for the THIRD time!!!
Silverstone: Round 8
It was a very fast and consistent weekend for Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Ducati Racing team at Silverstone this weekend with Tommy scoring another podium finish.
It was a very fast and consistent weekend for Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Ducati Racing team at Silverstone this weekend with Tommy scoring another podium finish.
It was a very fast and consistent weekend for Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Ducati Racing team at Silverstone this weekend. Tommy took to the podium on Saturday with a third place and two fifth places on the Sunday.
Tommy was having a good run of form recently and unusually during qualifying he crashed out causing a lot of damage to the Ducati as it barrel-rolled into turn one. The team worked well to get the bike back for race 1 and Tommy was feeling fine. Despite the crash mid-session his fast lap time enabled to qualify on the front row.
Tommy got a good start and was leading after the opening lap, he was locked in a battle once again with the Yamahas for the podium positions. In the closing laps Mackenzie and O’Halloran had a coming together causing the flag to be red flagged, Tommy took third place and some more important podium credits.
The team being very meticulous stripped the bike that night and re-built it for the two races on Sunday. Tommy started race two from seventh place on the grid and held his position after the opening lap. He worked his way through to second place at one point but he just was not able to stay with the leading pack dropping to fifth at the chequered flag.
Tommy started from fourth place on the grid for the final race of the weekend, he got a great start and once again was up to second. A couple of mistakes and running wide due to tyre wear saw Tommy slip backwards again but he fought to the end and still managed to secure a strong fifth place. With the Championship standings being reset to 1000 points plus podium credits, Tommy is now fourth in the Championship standings with it all to play for in the final Showdown races.
Tommy Bridewell: “All-in-all it was a strong weekend, I’m happy but disappointed if that makes sense. It’s not the results we go racing for but I felt like I was riding to the limit and I couldn’t do any more than I did.
We now wipe the slate clean and start again with the Showdown, it’s three circuits I feel comfortable and strong at and the serious business starts here. I’m looking forward to it and keeping the momentum going and take advantage at the last three races of the season and end the season on a high.”
Ducati Cup
Josh Day started his weekend strong with his run of pole positions continuing but as Tommy he uncharacteristically crashed during the first race from a lead of 1.5 seconds. Race two was to be a different story, Josh started from Pole Position again and held off Elliot Pinson to secure another victory for the team with Chris ‘Stalker’ Walker in third.
Josh is now 44 points in the lead with four races to go.
Moto 3
Ollie Walker struggled with the tricky conditions in qualifying and started the first race from tenth but he knew he could run with the front pack. Ollie studied the guys in front all race and waited to make his move on the last lap, the front pair were so busy battling each other that Ollie took advantage and took the chequered flag for his first podium of the season and his first WIN!!!!!
Unfortunately Ryan Hitchcock is still out injured but will return for the last race of the season at Donington Park.
Snetterton: Round 7
It was an extremely successful weekend for Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team at Snetterton Circuit with a hat-trick of podium finishes.
It was an extremely successful weekend for Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team at Snetterton Circuit. Tommy secured another hat-trick of podiums with two seconds and a third place.
It was a steady start to the weekend during practice and qualifying and Tommy was only able to qualify the Ducati in 10th place. Tommy got a steady start but lost several places into turns one and two and was 14th after the opening lap. However, he was not prepared to settle for that and rode through the fierce pack and up to a podium position. He was then involved in an epic drag to the line, just clinching second place. He was 0.069 off the win and Jason O Halloran was just 0.026 behind Tommy in third!
With his amazing pace in the opening race, Tommy was fast enough to put it on pole position for the second race of the weekend. He dropped back to fourth but was once again fighting for a podium place and the top three gapped the chasing riders by two seconds. Tommy took a strong third place.
Again for the final race of the weekend he was placed on the front row in third. He got a good start and looked strong at the front being chased hard again by the Yamahas. The race was red flagged due to an oil spillage caused by the BMW and re-started as a five lap dash. Tommy started on pole, got a good start and had a real fight with Tarran Mackenzie for the short race. He pushed hard and took another second place and secured his spot in the showdown.
Tommy – “It was a good weekend. It was a great performance from the team; I didn’t feel comfortable on the bike on Friday and didn’t know where we were with the pace. We kept plugging away through every session to make changes to improve the bike.
We worked on our weak areas and it was better every session even a quick change in the last sprint race. We got the bike handling really well which really helped in all three races. We have just a few areas we need to work on for edge grip.
We’re confirmed for the showdown now, which is a relief but we will also be using Silverstone as a test for the bike and getting it perfect for the Showdown races. I will be going there to win also and I’m looking forward to getting there next week!”
Ducati Cup
Josh day continues his streak of Pole positions and made plans for the race knowing Elliot Pinson would be hot on his heels, he is a much wiser rider and let Elliot lead the race and overtook him on the last turn clinching race 1 victory.
Race 2 was similar but he wanted to be out in front a little earlier and control the pace, Elliot was pushing hard behind and made a last lap move but Josh came back to drag him over the line securing another 1st place for the team.
This leaves him 63 points clear of second place rider Chris Walker with three rounds (6 races) to go.
Moto3
Ollie Walker made good progress after his crash at Silver GP last weekend and found himself 5th on the grid for race 1. He battled with two other riders for 2nd place and made a move on the last lap but saw him crash out at turn 2 on the last lap.
He started 4th for race two on Sunday and got run wide on and pushed him back to outside the top ten, he fought back and recovered to 8th place. Ollie is now 7th in the Championship with only two rounds remaining.