Yamaha Set for Front-Line Return at Thruxton

Words and images courtesy Yamaha Motor UK

After a two-week break, this weekend is set to mark the return of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship with the domestic series heading to Thruxton for the seventh round of the season.

 As track action awaits at the fastest circuit in the UK, Yamaha Motor UK looks eagerly towards what looks likely to be a competitive weekend on the asphalt.

 The 2.3-mile circuit, with its fast and flowing nature, plays into the strengths of the renowned Yamaha R1 superbike, which has a dominant history at Thruxton having claimed victory in every race at the track since 2021.

OMG GRILLA Yamaha’s Ryan Vickers is heading towards the Thruxton weekend with great momentum having clinched victory across all three races at Brands Hatch two weeks ago, taking the triple in dominant style and proving to be in a class of his own.

After six rounds, the rider from Norwich sits sixth in the overall championship standings, with eyes fixed firmly on making a swift return to the top of the table throughout the second half of the season.

Vickers’ teammate, Kyle Ryde, is also coming off the back of a positive weekend at Brands Hatch, securing two podium finishes and collecting important points for the championship.

The Nottingham rider sits in fourth overall as the weekend approaches and is looking towards Thruxton with ambitious eyes and with confidence in his ability to perform at the sharp end of the pack.

Elsewhere, the upcoming race meeting offers an opportunity for redemption for McAMS Racing and Danny Kent, who suffered a challenging campaign at Brands Hatch, coming away with two DNFs and only a single point for the championship.

Despite their lack of luck in the last round, Kent and the team carry confidence into the weekend. Having secured a host of positive results at Thruxton in the past, the relentless charge towards their debut Bennetts BSB victory continues.  

Thruxton also hosts the sixth round of the inaugural Pirelli National Sportbike Championship. Ash Barnes (Raceways GYTR Pro Shop Yamaha) is still leading the way in the R7 bLU cRU standings and third in the championship overall.

The rider from Lincoln is 29 points ahead of Rev2Race Yamaha rider, Harrison Dessoy in fifth and approaches Thruxton with the ambition of fighting for a further brace of podium finishes.

Concluding the Brands Hatch weekend by narrowly missing out on a rostrum finish, Dessoy is excited to return to battle at the top with huger greater than ever for a second podium finish of the season.

The championship’s remaining Yamaha R7 riders, Rossi Banham (RB-Racing Yamaha) and Rev2Race Yamaha’s, Joshua Proudfoot and Jacob Stephenson sit 12th, 21st and 23rd respectively.

The period in-between Brands Hatch and Thruxton has been a busy one for Stephenson, with the youngster taking to the asphalt at Misano World Circuit and competing in the Yamaha R7 Cup.

On UK soil, the weekend ahead presents the R7 riders with two opportunities to score points for the standings, with races being held on both Saturday and Sunday.

Ryan Vickers – OMG GRILLA Yamaha

“Brands Hatch was a dream weekend, taking the pole position and winning all three races there in the way that I did. We’ve worked hard as a team recently in improving the setup and it’s paid off, it felt like I had my Yamaha back at Brands. Thruxton is a good track for me, one of my favourites since jumping on the Superbike and I’m looking forward to the weekend. Everyone knows the Yamaha is strong there and I’m looking forward to the challenge of keeping the Yamaha streak going come lights out.”

Kyle Ryde – OMG GRILLA Yamaha

“The Yamaha R1 has won every race at Thruxton for the last three years, so we know that the package is strong there. The OMG R1 has claimed podiums at Thruxton in the past, and it’s my turn to chase that result this weekend. We know our bike, with the tyres and the nature of the circuit helps us in the later stage of a race so I’ll make sure I’m in a position to capitalise on that when the races come. We made a good step forwards at Brands Hatch and found some really interesting things which helped us there, so overall we’re in a good place as a team and hopeful we can carry that momentum into Thruxton this weekend.”

Ash Barnes – Raceways GYTR Pro Shop Yamaha

“I’m looking forward to returning to Thruxton this weekend, it’s a track that the Yamaha R7 works well at, and I can’t wait to see what can be achieved. Overall, the first half of the season has been a positive one for us. I’m feeling eager to add to the few podiums that we’ve already had, hopefully, we can push further forward to secure our best result of the season so far.”