Double podium for Christian Iddon at Donington
“I’m really happy to take a double podium this weekend. Big thanks to the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team and everyone that supports me.”
Christian Iddon scored his best result of the season to date at Donington Park this weekend, with a double podium that included a second-place finish in Race 3.
Race 1
Christian Iddon started his first of three British Superbike races at Donington Park this weekend from the middle of Row 4 in eleventh. The Saturday BikeSocial Sprint Race didn’t initially go to plan for the Oxford Products Racing Ducati rider and by the third lap he’d dropped down to thirteenth in tricky conditions.
By half race distance Iddon was up to eighth but after running off the circuit on Lap 6 Iddon re-joined the track down in 20th, finishing his race in 16th.
Race 2
The first of Sunday’s two races saw Christian set off from sixth and he was into fifth by the Old Hairpin.
With half of the 20-lap race covered Christian was in the leading train of riders, still sitting in fifth. But on lap 12 BeerMonster Ducati riders Tommy Bridewell and Glenn Irwin collided and crashed out at the Melbourne Loop.
This promoted Christian to third and despite pressure from Lee Jackson (Kawasaki) in the final quarter, he held on to the position and claimed a podium finish after the race was red flagged on Lap 17 due to worsening conditions.
Race 3
Sunday’s final Superbike race saw Christian line up on the grid in eighth. On the opening lap he gained multiple positions, aided by Irwin’s technical retirement, and a move into the Melbourne Loop on Josh Brookes (BMW).
Ryan Vickers (Yamaha) crashed out from second on the second lap before Christian got past Kyle Ryde (Yamaha) at Goddards to move up into fourth as he started his third lap.
On lap 3 Christian then passed Bridewell into the Melbourne Loop to take third behind Leon Haslam (BMW).
But drama stuck on Lap 16 when the red flag came out once more, after Haslam’s suffered a technical and dropped oil on the track.
Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha) took the win, with Christian Iddon taking second, his best result of the season to date.
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #21)
“I haven’t run wets all weekend until that last race because every time I went out, I put inters on. I gambled, even in morning Warm Up I was the only one on inters. I sat on the grid for the last race and thought I don’t even know what these tyres are going to be like!
This new surface here is amazing, compared to the old one it’s insane. I had some difficult visibility issues mid race, but I felt like I had the pace to pass Leon. I was right behind him, kind of welded to him a little bit. I had fogging, and the rain on my visor. I dropped back a little bit to get a run on him and the minute I dropped back he bolted! I had a few moments and just needed to calm down, but it was all good.
I’m really happy to take a double podium this weekend. Big thanks to the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team and everyone that supports me.”
2023 British Supersport champion Ben Currie does the double at Donington
“A double win and the championship, it doesn’t get much better than that.”
After claiming the 2023 title yesterday, pole sitter Ben Currie was running the number one plate for the first time on his Oxford Products Racing Ducati Panigale V2 for Sunday’s wet race at Donington Park.
Halfway through the race Ben was coming under pressure from TJ Toms (Yamaha), with the duo almost five seconds clear of the rest of the pack.
The duo extended this gap as the laps mounted, with Toms setting up a move at Craner to take the lead on lap eight but Ben soon got the position back into the Foggy Esses.
And by the time Ben started his last lap he had opened a lead of over a second over Toms, going on to score a double win with an advantage of 2.775s, his sixth victory to date in a championship winning season.
Ben Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #61) – 1st
“Very tricky race. I decided to sit out Warm Up this morning because it was neither wet nor dry. So, I didn’t have that feeling early on, I just tried to feel it out and TJ was keeping me really honest the whole time. With the mixed conditions I was struggling to read my board a little bit and I got some mixed communications. I thought I was on my own by five seconds and TJ came past me like I was stood still. I decided to up my pace a little bit and see what he had, and fortunately enough I was able to bring it home for another win.
