Ben Currie scores a second at Brands in his first wet race on the Panigale V2

Oxford Products Racing Ducati’s Ben Currie started today’s Supersport Sprint race from the front of the second row in fourth. But as the lights went out, his bike got sideways and he was swamped into Paddock Hill and was dropped way down the field.

Ben had climbed up to eleventh by the end of his opening lap and race leader Tom Booth-Amos retired on the following lasp, with Ben taking another position to start Lap 3 inside the top ten in ninth.

As the ten-lap race progressed Ben continues to climb up the order and with two laps to go Ben was in a battle with Zak Corderoy for second place. Ben got the better of the Gearlink Kawasaki rider to take the flag in second behind winner Richard Cooper, and now sits at the top of the Quattro Group British Supersport Championship with a total of 175 points.

Ben Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #61) – 2nd
“We had those two practice laps rolling out the pit there and I came straight in after the first one and was like, boys, we're in big trouble! I had grabbed the brake and the front didn’t move. I thought this is going to be a long one. Luckily we got that little 10-minute window, so I came in, swapped some springs around, and some little bits and bobs. It's a fickle beast the old Duke. You might have seen on the line I let go of the clutch and the thing just went 90 on me and span up that's what it was like coming out of corners. It was a bit of a handful, but I said to myself, just steady on. We’re in 15th place we're in big trouble, let's just see what we can do. And then the positions just started coming to me and I was really happy with that. So, it feels like a win. It wasn't, but I'll take the championship lead. Thanks to all my sponsors, and roll on tomorrow.”

Sunday at Snetterton sees Christian Iddon score an eighth and a fifth

Race 2

Christian had a great start and got away with the leading three riders from his fourth place grid slot for Sunday's opening Bennetts British Superbike race at Snetterton.

The Oxford Products Ducati pilot had a few encounters with other riders dropping him back to seventh place before the red flag came out on lap seven, due to Danny Buchan and Franco Bourne colliding.

At the restart of the reduced lap race, Christian slotted in to eighth and began threatening the positions ahead. But he just couldn't quite overhaul any further riders and remained in eighth at the chequered flag.

Race 3

The final Superbike race of the weekend saw Christian starting from ninth on the grid, and with work to do. He got his head down and was soon picking riders off, getting himself up to seventh place.

By lap eight, he'd moved up to sixth place and chasing down the leading group of five.

Josh Brookes pulled over with a technical issue on lap ten, handing Christian fifth place. Once again, he found himself in no man's land, which seems to have been a regular occurrence this weekend.

He crossed the line in fifth to add another eleven points to his tally, taking him up to 108 points and eighth place in the championship.

Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #21)
"Today turned out really difficult at the start, the race wasn't that great. We changed the bike from yesterday and I just didn't get the feeling I wanted from the bike at all. It was a really frustrating race after yesterday, especially being fourth on the grid.

For the last race, we changed the bike, not back but something different and I felt so much better. I just couldn't quite bridge that gap to the front group. The gap never really changed. I made a move on Vickers but didn't make it stick, which may have changed the result.

We're looking for podiums but we're not quite there yet. We are massively better to where we were at the start of the year. It's starting to feel like a bike I can use to its potential now. The team's working hard, I'm working hard, we just need to get in to the bigger chunk of points. It's so frustrating because it's so close, in all three races I had pace to win. The championship is so close, you've got to get out front and make your own luck. Now, we regroup and go again. Onwards to Brands."

Ben Currie finishes the second Supersport race at Snetterton inside the top ten after a technical issue whilst leading

Ben Currie made an amazing start from second on the grid on the Oxford Products Racing Ducati in the second and final Supersport race at Snetterotn this afternoon. The Australian managed to stay out in front only for disaster to strike when he ran straight on at the end of the Bentley Straight due to a technical error.

Ben was able to rejoin the circuit but had dropped down the order to last position. But he fought his way back up through the pack, finishing in ninth place and showing the Panigale V2's speed by setting the fastest lap on the tenth of the 14-lap race.

Ben Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #61)
"I'm pretty disappointed really, we definitely had the pace to win that race. From morning warm up really, the bike was superb, we've made such a big step with the bike. I ran in to a little problem with the bike, not sure what it is but I couldn't back shift my gears and went straight on at the back straight which was a bit unfortunate. I went all the way back to last but managed to bring it back to ninth. I'm over the moon with how the bike felt so we'll take some positives away from that and go to Brands Hatch with a good feeling."

Christian Iddon continues his run of solid points finishes in the Snetterton Sprint Race

Christian Iddon qualified for today's Snetterton Sprint Race in eleventh. Getting a good start off the grid, the Oxford Products Racing Ducati rider found himself having to work his way back up the order, eventually moving all the way up into fourth place and ticking the laps off.

