Round 10 - TT Circuit Assen

The Superbike Showdown began this weekend at round ten of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at the fabulous TT Circuit Assen.

Tommy Bridewell was having a really good first race lying in a comfortable second place behind Redding but he tucked the front and unfortunately crashed out. He had an awesome race two and finished a strong second place; he is still lying in third place in the Championship standings.

Tommy rode strong all weekend throughout the practice sessions and was consistently improving every session. He had a great qualifying session and ended up starting the opening race from the front row in second. He got a great start and was soon behind Redding in second place, the safety car was put out for several laps and Tommy was keen to stick with the other Ducati once it came back into the pits. He was riding hard and sadly just tucked the front end on lap nine crashing out the race.

He set the fastest lap in race one and was sat on pole position for the second race of the day. He struggled off the start and dropped back to fourth after the second lap but he soon got his head down and started to make his way back towards the front of the pack. He was locked in a tight battle with Danny Buchan and Josh Brookes for second place but Tommy was able to hold second place after the 18-lap race, making up for his misfortune in the opening race of the day.

Tommy:“The weekend was hard work but pleased with the podium in the second race. Coming from a crash always knocks your confidence a little bit. I was then looking at my lap-times in the race and wondering why are we so slow?

The track was so greasy compared to race one, so everyone was getting affected. I could see my pit board that I wasn’t able to shake Danny or Brooksey off. It sounds bad to say but I think I thought I could do but it just shows that the field is very even. It was a good full on battle for all of the race.

On the last lap I had nothing left and I just had to defend my line and my position. A huge credit to my Oxford Racing Ducati team they’ve done a phenomenal job, my bike was absolutely mega. I’ve just got to bounce back now, as anything can happen. I feel good and ready for Donington.”

Round 11 takes place at Donington Park (4th – 6th October).

Round 9 - Oulton Park race winners!

Tommy Bridewell scores the Oxford Racing Ducati team’s first British Superbike win!

Round nine of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship took place at the stunning Oulton Park circuit. The Oxford Racing Ducati team were looking forward to the triple header round and were keen to gain some podium credits for the Superbike Showdown.

Tommy was leading the re-started opening race when a technical problem forced him to retire. In race two on Sunday he rode another strong race to finish in second position and he was able to take his first win of the season in the third and final race of the weekend.

The Oxford Ducati team were feeling strong leading into Oulton Park having confirmed their place in the Superbike Showdown and they also secured good results there back in May. Tommy was looking extremely consistent all weekend in all the practice sessions and qualified for the opening race on Saturday on the front row in second place.

He got a good start and was once again away with the leaders, the race was soon red flagged and re-started, and he broke the lap record in the process. Another solid start saw Tommy fighting for the lead, he made it to the front but on lap six was forced to retire with a technical problem. 

It was another front row start for race two on Sunday with a third place. Another mega start saw Tommy fighting with the other two Ducati’s for the lead. He looked confident and his lap times were strong, he went to make a pass into the last corner of the last lap on Redding but was unable to pull it off and lost the drive over the line finishing in third position. 

Once again Tommy was placed on the front row in third for race three and after the disappointment of the previous race he was eager to make amends. He dropped back to fifth after the opening lap but he was controlling his time and soon started making passes. He was up to third behind Bradley Ray when Brookes crashed out of the lead. Tommy quickly made a pass on Ray for the lead and lap after lap broke the lap record. He rode an awesome race and pushed hard all the way through the 17-lap race to take his first win of the season for the Oxford Ducati Racing team and his first win since 2015!

Tommy – “I came into this weekend hoping to challenge for all three race wins. We had a technical glitch on Saturday which put an end to leading the race and we knew we just had to get on with the two races on Sunday and forget about that.

The Oxford Racing Ducati team worked hard to ensure they fixed the problem for the Sunday races. I felt like I had the pace to win both races, my lap times were fast and consistent, my race craft in race one wasn’t quite what it should have been and that’s what lost me the race.

To be able to rectify that situation in the final race of the weekend was a great feeling. We have all worked so hard this year and really believe that we all deserved that win, it feels like it’s been a long time coming!

