Time to crown a champion

The 2024 Bennetts British Superbike championship goes down to the wire this weekend. But will it be Glenn, Kyle or Tommy who gets the ultimate prize?

Kyle Ryde –Yamaha

Position 1st (398 points)

• Wins 8
• Podiums 16
• Poles 3
• Fastest laps 4
• Laps led 93

In many ways this has been a breakthrough campaign for Kyle Ryde. The GRILLA OMG Racing Yamaha man has stepped up a gear and put together the weekends that people have known he’s been capable of for a few years now.

He’s been consistently strong across all three races in a meeting, is more aggressive against his rivals and has the self-belief in his ability. This could well be his year.

At the same time, he’s chilled and relaxed about his racing and the title fight. It’s rare to see him flustered or frustrated about his bike or how a race went, and if things do bother him, you certainly won’t see it on TV. “We’ve had a great season up to now and if I come up short, I come up short, but I’ll put everything on the line to win my first championship,” Ryde told MCN at Donington Park.

Ryde’s the form man heading into the final round having won six of the last nine races. Earlier in the year he finished third in both of Sunday’s races at Brands Hatch, while his teammate Ryan Vickers won all three races in dominant fashion.

And there lies another potential weapon in Ryde’s arsenal. Vickers could easily take the full 35 points in each race this weekend, or hold back and put himself in between Ryde and his two title rivals. At the same time, Vickers has nothing to lose as he’s heading to World Superbike in 2025.

The only concern in the Ryde camp could be the weather, because, despite some improvement this season, the wet has often been his Achilles’ heel. Either way, Ryde holds the slight advantage going into the final weekend.

Tommy Bridewell – Honda

Position 2nd (394 points)

• Wins 2
• Podiums 16
• Poles 1
• Fastest laps 5
• Laps led 54

While Kyle Ryde presents a calm demeanour, Tommy Bridewell wears his heart on his sleeve at all times and showcases his emotions to the full whether they be positive or negative. Not that that’s a bad thing; it proves just how much this championship means, and motorcycle racing definitely needs characters like the reigning champion. Freedom of speech among riders keeps things interesting.

On the circuit, while only having two victories, Bridewell has put together one of his most impressive campaigns to date. He was written off by many when he chose to end his five-and-a-half year partnership with Ducati and join a factory Honda team who failed to record a single podium in 2023, and a manufacturer without a British Superbike title since Alex Lowes in 2013.

Would Bridewell be able to adapt? Would a personality like Bridewell clash with the corporate nature of Honda? A few little technical gremlins aside, it’s been a positive move and it’s been Bridewell’s consistency that has kept his title dream alive.

Bridewell only has those two wins, but has a total of 16 podiums and 22 top five results. It’s his vast experience and race craft that has carried him this far.

He also has the experience of a last round, last race, title showdown under his belt, and that could come in very handy against Ryde. If it comes down to a last lap battle once again, it’s a no brainer that Bridewell will launch an all-out attack to become champion again.

It’ll be an historic moment if he does… No BSB rider has ever won back-to-back championships with different manufacturers.

Glenn Irwin – Ducati

Position 3rd (352 points)

• Wins 8
• Podiums 10
• Poles 0
• Fastest laps 5
• Laps led 98

Glenn Irwin heads to the final round in the position that Kyle Ryde found himself in last year. He has a mathematical chance, but he’s going to need a bit of luck and some misfortune for Ryde and Tommy Bridewell if he’s to secure his maiden BSB title.

It’ll certainly be much less stressful than 12 months ago when he was locked in a fierce rivalry with Bridewell, with 7.5 points separating the pair of PBM riders. That was an anxious weekend for all, and ended up going down to the final lap of the year. Despite two wins, Irwin lost by an agonising half-a-point.

Irwin may very well be the most relaxed of the three and that can only be a good thing for him. This is motorcycle racing, so anything really can happen and the Northern Irishman needs to be in a position to strike and take advantage if Ryde and Bridewell experience problems. Whether that’s a crash, technical issue or the autumn weather.

Irwin has a decent record at the final Brands Hatch round having won twice on the Honda in 2022, and then twice on the Ducati last season. The round earlier this year wasn’t so great for Irwin after being wiped out on the run down Paddock Hill Bend, which ultimately ruined his Sunday.

Time will tell, but Irwin is always proud to remind the world that he never gives up. He’ll be fighting until the chequered flag on Sunday afternoon.

EXPERT OPINION

James Whitham, former BSB champion

“Tommy is really intelligent, he’s no mug and he’s really impressed me with how he’s worked this year. He’s prepared to work and get stuck in when it’s necessary, which he’s going to need to do this weekend. “I suspect Kyle will have the outright speed if it’s dry, and if he gets a good run at it. Kyle is exactly what you see. He wears his heart on his sleeve, under-promises and over-delivers. He’s very humble in what he thinks about his chances.

“However, if it comes to a do or die move, or a dogfight in the last couple of laps, I do suspect, and I don’t want to do Kyle a disservice here because he’s a good mate of mine and I think he’s brilliant, that Tommy might be prepared to roll his sleeves up a little bit further.

“Let’s not forget Glenn. Many times in the past we’ve seen him stick his hand in a bucket and pull a gold chalice out of it. He’s never won the championship, but he’s never given up and he’s nearly done it. He’s always in the fight. You never know, you get a sketchy weekend weather wise, and I wouldn’t bet against three wins for him.

“The only problem for Glenn is that it’s going to take both of the other two not to finish one race – he’s relying on other people’s mistakes to take the title.

“If I had to put my house on it… I would go for Kyle. He’s found something this year in his own mind, and it isn’t speed because he’s always had that. Since he’s been 18, he’s been one of the fastest riders in the country on whatever he throws his leg across, but he’s always been a little bit picky; he’s been absolutely super, ultra-fast when everything is dead right, but struggled a bit when one of the jigsaw pieces doesn’t fit in.

“This year he’s found something; he’s dragged results out at places where his bike hasn’t been perfect. He’s found something and he believes in himself now.”