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.
Cadwell Park: Round 6
Another successful weekend for Tommy Bridewell and the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team
It was a successful weekend for the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team at Cadwell Park, where Tommy Bridewell was able to secure a hat-trick of third places.
Tommy was consistently fourth during the practice and qualifying sessions and started the opening race from the second row in fourth. It’s no secret that he’s been struggling with his starts and after the opening lap he had dropped to sixth after the opening lap, he made some clean passes to take his first podium finish of the weekend.
For race two he started from fourth again and was eighth after the opening lap with a lot of work to do. His laps were super fast and he made good progress and some strong passes to fight his way up to third.
He set the fastest lap time and started the final race from pole position, a really tough start again saw him drop back but he made up some positions on the opening lap and was fourth after lap one. He got through to third and was in a battle for the win but just was not able to make a safe pass so it was three podiums in a row. Tommy is now in fourth in the overall Championship standings.
Tommy Bridewell: “All in all it was a good weekend. I felt good from off set with the bike. I felt happy and confident. Finishing third is a good achievement in BSB but I am slightly disappointed as you always want more and to win.
As a team we need to find that next step forward, we’re in a good place but need to fight for the wins and get a little bit more out of the bike. We have good points, good podium credits and it’s still very close in the Championship still. Thank you once again to the amazing Oxford Products Racing Ducati team for all their hard word.”
Ducati Cup
Josh Day set the pace early on and qualified on Pole for the opening race and stormed away from the pack from lap one and ending the race with a 5.7 second lead over Chris Walker.
Race two saw Josh start from Pole yet again but weather conditions were damp and tricky, he made the decision to turn on the traction slightly which later caused him lap time as the circuit dried finishing 4th after leading the race for over half the distance.
Josh is still leading the Championship by 39 points to Chris Walker and Elliot Pinson at 54 points.
We now move forward to Snetterton in two weeks with the team but have a little stop on route this week at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone Moto GP with the British Talent Cup to support our rider Ollie Walker.
Donington Park: Round 5
It was a strong weekend for the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team at Donington Park. Tommy Bridewell secured two fifths and topped the weekend off with an amazing win!
It was a strong weekend for the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team at Donington Park. Tommy Bridewell secured two fifths and topped the weekend off with an amazing win!
Practise and qualifying was tough but the team dug deep to qualify in seventh place on the grid for the opening race of the weekend.
He struggled off the start in the opening race and dropped to 10th after the opening lap but he quickly moved up through the field to sixth place at the finish but gained a position after Ryan Vickers was given a time penalty.
For race two he started from eighth on the grid, dropping down to 11th after lap one Tommy once again had his work cut out. He pushed hard through the field in some close battles avoiding some dramas to finish in a strong fifth.
For the final race of the weekend Tommy started from fourth place which put him in with a good chance of doing well. He got a good start and held his position but he was eager to get to the front and was soon making progress. He took to the front and bridged a gap of 3 seconds over the 20 lap race to secure a fantastic win. He is sitting in fifth in the Championship standings.
Tommy Bridewell - “It was a strong weekend in all. Happy with everything. I didn’t quite have the feeling I needed to fight for the victories in the first two races.
We did some good changes for the last race, I felt really comfortable in the race in the wet and dry and really pleased to take the win. It was a gamble on tyres as we’ve never used them before but it paid off. We are looking forward to a strong weekend at Cadwell.”
Moto3
Ollie Walker was fast all weekend and finished 4th,6th and 5th putting him 7th in the championship while Ryan Hitchcock is unfortunately still recovering from his broken arm and will miss the next round at Silverstone supporting the Moto GP in a couple of weeks.
Ducati Cup
Josh Day stormed his way to victory in race one Saturday winning by 3 seconds over Elliot Pinson but narrowly missed out to Elliot in race two by 0.018 seconds. He still leads the championship by 29 points.
Thruxton: Round 4
It was certainly challenging all weekend with mixed weather conditions and a circuit Tommy has always struggled at previously. The team worked exceptionally hard to try and find a set-up that worked well for him around the super-fast Thruxton track.
It was a tough weekend for the Oxford Products Ducati Racing team and Tommy Bridewell at Thruxton Circuit. Tommy was able to bring the Ducati home in 10th, 12th and 18th places respectively.
It was certainly challenging all weekend with mixed weather conditions and a circuit Tommy has always struggled at previously.
The team worked exceptionally hard to try and find a set-up that worked well for him around the super-fast Thruxton track. They made a drastic change for qualifying which unsettled the bike and rider and he was only able to qualify for race one in 18th place only managing four laps.
It was a big ask in the race but they made some changes and got the Ducati working well, he pushed hard to secure 10th on Saturday in race one. That put him in 15th for race two on Sunday. Tommy is still struggling a little off the start but once he got his head down he was in a battle for 8th but it was tight and he had to settle for 12th at the end of the 20 laps.