The focus now has to be winning the Championship and now the showdown has started it is still all to play for. I’ve learnt so much in the last two races and running up at the front is all new for me and it is a fast pace with a handful of riders all capable of winning. I might have been doing this a long time but never in this situation which changes things again. To be fighting for wins and also a Championship is a great feeling but every weekend is also a learning curve.

I can’t thank the team enough for their continued effort and support that they put in to be able to put me in this position. I’m hugely grateful for everything they do for me. I’m ready for the showdown and looking forward to it.”

The team have worked so well and so hard to give Tommy a package he can win on, this weekend we proved he can do it and also smash a lap record too! Roll on Assen and our fight for the championship.

Tommy Bridewell becomes first rider to announce 2020 plans with Oxford Racing Ducati

Moto Rapido Ducati have announced that they have successfully retained Tommy Bridewell for the 2020 Bennetts British Superbike Championship with the continued partnership of Oxford Products following their strongest campaign to date this season.

Bridewell has taken the Winchester-based Ducati dealership team to their first Showdown position this season with a round still remaining of the Main Season, celebrating ten podium finishes so far this year ahead of this weekend’s triple-header Title Fighter decider at Oulton Park.

Bridewell said: “I think for me the emphasis is on continuation and building on what we have done this year, because I have never had that continuity before and in this game that makes a big difference. We have seen how strong the V4 is and for me there was never any doubts - it was important to stay in this team, in BSB for 2020.

“Me and Wilf [team owner] just work! Honestly it is a great team for me to be with and that shows in what we have done so far this year. It is that time of the season; but we have our Showdown place confirmed already, our deal for 2020 confirmed already and that puts us in a really strong position now before the end of the year.”

Team owner Steve Moore commented: “The 2019 season for Oxford Racing has been fantastic, rewarding all our sponsors with 10 podiums so far and never holding less than third in the championship standings. With Tommy being a serious championship contender, I have been keen to keep the momentum going by securing and announcing our 2020 plans earlier than normal.

“This time of year the paddock talk starts to focus on next season, which can be a distraction for the teams and riders. So my plan was to secure Tommy for the 2020 season as soon as possible. It’s a huge compliment to have so many high quality riders express interest in joining our team, a credit to the professional job my team do, but Tommy was of course my first choice. It is a bit of a shame he is much more expensive than last year now that is the price of success I guess! But I think we can attract some more sponsors from our achievements. So now the silly season of 2020 uncertainty is over for us, we can get on with 2019 and plan a testing schedule for next year.”

Round 8 - Cadwell Park

Round eight of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship took place at the technical Cadwell Park circuit.

Tommy Bridewell secured a third in race one and was a brilliant second in the second race on the Oxford Racing Ducati. He is now lying in third place in the overall Championship standings and secured his place in the Superbike Showdown.

This now means that he is one of only six riders that can win the British Superbike Championship!

Race 1

Tommy had some good practice sessions and was consistently in the top three throughout the weekend and eventually qualifying the Ducati on the front row in third position. He got a good start in race one and was fourth at the end of the opening lap. He soon made a pass on Jason O Halloran for third but was unable to make a challenge for the lead.

Race 2

Tommy set the fastest lap in the opening race and sat on pole position for the race two. Another good start saw him leading the race for many laps until Josh Brookes made a pass on Tommy making it stick. Despite the close racing and setting yet another fastest lap of the race he was unable to get back past but secured another fantastic second place and his place in the Superbike Showdown.

Tommy Bridewell: “I’m happy; the team have worked really hard as always. I didn’t under estimate this weekend, I felt like it might have come a little bit easier which is the wrong thing to do but the team pulled together and got everything ready for me.

Going into race one I wasn’t sure where I stood as I’d been riding on my own all weekend which I like but it didn’t allow me to judge how other people were riding.

I gave everything in both races, I felt happy with the way I rode. We’ve come away confirmed in the showdown and we go to Oulton where we were strong before and I am looking forward to getting back there to hopefully get some more strong results.”

The team worked so very hard over the weekend to make the bike feel and react how Tommy wanted it, in the race he pushed himself and felt very comfortable.

