BSB | Kent Doubles Up at thruxton

On track and off, the British Superbike battles have left scars aplenty

Danny Kent and reigning champion Kyle Ryde still sit in second and third respectively in the BSB points table behind Bradley Ray after scoring big at Thruxton over 8-10 August.

The Redding / Irwin saga

The drama that triggered Redding’s return to BSB began when Hager PBM Ducati incumbent Irwin crashed heavily at Snetterton in late June. The Northern Irishman fractured his hip socket and pelvis, meaning he would be out of action for the one-rider team for several rounds. Redding, who at the time was riding for MGM Bonovo Ducati in WorldSBK, replaced Irwin for the Knockhill round, reportedly without telling his team boss Michael Galinski. Redding also said he thought it was ‘bullshit’ riders should have to pay for a ride in WorldSBK – as he was doing at MGM Bonovo. Redding had backed himself with the Bonovo ride, hoping his results would earn him a shot at the factory Ducati team. Hager PBM then drafted in the former MotoGP star to replace Irwin for Knockhill, with rumours beginning that the PBM team may expand to two riders and that Redding would not be returning to WorldSBK. Then came the bombshell from PBM boss Jordan Bird, who said, “I felt more comfortable asking Glenn to wait a couple of rounds to return. My concern was him being fit to race competitively and being fit to crash.” Bird said the pair disagreed, Irwin wanted to ride again as soon as possible and took up an offer from Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha. “He thought he was ready to go, I respect that, and he decided it was time to go elsewhere.”

PBM had already signed Redding for the rest of the season and the aftermath was extremely messy, with news of death threats circulating around PBM. For his part, Irwin maintained the split was amicable with PBM and urged calm. Redding insisted he expected to be riding at PBM with Irwin and that the pair were still on good speaking terms. So here we have it: mid-year Irwin splits from PBM and Redding returns to BSB. Makes ASBK look decidedly tame!

Thruxton: Danny Kent joins the party

Thruxton, known for its close, freight-train-style racing, saw the return of Glenn Irwin, but this time he would be riding for Nitrous Competitions Racing Yamaha as a teammate to Kyle Ryde. The biggest hurdle for Irwin was passing a medical to race, but it was reigning champ Ryde who took the opener from Danny Kent and Max Cook (AJN Steelstock Kawasaki). “With two laps to go I had plus zero on the board. I didn’t know who it was as it is difficult to read the board when you are spinning up and sideways at Thruxton!” Ryde explained later. “I defended really well on the last chicane on the last lap and it was a big bonus to win!”

The next day Kent was unstoppable, taking his maiden BSB double victory. The 2015 Moto3 world champion also took the first victory of the season for his McAMS Yamaha team in a red flag-shortened race, with Ryde and Ray completing the podium.

In the final race of the weekend, Kent waited patiently until the penultimate lap to move into the lead, beating home Ray and Cook.

It was again a struggle for Brookes and the DAO Honda team, posting a 12-13-14 result at another circuit he favours. After running at the front of several sessions, Billy McConnell said tyre life was a problem but was in the points with a 14-12-13 scorecard.

Currie leads Supersport

In Supersport, Ben Currie (Moto Rapido Ducati Racing) scored a sensational double victory at Brands Hatch, closing the gap to title rival Rhys Irwin. “We had two opportunities present themselves for us to take a couple of wins,” said Currie. “And that’s what we did. We executed perfectly in super tricky conditions. And Sunday’s race with a 14-second win is as good as it gets.”

At Thruxton, it got better – although not in the best circumstances. Currie took an important podium in the opening sprint race, with Irwin scoring the win. In the feature race, Irwin suffered a nasty crash, with Currie soaring through for the win and, with it, the championship lead.

Superstock, Sportbike and Superteen

Brayden Elliott continues to deliver solid results in Superstock, consistently running inside the top 10 as he refines the set-up of his self-run No Bull Racing Honda. A two-second penalty for breaching track limits was a minor setback, with the Aussie sitting in eighth in the points.

In Sportbike, Macadam Triumph teammates Jayden Martin and Brodie Gawith both missed out on points at Brands Hatch, while Martin picked up a best of 12th at Thruxton.

There was no Superteen racing at Thruxton but, after Brands Hatch, Henry Snell looks to have an unassailable points lead. A double victory at Brands puts Snell 70 points ahead of his nearest rival, James Cook, with just four races remaining. BSB returns over 23-25 August at Cadwell Park.

2025 BSB STANDINGS AFTER 6 OF 11 ROUNDS

2025 BSS STANDINGS AFTER 6 OF 11 ROUNDS