An unexpected move from Josh Brookes unsettled Christian's rhythm, which lost him a few seconds, before regrouping and getting his head down again. By this time he was in a lonely race for fifth place, taking the flag in that position.

The positive is that it's a solid eleven points again, four fifth places from the last five races, which is going to boost his championship position.

Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #21)
"I didn't have a good qualifying but I felt really good on the bike on the first lap. I then worked my way backwards which wasn't part of the plan. But I managed to get myself in to a bit of a rhythm and got myself back towards the front.

Brooksey came past me a bit late and upset my rhythm a bit, not a real problem, it just knocked me off line and cost me a couple of seconds. That left me in no man's land til the end of the race. But we've managed to gather some more data for tomorrow's race so that's all good."

Ben Currie racks up a consecutive Supersport podium

Ben Currie put in another consistent ride in the Quattro Group British Supersport sprint race on the Panigale V2 at Snetterton this afternoon to take a consecutive third place finish for the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team.

Starting from his qualifying position of fifth on the grid, he gradually picked off his rivals in front. He looked like he would be settling for fourth when the race leader crashed out on the penultimate lap, elevating Ben to his third podium of the season to date.

Ben Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #61)
"It's been a really good race, and got on the podium, a little bit unexpected. From the early part of the race, I was back in sixth or seventh. I knew I had the pace to be up further but I just couldn't get past. But a couple of the guys in front made a few mistakes which allowed me to get back up to the front. I thought I was closing down the leaders as I had good pace but just couldn't bridge the gap to get on the back of them. But a solid third place which is great for the championship and a step further with the bike, so I'm really looking forward to tomorrow!"

Pole start and potential podium for Christian Iddon at Knockhill

Real progress has been made by Christian and the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team this weekend and we were on for our best result of the season to date during the final Bennetts British Superbike race at Knockhill.

Race 2

Christian Iddon got another good start on today's first 30-lap BSB race at Knockhill. He set off from eighth on the grid, and immediately passed Charlie Nesbitt before taking Lee Jackson at Duffus Dip on Lap 2 to move up to sixth. Christian then got past Josh Brookes to move up into fifth, keeping up with leading group of riders.

As the race reached half-distance Christian was looking to get past Ryan Vickers, but Tommy Bridewell was on a charge behind him, and got past Christian demoting him back to sixth.

The final laps saw Christian drop back slightly but when race leader Glenn Irwin crashed out at Taylor’s Hairpin on Lap 27, Christian was gifted a position to rack up his third consecutive fifth-place finish

Showing his speed on the Panigale V4 R, Christian posted the fastest lap of the race with a time of 47.582s so he lined up for the third and final Superbike race of the weekend at the front of the grid, his first pole of the season.

Race 3

Christian held second behind Jason O’Halloran as the lights went out but after trying to get the place back at the hairpin he was sat up and Tommy Bridewell took advantage to pass Iddon and demote him to third.

But only moments later, on the second lap, race leader Jason O’Halloran crashed out, gifting Tommy Bridewell the lead and Iddon second place.

The next lap saw Christian back to third after Kyle Ryde passed, and Christian was then down to fourth after Glenn Irwin came through.

But on Lap 17 of 30 Christian got third back from Kyle Ryde at the hairpin to make it a Ducati 1-2-3 behind the BeerMonster Ducati duo.

Sadly, on Lap 20 Christian ran on at the hairpin dashing any hopes of a first podium with the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team. But he did well to keep his bike upright and make it out of the gravel trap in tenth. He was then able to make up another position before the flag to finish ninth. 

But the team can be happy with the real progression made together during the weekend, and we now look ahead to Round 5 of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship at Snetterton next month.

Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #21)
“The weekend started out super difficult, I really struggled and couldn't get any flow with the bike and just couldn't make the lap time come. But we seemed to find a bit of form by the time we got to the first race, 20 strong laps. Pulled our way from twelfth to fifth and gave ourselves eighth on the grid for the first race on Sunday which was ok, but it wasn't brilliant, but ok and we got ourselves fifth again in that one, in the front group but just sort of hanging on to it.

I then made a little bit of an error at the hairpin in the next race, and lost the group and ended up in a bit of a lonely fifth.

But in the final race I felt a lot more racy to be fair. We gained in every aspect apart from one, but we lost in that one and I wasn't able to get the drive that I was able to get previously over the start finish straight.

But apart from that the bike was so much better everywhere else and that's shown in the sector times. So, I felt really, really good and a podium was on the cards by the looks of it. And I actually felt like I could have had a little bit more for the two Ducatis up front. I just picked the rear up going into the hairpin but the bike sort of swapped on me and I just couldn't stop it and went straight on into the hairpin into the gravel. Ended up finishing ninth.

It's frustrating. It would have been really nice to reward the team for all their hard work all through the year so far with a podium. But we have to wait a little bit longer for it. Progress has been made for sure, we're starting to get there, and starting to finally show what we've got.”