Bridewell blitzes round 6 of the BSB championship as Aussies struggle at Brands Hatch
Tommy Bridewell has taken two British Superbike Championship race wins out of three at Brands Hatch to propel the PBM BeerMonster Ducati rider to the top of the points table, with the only blemish being a seventh place in the opening wet sprint race on the Saturday.
“It’s been a great weekend in all aspects,” Bridewell commented afterwards. “To win one BSB race is an achievement so to win two in a day shows how confident I am and how I feel within myself, with the bike and with the team.”
Bridewell
Bridewell’s teammate Glenn Irwin gave the BeerMonster team a one-two in the final race and now sits second in the standings.
Ryan Vickers took his first BSB win in the sprint race while Danny Kent finished with two podiums for the weekend.
BeerMonster Ducati Superbikes
In contrast, FHO Racing BMW Motorrad pilot Josh Brookes posted a 12-9-DNF after topping the initial free practice session and qualifying third. Brookes remarked after the opening race he may have been the victim of a bad tyre on Saturday, saying the bike simply didn’t perform in the wet.
In the second race the Aussie salvaged ninth but crashed out at Paddock Hill Bend in the final event. “We tried to make something of the final race, but I got squeezed in the first turn, which ended up in a crash – so I have nothing really good to take away from the weekend. We’re frustrated, annoyed – all the emotions you can have.”
Ryan Vickers takes his first BSB race victory
Also struggling was McAMS Yamaha rider Jason O’Halloran who finished fifth in the opening sprint race and sixth in the two feature races on Sunday. “We don’t really seem to have any strong points at the moment which is hard to believe, really.”
O’Halloran’s high profile McAMS teammate Tito Rabat suffered several crashes and languished at the rear of the field, saying the level in BSB is high and that he needs more laps to find pace.
O’halloran
Billy McConnell (C & L Fairburn Properties Honda) took a podium in the opening Superstock 1000 race but crashed in race two while Brayden Elliott (DAO Kawasaki) continued his adjustment to the DAO Kawasaki, finishing both races in the top ten.
Ben Currie (Oxford Racing Products Ducati) has surged to the points lead in Supersport after a double podium. In front of his visiting aunt and uncle from Australia, Currie’s highlight was battling through to second in the opening race after dropping to fifteenth on the opening lap.
Currie in a hurry
McAdam Yamaha’s Tom Toparis posted a 9-6 result while Seth Crump finished eighteenth in the feature race after joining Ashcourt Racing.
In Junior Superstock Jacob Hatch (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) finished eighteenth.
Toparis
The next round is at Thruxton on August 11-13.
Standings after 6 of 11 rounds
SBK
1 T Bridewell Duc 258
2 G Irwin Duc 223.5
3 K Ryde Yam 181
4 J Brookes BMW 177
5 L Haslam BMW 172
6 J O’Halloran Yam 158.5
Supersport
1 B Currie Duc 194
5 T Toparis Yam 149
16 S Crump Yam 34
STK1000
8 B McConnell Hon 90
11 B Elliott Kaw 50
Junior STK
7 J Hatch Kaw 96