Yamaha Aim for Extended Dominance at Thruxton
With Round 6 of the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship approaching, Yamaha Motor UK are eyeing up an extended streak of dominance at Thruxton. This is a circuit widely recognised as the fastest in the UK.
Yamaha has remained undefeated at the Andover-based venue throughout the last four years. They have won every one of the 12 races held there since 2021.
Riders Jason O’Halloran, Tarran Mackenzie, Kyle Ryde and Ryan Vickers all took the R1 to the top.
As battle awaits ahead of another weekend of action, riders Brad Ray (Raceways Yamaha), Ryde (Nitrous Competitions OMG Racing) and Danny Kent (McAMS Racing) are targeting the top step. This is in the continued pursuit of championship progression.
The upcoming triple header at Thruxton provides Ray and Raceways Yamaha with an opportunity to return to winning ways. This comes after a challenging weekend at Brands Hatch saw them walk away with their first non-finish of the season.
Despite the challenges, the team concluded the weekend in Kent with a single race win and a fourth place finish.
They earned a healthy dose of points to maintain their lead in the championship standings.
Sat five rounds into his 2025 campaign, the former Bennetts BSB champion has secured a remarkable total of ten victories. This includes two back-to-back triples at Donington Park and Snetterton earlier in the year.
Reigning champion and current championship runner-up, Ryde, is heading to Thruxton with confidence. He secured his first win of the season last time out.
Sat 34 points behind his Yamaha counterpart, the Nottinghamshire rider remains on the hunt for a second consecutive BSB title.
He sits with high hopes for the weekend ahead.
Ryde fought his way to a sensational victory in a memorable opening race at Thruxton last year. This bodes well for this weekend’s efforts at a track that’s notorious for close racing.
After a breakthrough weekend at Brands Hatch, McAMS Racing and Kent are hoping to carry strong form into Thruxton this weekend. They aim to resume battle at the front of the field.
Kent fought confidently at Thruxton last year, clinching a coup of podium finishes to mark one of his strongest rounds of the season.
Coming off the back of another two podium finishes last time out, the rider from Tetbury is up for the challenge this weekend. He intends to move further up the overall standings as the second half of the season gets underway.
In the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship, Yamaha’s lead R7 rider, Ash Barnes, is returning to the scene of his maiden victory last year.
Barnes, aboard the R7 under the Raceways Yamaha stable, has high hopes for the weekend ahead. The Lincolnshire rider sits seventh in the standings with two podium finishes so far this season. He targets a third to gain momentum before his home round at Cadwell Park in just over two weeks’ time.
Two races lie in the pipeline for Barnes and Yamaha’s remaining R7 riders in the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship at Thruxton this weekend.
Bradley Ray
Raceways Yamaha
“I’m looking forward to returning to Thruxton this weekend. The circuit has been a strong one for the Yamaha R1 in the past, so I’m excited to see what the team and I can achieve together. I have a really good feeling aboard the R1, and our results throughout the first half of the season reflect our confidence on track. After one or two challenges at Brands Hatch, I’m eager to get back to fighting for victories and claw back the points we lost. We’re still in a really strong position in the championship, so we’ll work hard on maintaining and extending the lead we have over the field.”