Race 2: Redding Masters the Showdown Sprint
The British Superbike Championship’s Sunday sprint at Brands Hatch unfolded in thrilling fashion, as Scott Redding produced another masterclass to secure victory for the Hager PBM Ducati team. The race, brought forward slightly to avoid worsening weather conditions, served up classic BSB action — bold passes, high drama, and a nail-biting finish.
Starting from the front row in third, Redding immediately slotted into contention, chasing down pole-sitter Bradley Ray, who had made a textbook getaway to lead into Paddock Hill Bend. The early laps were intense, with the leading pack tightly bunched before chaos erupted on lap three when Christian Iddon suffered a massive highside at Clark Curve, right in the middle of the leading group. The incident brought out the safety car, and Redding — who had momentarily slipped past Ray just before the yellow flags — chose to hand the place back to avoid any penalty uncertainty.
The restart, however, was far from ideal for the Ducati rider. Struggling with tyre temperature under safety car conditions, Redding lost ground as both Ray and Rory Skinner found a way through, dropping him to fourth. But that setback only fired him up. As grip levels began to fade late in the race, Redding began to mount his comeback, muscling his way past the title contenders in typically forceful fashion.
Hawthorns became the key overtaking point for the former WorldSBK champion. On the penultimate lap, Redding executed a decisive move on Ray, then moments later launched another perfectly timed pass at the same corner to dispatch Kyle Ryde — securing his second win of the weekend and seventh since his mid-season return to BSB.
Ryde, riding for the Nitrous Competitions Yamaha squad, held on for second just 0.306s adrift, with Ray right behind in third for Raceways Yamaha, both pushing to the limit for crucial championship points. Ryde’s result kept him on course for the title, while Ray’s hopes hinged on a final-race miracle.
Behind the leading trio, Danny Kent impressed with a strong fourth-place finish — an encouraging result for the McAMS Mar-Train Yamaha rider, still working his way back to full fitness after injury. The former Moto3 World Champion finished just over a second behind the podium battle.
Charlie Nesbitt recovered from a difficult start to his weekend to take a solid fifth for MasterMac Honda, while Max Cook brought home sixth after both he and Kent narrowly avoided Iddon’s earlier crash. Tommy Bridewell was seventh for Honda Racing UK, ahead of Glenn Irwin, who climbed from tenth on the grid to eighth aboard the second Nitrous Competitions Yamaha.
Storm Stacey continued his strong Brands Hatch form, surging from 15th to ninth on the Bathams AJN BMW — once again the top BMW finisher. Luke Hedger completed the top ten for Whitecliffe CDH Racing after being overtaken late in the race by Stacey and Irwin, still notching one of his best-ever BSB results.
DAO Racing’s Josh Brookes edged out teammate Lee Jackson for 11th, with John McPhee finishing 13th on the second MasterMac Honda. Fraser Rogers (TAG Honda) took 14th, while rookie Scott Swann rounded out the points in 15th for Send My Bag Racing by IWR Honda.
Race 3: Kent Triumphs in Wet Weather Finale as Ryde Takes the Title
The season finale at Brands Hatch was moved forward, like Race 2, in an effort to dodge the worst of the incoming rain. But when the lights went out for the final time, the BSB grid faced damp, drizzly, and treacherous conditions — perfect for a dramatic conclusion to the 2025 campaign.
Danny Kent lined up on the front row in third and made an excellent start, but it was Bradley Ray who seized the early advantage, knowing that only a win would keep his faint title hopes alive. Ray led the opening laps, pushing hard on a slippery circuit while Kyle Ryde, ever the strategist, managed his pace carefully from just behind — aware that simply finishing safely would be enough to secure the championship.
On lap six, Ray’s ambitions took a hit when he ran wide at Westfield. Kent pounced immediately, taking the lead and never looking back. From there, the McAMS Mar-Train Yamaha rider controlled the race superbly, showing composure and confidence to take his third win of the season — a fitting farewell victory for both rider and team at the venue where Kent took his first-ever BSB win in 2024.
Behind him, chaos reigned. Several riders crashed out in the tricky conditions, including Rory Skinner and Charlie Nesbitt from the leading group, as well as Fraser Rogers, who had been challenging for the podium before sliding off.
Ryde, opting for caution, dropped a few positions to protect his title chances, while Ray pushed desperately to close down Kent. It wasn’t enough — Kent crossed the line 1.3 seconds clear to claim the win.
Ray had to settle for second, while Tommy Bridewell delivered a brilliant wet-weather ride to take the final podium spot. The Honda Racing UK rider capitalized on the chaos around him, climbing from eighth on the grid to third, five seconds behind the winner.
Storm Stacey once again shone in the rain, charging through from 13th to finish fourth and claiming top BMW honours for Bathams AJN Racing. Scott Redding, chasing a hat-trick after his Saturday and sprint race wins, admitted the wet conditions exposed a weakness and brought his Ducati home fifth.
Ryde’s sixth place was more than enough to seal the deal — the Nitrous Competitions Yamaha rider officially crowned the 2025 British Superbike Champion, becoming only the fourth rider in history to defend the crown. His performance also delivered the team title to Nitrous Competitions Yamaha.
Max Cook finished seventh on the AJN Steelstock Kawasaki, while Lee Jackson (DAO Racing) secured eighth ahead of Billy McConnell in ninth for C&L Fairburn Properties / Look Forward Racing. Glenn Irwin completed the top ten on the second Nitrous entry.
Only three other riders made it to the flag — Josh Brookes (DAO Racing) in 11th, John McPhee (MasterMac Honda) in 12th, and Jaimie van Sikkelerus (TAG Honda) rounding out the classified finishers in 13th.
Summary
It was a fittingly unpredictable conclusion to the 2025 Bennetts British Superbike Championship — a season that delivered tension, triumph, and talent in equal measure. Scott Redding’s mid-season return reignited the Ducati’s challenge with multiple wins, Danny Kent bowed out with victory for McAMS Mar-Train, and Kyle Ryde’s measured brilliance saw him claim back-to-back crowns for Nitrous Competitions Yamaha.
Brands Hatch once again proved why it remains one of the most exciting stages in global motorcycle racing — a place where champions rise, legends return, and every corner tells a story.
Images: BSB, Hager PBM Ducati
