BSB Thruxton: Ryan Vickers beats Max Cook to secure sprint race victory

Ryan Vickers continued his impressive run of form by winning the Bennetts British Superbike Championship sprint race at Thruxton.

The GRILLA OMG Racing Yamaha racer stormed through from 15^th on the grid to take his fourth victory in the five races. Vickers becomes the first rider to win a race in 2024 who didn’t start from the opening two rows.

Vickers is now 58 points behind Tommy Bridewell in the championship standings as he continues to close in on his title rivals.

Max Cook led the majority of the race but a mistake on the penultimate lap allowed Vickers to take the lead. Nevertheless, Cook regrouped and crossed the line in second place to claim his maiden BSB podium.

Danny Kent bounced back from the disappointment of Saturday’s race to complete the podium onboard the McAMS Racing Yamaha. It’s Kent’s fifth podium of the 2024 season.

Josh Brookes was the leading BMW rider in fourth spot, whilst Billy McConnell completed the top five. Christian Iddon came home in sixth ahead of Bridewell, with race one winner Kyle Ryde crossed the line in eighth. Leon Haslam and Storm Stacey completed the top 10.

Lee Jackson finished 11^th ahead of teammate Charlie Nesbitt, with Peter Hickman, Andrew Irwin and Danny Buchan claiming the final points on offer.

The original race was red flagged on the opening lap following a huge highside for Glenn Irwin at turn three (Campbell). Irwin was third when he went down and was very lucky not to be collected by any of the riders behind him.

Irwin was down in the middle of the circuit for a period of time whilst being assessed, before being able to walk to the ambulance.

On the opening lap of the restarted race Franco Bourne suffered a big highside going through Village. Alex Olsen had nowhere to go and was taken down and out of the race as well. Olsen was able to walk away, however Bourne was carried from the scene on a stretcher.

Jason O’Halloran’s weekend came to a premature end following a high speed crash during the morning warm up session. O’Halloran has sustained tendon damage to two fingers on his right hand and some bruising to his leg.

Rory Skinner also decided to sit the day out and continue his recovery from a broken leg sustained at Snetterton.

The third and final BSB race of the weekend is due to begin at 16:15.

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Kyle Ryde won an enthralling opening Bennetts British Superbike Championship race of the weekend at Thruxton to move into second in the standings.

It was the type of race that we’ve become accustomed to at Thruxton, with everybody managing their tyres around the fast, high-grip, circuit. By the time it was time to go for it on the final two laps there were seven riders in with a chance of victory.

Ryde was strong at the final corner throughout the race and made his move on the penultimate lap to lead the chaos on lap 20. As the pack were on the run to the final chicane, it wasn’t clear who was going to win.

In the end it was Ryde who managed to stay clear of the pack and crossed the line ahead of his GRILLA OMG Racing Yamaha teammate Ryan Vickers. Ryde is now second in the championship, 26 points behind Tommy Bridewell.

Jason O’Halloran led the majority of the race but had to settle for third onboard the Completely Motorbikes Kawasaki, with Bridewell crossing the line in fourth ahead of an impressive Billy McConnell.

Leon Haslam and Lee Jackson were sixth and seventh respectively after benefitting from a big crash for Andrew Irwin on the run to the final chicane. Irwin hit the back of Danny Kent’s Yamaha and fell from his Honda Racing UK Fireblade as a result. The bike were airborne and suffered serious damage.

Max Cook came home in eighth, whilst Christian Iddon and Peter Hickman completed the top 10. Iddon had fought his way through from 15^th on the grid to lead at one stage, but still moves level on points with Glenn Irwin in the standings.

Lewis Rollo and Alex Olsen were 11^th and 12^th, crossing the line ahead of Storm Stacey.

Glenn Irwin has dropped to third in the championship after scoring only two points in 14^th, with Danny Buchan claiming the final point onboard the DAO Racing Kawasaki.

Fraser Rogers’ race came to a premature end at the final chicane on the opening lap. The TAG Honda made with Bourne and crashed as a result.

Moments later, 2023 podium finisher Charlie Nesbitt returned to the pits and retired with a bike problem.

Sunday’s BSB races at Thruxton are scheduled to take place at 13:15 and 16:15.

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Kyle Ryde secured pole position in a tight Bennetts British Superbike Championship qualifying session at Thruxton which saw the top four covered by 0.071s.

Ryde’s best lap-time of a 1:14.592 was just 0.011s faster than Jason O’Halloran, winner of eight of the last nine races at Thruxton, whilst Billy McConnell was only 0.023s further back in third.

It’s Ryde’s second pole of the 2024 season and his first since round two of the year at Oulton Park in May.

Ryan Vickers qualified fourth on the second of the GRILLA OMG Racing Yamaha machines, with Danny Kent completing the top five onboard the McAMS Racing Yamaha. It was confirmed that Kent will remain with the team in 2025 on Saturday morning.

Leon Haslam was the top BMW rider in sixth, ahead of Lee Jackson and championship leader Tommy Bridewell. Andrew Irwin and Max Cook completed the top 10.

Charlie Nesbitt, who finished on the podium in all three races at Thruxton in 2023, was 11^th ahead of Storm Stacey and Peter Hickman. Championship contenders Glenn Irwin and Christian Iddon were 14^th and 15^th, with the Ducati V4R continuing to struggle around Thruxton.

Irwin claimed a best result of ninth at Thruxton last season, whilst then teammate Tommy Bridewell could only managed a best of 14th. Meanwhile, Iddon’s best result at this meeting last year was also ninth.

Fraser Rogers was the best of the rest in Q1, missing out on a spot inside Q2 by 0.161s, and will start race one from 16^th on the grid. Rogers is making his return to action after breaking both of his tibias in a motorcross accident before the trip to Snetterton.

Rogers will be joined on sixth row by Franco Bourne and Alex Olsen, whilst Lewis Rollo heads row seven.

Josh Brookes and the returning Rory Skinner qualified in 20^th and 21^st respectively. Skinner returns after missing the previous round at Brands Hatch through injury. The Scot broke his tibia and fibula in a crash at Snetterton.

Tom Neave will start the opening race from 22^nd, ahead of Danny Buchan, Luke Hedger and Brayden Elliot. Louis Valleley suffered from a technical problem early in the session and will start race one from the back of the grid as a result.

The opening BSB race of the weekend at Thruxton is scheduled to begin at 16:30.