Ben Currie ends his Championship winning on a high despite a crash in his final race

Ben Currie got his last race of the 2023 season off to flyer on the Oxford Products Racing Ducati Panigale V2. Starting from pole he had already amassed a lead of 1.234s by the end of his first lap around the Brands Hatch GP circuit but his charge was put on hold after the safety car came out briefly after multiple riders crashed out at the Cooper Straight.

By half race distance Ben's advantage was 1.294s and he looked like he was going on to wrap up his winning year in style with another victory to his tally. But with four laps to go and a 3s lead, Ben lost the front on the left hander at Surtees, bringing his season to a premature end.

Ben Currie
Oxford Products Racing Ducati #1
2023 British Supersport Champion
"We've wrapped up the championship obviously a round ago, but we're here to do the celebration. It's been a fantastic debut season on the Ducati and with the Oxford Products Moto Rapido V2.

I'm absolutely over the moon to be a part of this team. I'm looking forward to the future with them. It's been an absolute crazy season really. We just got stronger and stronger, almost a fairy tale finish with a win, but unfortunately with a few laps to go, I crashed out of a three second lead. But we’ll put that one behind as we go into the winter with a big smile, a big gold number one, and ready for next season.

I can't wait. I just want to thank everyone that's involved. All my sponsors, friends, family, everyone that supported me. I couldn't do it without them, honestly. We'll see you next year."

Christian closes his 2023 BSB season at Brands with a sixth place finish

The end of Christian Iddon’s BSB season didn’t go to plan at Brands Hatch today. He was looking strong in the penultimate race running in fourth, only to suffer a high side on the exit of Druids.

Christian was taken to the medical centre but was declared fit to take part in the final race of the season, where he finished in sixth place to take ninth in the championship with a total of 306 points.

Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #21)
"That's the 2023 season done and dusted. It's been quite a long way off where we expected it to be. But there's been some flashes of some real nice times. We've definitely made progress from the start, where we were really sort of bit lost at sea and we've ended the season pretty strong to be fair. I think if I hadn't of had that crash today, then we could have been fighting a lot harder in that last race.

But it is what it is, and we'll learn and come back stronger next time. A big thank you to the team, to Ducati, to Oxford Products, to all the sponsors of the team and to all my personal sponsors, I really appreciate everything. Let's come back stronger next year."

Ben Currie charges through the field to finish his penultimate race of the season in sixth

After wrapping up the Supersport title last time out Donington Park, Ben Currie’s Oxford Products Racing Panigale V2 proudly sported the number one plate for the final round of the season at Brands.

Sadly a technical fault saw him unable to post a competitive time in qualifying meaning a 27th place grid start in tricky conditions.

On a charge, Ben was up to 19th by the end of his opening lap around the Brands GP circuit and took another five positions the following lap. 

He continued to push throughout the Supersport sprint race, setting consecutive fastest laps and going on to take the chequered flag in sixth and see him start the final race of the season from pole.

Ben Currie (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #1) – 6th
“Bit of a rollercoaster. First qualifying this year that we’ve had a disaster, qualifying back in 27th position, obviously not what we’ve set out to do on the back of four pole positions. But I managed to pick my way all the way through to sixth place. Ten laps I had, managed to do the fastest lap of the race and put it on pole for tomorrow. Couldn’t be happier.

Luckily enough the championship’s wrapped up so we can afford these little mishaps and enjoy these races. Huge thanks to the team, tricky conditions out there, they gave me a great bike. Roll on tomorrow where we can hopefully battle for the win.”

Fifth for Christian Iddon at Brands

The final Bennetts British Superbike round of the season kicked off at Brands Hatch this weekend. But a sudden downpour put a halt to proceedings for a while, resulting in a delayed Sprint Race of just 10 laps this afternoon around the Brands Hatch GP Circuit.

Christian Iddon lined up for the opening race at the back of the third row in ninth. But a great start saw him up to sixth by the end of lap one, climbing another couple of places in the following lap. And by lap three Christian was up into third position behind Kyle Ryde (Yamaha) and Jason O'Halloran (Yamaha).

A pass by Tommy Bridewell at Surtees put Iddon slightly wide on lap four, dropping Christian back down to sixth behind the charging Glenn Irwin.

Iddon was still sat in sixth at two thirds race distance behind Leon Haslam, only for the Kawasaki rider to crash out at Surtees ending his own title hunt.

Christian took the flag in fifth behind the BeerMonster Ducati teammates, but with an advantage of 1.883s over Peter Hickman (BMW) in sixth.

Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati #21) – 5th “The weekend so far has been pretty good here. I felt good on the bike in all conditions, because we’ve had every condition going. The race then was a little bit frustrating really. I got a really good start from my ninth place grid start and managed to work my way into third at one point and felt pretty good.

Tommy came up the inside and as he did I just ended up on the damp patch and it meant I lost a few more places and got in a battle. I then had a funny feeling with the bike, and as the race went on I trusted it less and less so hopefully we can rectify that. We’d used a different tyre than what I used all weekend so it’s probably just a case of that.

I think we could have had a podium, but we didn’t, so something to work on for tomorrow.”

Double podium for Christian Iddon at Donington

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

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.”