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Vickers strikes twice in Thruxton BSB  as Cook and McConnell celebrate podium success

Words and images courtesy BSB

Ryan Vickers was an unstoppable force in today’s Bennetts British Superbike Championship races at Thruxton as the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing rider stormed to a double victory, holding off the his title rivals to celebrate his seventh win of the season in race three.
Kyle Ryde had given the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing team the first victory of the weekend in Saturday’s race, but Vickers delivered a high-speed masterclass in Hampshire to take the double in two very different contests.
Vickers stormed from his fifteenth place grid position to take the victory in a dramatic second Bennetts race as he continued the team’s winning momentum.
Max Cook had fired off the Omologato Pole position to take the lead on the opening lap ahead of Storm Stacey and Glenn Irwin, but there was drama for the Hager PBM Ducati rider who crashed out after a huge highside at Campbell, which meant the race was red flagged.
On the restart, Stacey launched the Team LKQ Euro Car Parts Kawasaki into the lead ahead of Cook and Josh Brookes, but on the second lap, Alex Olsen and Franco Bourne crashed out at Village and the BMW Safety Car was deployed.
When the race got back underway, it became a five-lap sprint to the finish and Cook was holding the lead until the penultimate lap when Vickers gained two places to return to the front, making his move into the Complex.
Cook then had Brookes and Danny Kent for company, as the McAMS Racing Yamaha rider carved his way through the pack and he was pushing for a return to the podium. Cook was able to hold second to the line to celebrate a career first podium finish in Bennetts BSB.
Brookes narrowly missed out on his first podium of the season for FHO Racing BMW Motorrad as Kent stole third on the final lap.
In race three, Kent launched to the front of the field ahead of Tommy Bridewell and McConnell and on the opening lap the lead changed three times with the trio all having a spell before the reigning champion held the edge.
Bridewell was holding the advantage from McConnell when he dramatically slowed on the exit of the chicane caused by a quickshifter problem and the pack concertinaed and the Honda Racing UK rider lost ground that dropped him down the order before he recovered to sixth at the chequered flag.
Vickers had swept into the lead on the fifth lap and then was trying to manage the race, whilst McConnell and BSB Pathway Lewis Rollo were initially the front of the chasing pack. The IN Competition SENCAT Aprilia rider later dropped to just outside the top ten, whilst Kent got embroiled in the battle for the podium.
Vickers had enough to take the chequered flag despite a last corner moment, when the OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing R1 slid out of line, with Kent able to move into second with five laps remaining and then he held off McConnell.
The podium for the Australian marked the C&L Fairburn Properties/Look Forward Racing Honda team’s first since joining the championship this year as he became the 14th different rider to take a top three finish in 2024, whilst the achievement marked the eleventh different team to celebrate podium success.
Bridewell continues his title defence by leading the standings ahead of Honda Racing UK’s home round at Cadwell Park on the August Bank Holiday weekend. He holds a 25-point advantage over Ryde as Christian Iddon moved ahead of Glenn Irwin in the standings as Vickers elevated himself into the top five.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Thruxton, Race 2 result:

  1. Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing)
  2. Max Cook (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) +0.531s
  3. Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) +0.873s
  4. Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) +1.613s
  5. Billy McConnell (C&L Fairburn Properties/Look Forward Racing Honda) +1.889s
  6. Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +2.298s
  7. Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +2.427s
  8. Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) +2.613s
  9. Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) +3.190s
  10. Storm Stacey (Team LKQ Euro Car Parts Kawasaki) +3.232s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Thruxton, Race 3 result:

  1. Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing)
  2. Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) +0.150s
  3. Billy McConnell (C&L Fairburn Properties/Look Forward Racing Honda) +2.103s
  4. Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) +2.999s
  5. Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda) +3.016s
  6. Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) +6.253s
  7. Lee Jackson (MasterMac Honda) +8.321s
  8. Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +10.755s
  9. Andrew Irwin (Honda Racing UK) +10.798s
  10. Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) +11.532s

Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:

  1. Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK) 248
  2. Kyle Ryde (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) 223
  3. Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 213
  4. Glenn Irwin (Hager PBM Ducati) 201
  5. Ryan Vickers (OMG GRILLA Yamaha Racing) 198
  6. Danny Kent (McAMS Racing Yamaha) 178
  7. Leon Haslam (ROKiT Haslam Racing BMW Motorrad) 145
  8. Jason O’Halloran (Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki) 142
  9. Lee Jackson (MasterMac Honda) 119
  10. Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad) 118

www.britishsuperbike.com

Vickers strikes twice in Thruxton BSB  as Cook and McConnell celebrate podium success | SuperBike