The team’s been great. At the moment nothing’s confirmed for next year but I would really like to run the number one and try and defend the title. I just have to be patient and see how we go. But a double win and the championship, it doesn’t get much better than that.”
Ben Currie wins the 2023 British Supersport title in style with pole, fastest lap, and race victory at Donington Park
“I was concentrating so hard on winning that race I’d forgotten that I could have won the championship. Now we’re standing here, I’ve got the trick gold helmet, and dreams have become a reality.”
Ben Currie’s fantastic form on the Moto Rapido Racing Ducati Panigale V2 continued at Donington Park this afternoon after a fifth win of the season saw him take the 2023 British Supersport title.
Ben got a great start from pole to lead the race but onlLap three he ran on at Foggy Esses and re-joined the track in fourth. But a couple of laps later Ben he was up into third after passing Jamie Perrin (Suzuki) into the Melbourne Loop.
Lap eight saw Ben then pass Eugene McManus (Triumph) to start the second half of the 18-lap featre race in second place behind Luke Stapleford (Kawasaki).
On Lap 12 Ben got brilliant drive out of the Esses to pass Stapleford for the lead. Stapleford immediately came back but went into the Loop hot and with Ben getting the better of him once more to start the final third of the race in first.
As the race neared its conclusion Ben was able to create a gap at the front, picking his way through backmarkers to take the chequered flag and the 2023 British Supersport title to the delight of the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team.
Ben Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #61) – 1st
2023 British Supersport Champion
“We worked hard that first part of the season to keep ourselves in the championship fight, to work our way around the V2, the team and myself. We made massive steps from the start of the season. In the last half of the season it seemed a dream, podiums on the bounce, and five wins now. I’m absolutely over the moon. I don’t know what to say really, I can’t believe it.
I was concentrating so hard on winning that race I’d forgotten that I could have won the championship. Now we’re standing here, I’ve got the trick gold helmet, and dreams have become a reality.
Looking back and with this being a long time coming, we’ve been grinding for years and years and years. It hasn’t come easy. We always worked hard and believed we could do this, and we didn’t listen to the critics who said I couldn’t do it. And now we’re here and we can celebrate.
I want to say a huge thanks to everyone who got me here. This is not a one-man band. This is a team effort by everyone, sponsors, supporters, family, team. Thanks so much, this win is for everyone.”
Double podium for Ben Currie at Oulton Park
“I had the pace to win both the races this weekend, we put it on pole, so that’s a real plus. We’ve taken one and half seconds off our time from here earlier in the year so that shows our progress. Huge thanks to he guys, we’re working really good, we’re in a good place.”
Ben Currie leads the pack around Oulton Park
Ben Currie’s strong speed on the Oxford Products Racing Ducati Panigale V2 in Saturday’s Supersport race saw him qualify for Sunday’s 14-lap race on the front row of the gird in second.
Another great start saw Ben get the holeshot to lead the early stages. But by the start of lap 5 title contender Rhys Irwin (Suzuki) had cut through the pack and passed Ben into turn one, with Ben demoted a further position later that same lap when Tom Booth-Amos (Kawasaki) came past.
By half-race distance the leading duo had stared to pull a small gap over Ben with Richard Cooper (Yamaha) closing behind.
On lap nine Irwin’s exhaust came loose with Race Control bringing the rider‘s race to a premature end a couple of laps later. This gifted Booth-Amos the lead, with Cooper and Ben up to second and third respectively, and the three riders went on to take the flag in those same positions.
Irwin’s second DNF of the weekend saw Booth-Amos snatch second in the championship from him, but Ben’s podium saw a further increase his championship lead at the top of the standings by a couple of points to a gap of 68.
Ben Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) – 3rd
“I saw Coops coming past and he was on a good pace there. I just tried to stick on his wheel as I knew he’d take me away from everyone else. Just wasn’t feeling very comfortable, just riding a little bit tense, thinking about the championship, thinking about people running into the back of me. I’ve never been in the position where I’m nursing such a big championship lead, just going to go home now and think about it through.
