Kyle Ryde turned qualifying into a blip as he returned to the pace he had showed all weekend to lead polesitter Jason O’Halloran over the line and win the final Saturday BSB Sprint race of the season.

Ryde started from sixth on the grid and was up to fourth by lap two.

Two brave moves where he had to move off the racing line to pass first on Tommy Bridewell and then on Jason O’Halloran to take the lead , each time at Dingle Dell, saw him able to make the progress needed.

The LAMI OMG Yamaha rider saw his bravery pay off as he got to lead the way and control the race, but O’Halloran never let go behind.

A final attempt at a slipstream saw a photo finish, with Ryde just 0.015s ahead ,not much more than a tyre separating the pair after 12 laps.

That gave the #77 his sixth win of the season and the maximum increased 35 points to aid his title hopes.

Ryde credited his FP3 run with his success in parc ferme - running in similar conditions where several frontrunners did less laps helped him understand the track condition and tyre wear.

 

 

As the sun moved down and turned Brands Hatch golden McAMS rider O’Halloran collected second, not the first he wanted but enough points to keep him in the title mix the next race.

Bridewell wins Ducati battle

They started from very different places but the BeerMonster riders still ended up duelling it out right next to each other in the BSB sprint.

Bridewell started seventh and was as high as second as Glenn Irwin scrambled up from 17th on the grid after his qualifying front brake issue. They soon met each other in what became the battle for third.

Glenn Irwin rehearsed his move at Stirling Bend and knew it wasn’t without risk with a thin dry line. The #2 launched his effort on the penultimate lap but couldn’t get his PBM bike stopped, leaving Bridewell a bigger gap ahead.

Irwin had made it up by the line but was not close enough for another challenge leaving him fourth.

Christian Iddon inherited fifth when Leon Haslam crashed out at Surtees on lap nine and finished there for Oxford Products Ducati, also making up several places of his own from ninth on the grid.

Peter Hickman was a distant sixth for FHO Racing BMW Motorrad, just ahead of his teammate Josh Brookes who fought back from 18th after his bike issue in qualifying.

He moved through the pack with Leon Jackson for company, the Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki rider claiming ninth.

Ryan Vickers was right behind the green bike to complete the top ten on the second OMG Yamaha entry.

There was not much of a gap before Storm Stacey took the chequered flag in eleventh for Starline Kawasaki, three seconds clear of twelfth placed Luke Mossey for Tactix by Lloyd & Jones BMW.

The remaining points went to rookie Max Cook on the second Cheshire Mouldings bike in 13th, Tom Neave, coming through from 23rd for 14th for Honda and Bradley Perie (Lee Hardy Racing) in 15th.

Andrew Irwin just missed out in 16th for Honda Racing, with Fraser Rogers finishing 17th on the pathway IN Competition Aprilia pathway bike on his debut.

With British Supersport just moments before due to the weather Tom Booth-Amos was working overtime going straight from that bike to his TAG Honda Superbike, which played a part in his drop to 20th.

  
 
British Superbikes Round Eleven - Brands Hatch Race Results (1)
PosRiderNatTeamTime
1Kyle RydeGBRLami OMG Racing Yamaha17m 24.382s
2Jason O'HalloranAUSMcAMS Yamaha+0.015s
3Tommy BridewellGBRBeerMonster Ducati+3.461s
4Glenn IrwinGBRBeerMonster Ducati+3.960s
5Christian IddonGBROxford Products Ducati+7.658s
6Peter HickmanGBRFHO Racing BMW Motorrad+9.541s
7Josh BrookesAUSFHO Racing BMW Motorrad+14.630s
8Jack KennedyIRLMar-Train Racing Yamaha+14.741s
9Lee JacksonGBRCheshire Mouldings Kawasaki+15.163s
10Ryan VickersGBRLami OMG Racing Yamaha+15.346s
11Storm StaceyGBRStarline Racing Kawasaki+16.000s
12Luke MosseyGBRTactix by Lloyd & Jones BMW+19.731s
13Max CookGBRCheshire Mouldings Kawasaki+21.871s
14Tom NeaveGBRHonda Racing UK+21.970s
15Bradley PerieGBRLee Hardy Racing Kawasaki+22.689s
16Andrew IrwinGBRHonda Racing UK+22.905s
17Fraser RogersGBRIN Competition/ Aprilia=23.397s
18Jack ScottGBRRapid CDH Racing Kawasaki=30.177s
19Davey ToddGBRSynetiq BMW Motorrad+30.294s
20Tom Booth-AmosGBRTAG Racing Honda+35.871s
21Brayden ElliottAUSDAO Racing Kawasaki+42.196s
22Shaun WinfieldGBRTAG Racing Honda+44.518s
23Charlie NesbittGBRMasterMac Honda by Hawk RacingDNF
24Leon HaslamGBRRokit BMW MotorradDNF
25Niccolo CanepaITAMcAMS YamahaDNF
26Franco BourneGBRHonda Marvel HCL MotorsportDNF
27Alex OlsenGBRCumins by Team IWR HondaDNF
28Louis ValleleyGBRRapid CDH Racing KawasakiDNF

Official British Superbike Brands Hatch Records:

Lap Record: Josh Brookes (Yamaha) 1m 24.873s (2017)

2023 at Brands Hatch:

Round Six - pole: Tommy Bridewell (2nd Ryan Vickers, 3rd Josh Brookes)

Race One:

1:Ryan Vickers

2:Danny Kent

3:Christian Iddon

Race Two:

1:Tommy Bridewell

2:Christian Iddon

3:Danny Kent

Race Three:

1:Tommy Bridewell

2:Glenn Irwin

3:Ryan Vickers

2022 Showdown finale results:

Pole:Glenn Irwin (2nd Peter Hickman , 3rd Tommy Bridewell)

Race One:

1:Glenn Irwin

2:Peter Hickman

3:Andrew Irwin

Race Two:

1:Peter Hickman

2:Danny Buchan

3:Glenn Irwin

Race Three:

1:Glenn Irwin

2:Andrew Irwin

3:Danny Buchan

The last round (ten) at Donington Park:

Pole: Jason O’Halloran (2nd Tommy Bridewell 3rd Leon Haslam)

Race One:

1: Ryan Vickers

2: Leon Haslam

3: Luke Mossey

Race Two:

1: Ryan Vickers

2: Leon Haslam

3: Christian Iddon

Race Three:

1: Jason O’Halloran

2: Christian Iddon

3: Josh Brookes

 

Crashes, Injuries and Replacements

Charlie Nesbitt was the last to exit , falling on the penultimate lap from a battle for sixth.

Leon Haslam had the most significant exit due to it effecting his title hopes.

Niccolo Canepa, Franco Bourne, Alex Olsen and Louis Valleley also failed to finish.

Where does that leave the championship?

Third in the race allowed Tommy Bridewell to extend his title lead form 7.5 points to 10.5. The result also means that between the teammates at least, Bridewell can finish second to Glenn Irwin in the final two races and still win.

Kyle Ryde will be hoping to have a say and prevent that from happening with a win already registered. That took him to within 27points, his gap down from 35 points.

Jason O’Halloran’s second moves him to fourth overall on 347.5.

Lee Jackson and Leon Haslam still can mathematically win in fifth and sixth.

Josh Brookes and Christian Iddon both fell out of contention.