The heavens opened shortly before race three and tyre choice was always going to but key on what is a very grippy track. The team selected full wets but the track dried quickly and Tommy was really struggling for grip so pulled into the pits and swapped for a slick rear, by the time he got back out on track he had lost too much time and finished in 18th place and sadly no Championship points. He is however, still lying in 5th in the overall Championship tables and there is a lot of points still to play for, roll on Donington.
Tommy Bridewell: “It was a really difficult weekend with limited track time. Thruxton isn’t a circuit I’ve ever really gelled with, it doesn’t suit my riding style and just couldn’t get the feeling from the bike that I wanted and needed. It was a tricky weekend but we move onto Donington which is a track I love and we just have to put this one behind us and move on. It was hard but we’ll come back stronger.”
Moto3
The lads showed amazing Pace in the opening practices with Ryan Hitchcock making his way to 4th before crashing and unfortunately breaking his arm putting him out for the weekend. He should be fit and back on the bike for the Silverstone British GP round at the end of August.
Ollie Walker qualified 4th and held his own amongst the top five guys but due to a stone in the radiator and loss of power he finished 5th, good news was he set the second quickest lap time putting him front row for Sundays race.
Sunday came and the heavens opened and for these very lite Moto3 bike the ponding water was too much and the race was cancelled and due to be run at Donington in a weeks’ time.
Brands Hatch GP: Round 3
It was a pretty successful weekend for the Oxford Products Ducati Racing team this weekend at Brands Hatch circuit with Tommy Bridewell. He secured two fantastic second places but was unfortunate to have a technical issue in the final race forcing him to retire.
It was a pretty successful weekend for the Oxford Products Ducati Racing team this weekend at Brands Hatch circuit with Tommy Bridewell. He secured two fantastic second places and was unfortunate to have a technical issue in the final race forcing him to retire.
Tommy and the team worked hard on Friday to get the bike set up for the fantastic Brands Hatch circuit and he was able to secure a place in Saturdays Superpicks, the top 12 riders from practice on Friday automatically get put straight into the second qualifying session.
The team worked hard overnight to make some more tweaks to the Ducati and again before qualifying. Tommy shined in that session and ended up on the front row in second place for the opening race of the weekend. He struggled off the start and was in sixth place when the red flag came out due to an incident on the circuit. On the re-start Tommy was eager to get a better start but once again found himself down in sixth place. He had to dig deep and make some strong passes but worked his way through the field, he was able to get on the back of Tarran Mackenzie but was not able to make a clean pass on him, securing a brilliant second place.
For race two on Sunday he was placed in fourth place on the grid, once again another bad start saw him slip back to eighth on the opening lap. He really did put in some amazing lap times to push his way through and made some exceptional passes to get up to second place again. He caught up 1.7 second gap to the back of Jason O Halloran but by this point his tyres did not have much left to make any moves, another very solid second place for Tommy.
A front row start for Tommy in the final race of the day, with mixed conditions anything was possible, the race was red flagged due to track contamination. A tyre swap in the pits and he was looking forward to getting out fighting again. However his chain broke on the opening lap and that was the end of the race for Tommy and the team.
Tommy Bridewell: “Firstly my thoughts go to Brad Jones and his family and friends, I hope he can continue to keep fighting and make a good recovery. That’s the most important part of the weekend, we all come racing to race and do well but the most important thing is that we all go home safe.
I’m really happy with the two second places this weekend, we made some really good progress, had a great qualifying session but I’m struggling a bit to get the bike off the line. I’m not making excuses but I’m dropping back on the start and having a lot of work to do to get back towards the front runners. By the time I’ve got back up to the leaders I’ve used most of my grip so then it’s harder to push. The team worked so hard as always and to come away with two second places is great. I’m gutted about race three but now we concentrate on Thruxton this weekend and hope for some more podium results.”
The Ducati Cup saw our rider Josh Day take victory in race one and other supported rider fill four more spots inside the top ten but race two had it’s trouble with rain just before the start leaving riders unsure what tyre to choose, Josh opted for wets but the track dried up as the race went on to finish 6th and Chris walker (Moto Rapido rider) took his maiden victory this season as he opted for dry compound tyres.
Moto3 was equally action packed with Ryan Hitchcock completing his Practice sessions in P2 in the dry conditions but qualifying was wet… Ryan was 15th and Ollie Walker started his race from 11th.
The boys rode both so well despite Ollie's poor start he finished in 9th and Ryan stormed through the pack to almost grab a podium position in 4th!
Race two saw Ryan start from the front row, Ryan and Ollie finished 5th and 6th respectively, a great improvement from our young stars.
We now have a quick turnaround for Thruxton this week, Make sure you catch it on Quest tv or Eurosport player live this weekend