I had the pace to win both the races this weekend, we put it on pole, so that’s a real plus. We’ve taken one and half seconds off our time from here earlier in the year so that shows our progress. Huge thanks to he guys, we’re working really good, we’re in a good place.”
A consecutive trio of seventh place finishes for Christian Iddon at Oulton Park
“It’s another semi-frustrating weekend because I want to be at the front fighting for podiums and wins and we’re still a little bit off that. We have made progress, it’s just another one of those ‘what could have been’ weekends.”
Race 1
Christian Iddon lined up for Saturday’s BikeSocial Sprint Race at the front of Row 4 in tenth. By the end of the first lap around the 2.692-mile circuit Christian was up three places, a position he held to the flag.
Race 2
Christian was unfortunate in the opening race on Sunday into the first corner and initially dropped from seventh down to 13th, but he was soon past Luke Stapleford (Yamaha) to move into eleventh before going on pass Storm Stacey (Kawasaki) on the following lap to move inside the top ten.
Lap 3 saw Iddon pass Jack Kennedy (Yamaha) to go ninth with Jason O’Halloran (Yamaha) next in his sights and by lap 6 Iddon was eighth and in the chasing pack behind Josh Brookes (BMW) and Ryan Vickers (Yamaha).
The race was then put on hold as the safety car came out on lap 14 after Stacey crashed out. Christian was able to hold his position after the restart and went on to take another seventh at the flag.
Race 3
Iddon started seventh and momentarily lost the position to O’Halloran before taking the place back later in the opening lap.
Christian was running in the leading group of riders but on Lap 8 he was once again demoted to eighth after Vickers took the position.
As the race neared its conclusion the leading pack of eight riders had split to form four separate battles. Iddon was able to get the better of Vickers by 0.011s across the line to score a consecutive trio of seventh-place finishes.
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #21)
“The weekend started out quite difficult, I couldn’t really get any feeling or sensation with the bike. We worked really hard and found a base that seemed to work reasonably well. It’s pretty much all we had this weekend.
It’s another semi-frustrating weekend because I want to be at the front fighting for podiums and wins and we’re still a little bit off that. We have made progress, it’s just another one of those ‘what could have been’ weekends. I think that I’m extracting plenty from the package.
We just need to keep on trying to regroup, push forward and not lose sight of where we think we can be and what we think we can achieve. We need to continue to keep on pushing on.”
Second for Ben Currie in the Oulton Park Sprint Race as he extends his championship lead
“A solid second place in the championship and we’ve extended our points lead to 66. Couldn't be much better to be honest. Very happy and the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team’s working great!”
The Oxford Products Racing Ducati team returned to Oulton Park this weekend, and Ben Currie was immediately on the pace onboard his Panigale V2, finishing the two Free Practice sessions in first and second respectively, before going on to claim pole in qualifying.
Sadly, Ben was unlucky to not extend his run of consecutive race wins to five, and after leading every race lap it was a small mistake in the final one that cost him victory.
During the race there was drama for championship on Lap 7 when Richard Cooper (Yamaha) crashed out taking out title contender Rhys Irwin (Suzuki) from third.
Ben came under pressure Tom Booth-Amos (Kawasaki) as the race neared its conclusion, and when he made a small error at Knickerbrook on the final lap Booth-Amos was able to snatch the lead and race win.
Ben crossed the line in second place but with Irwin out of contention Ben was able to extend his championship advantage at the top of the standings over the Suzuki rider from 44 points to 66.
Ben Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #61) – 2nd
“Really fantastic race. Led from start to finish. But unfortunately, I made one little error into the Knickerbrook chicane. Came round just a teensy little bit wide and got nicked. But solid second place in the championship and extended our points lead to 66. Couldn't be much better to be honest. So very happy and the Oxford Products Racing Ducati team’s working great!”