We’re very proud that we have achieved so much already this year. As a team we have never made the Showdown Top Six and it was our original target for 2019. Now we have a real chance of winning this Championship.

Next round - Oulton Park

Round 7 – Thruxton

Round 7 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship took place at the ultra-fast Thruxton Circuit. Tommy Bridewell secured a solid eighth in race one and was fifth in the second race on the Oxford Racing Ducati. He is now lying in third place in the overall Championship.

It is always tough at Thruxton to get a good set-up for tyre life as the track is very abrasive but Tommy put in some good times during practice, we worked on tyre life for the race within the three sessions but with the variable temperature conditions it made this tricky. We excelled in qualifying putting the Oxford Racing Ducati on the front row in second giving us a good start and positive vibes for the races ahead.

Race 1

Tommy got a good start in the race and was fighting at the front but dropped back to fifth and was holding off challenges from other riders but he struggled with the heat in the track and his tyres. He dropped back to eighth at the end of the 20-lap race.

Race 2

For race two he started from seventh position, another good start saw him up in the leading bunch. However the race was red flagged twice, firstly due to rain and secondly for a large oil spillage. The race finally got re-started and it was an eight-lap dash. Tommy was fighting hard but the leaders made a small break and he had to settle for a strong fifth. 

Tommy – “Ultimately I am disappointed but also it could have been a lot worse. I’m not the biggest fan of flat out tracks I prefer more technical stuff like Cadwell and Oulton Park. To come away with an eighth and fifth for me in my position in the Championship as a team doesn’t look good.

We had a tyre problem in race one where it over heated and that was semi out of our hands. Because the second race got stopped and started so much I had to run with the harder tyre and it just doesn’t have the same grip as the zeros. I think it was obvious on the TV we didn’t have the grip to push forwards.

We have some good Championship points and we are going to circuits that I prefer much more, Cadwell and Oulton wish I love. Josh rode a great race and all credit to him and we were second Ducati. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season now.”

Round 8 takes place at Cadwell Park, 16 - 18 August

Round 6 - Snetterton

The sixth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship took place this weekend at the Snetterton 300 Circuit.

Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Racing Ducati team had a small crash out of the lead in race one and achieved a great podium in third for race two.

It was a tough weekend for the Bridewell family as it marked the 12th anniversary of the loss of Tommy’s brother, Ollie. In an emotional qualifying session Tommy put the Ducati on the front row dedicating it to his late brother.

Race One

Tommy got a good start in race one and was lying fourth after the opening lap. He was soon making progress setting fastest laps and making some good passes on Mackenzie, Brookes and Redding for the lead. He led the race for several laps and was setting good times but unfortunately he tucked to front at Agostini on lap eight and crashed out thankfully unhurt.

Race Two

Tommy set the fastest lap of Race One and therefore started from pole position for Race Two, with another good start seeing him up at the sharp end. He was battling with Josh Brookes and Scott Redding for a podium place. He just was not able to make a pass for the win and secured another third place. We finished the race with an 18 second gap to fourth place!

Tommy is still lying second place in the Championship standings.

Tommy: “I’ve got mixed emotions. Maybe I’m putting too much pressure on myself and the team to get wins. Podiums are mega in BSB and it’s not easy to get them. As a racer you always want more.

I’m disappointed for race one as I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong but the data shows I was pushing a bit too hard and I lost the front. I had great pace and a really good feeling with the bike.

In race two I just feel we didn’t have that extra bit to push with Josh and Scott. I wanted to up my pace at the end but I lost front feeling and didn’t want to push too hard and risk crashing again so I’ll happily take another podium.

I’m disappointed to come away with only 16 points but we’re in a good position for the Championship and the showdown and the team have done a fantastic job. We just have to keep making steps forward and be more patient and hopefully we can challenge for that win at Thruxton!”

The team did a fantastic job this weekend, we had a good set up with the bike and Tommy had fire in his belly, I am gutted we didn’t claim our win in race one but our time will come and I am so thankful for your support.

Round seven is at Tommy & Moto Rapido’s home circuit Thruxton Circuit 2nd – 4th August