Ryan Vickers Delivers a Thrilling Win At Donington Park

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In a thrilling display of skill and strategy at Donington Park, Ryan Vickers emerged as the undisputed star of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship’s BikeSocial Sprint Race. The race was filled with suspense, as unpredictable wet conditions forced riders and teams to make crucial decisions regarding their tyre choices. Vickers’ last-minute choice to switch to wet tyres on both the front and rear proved to be a game-changing move.

As the race began, Vickers shot off the starting line, quickly establishing himself in the lead. Hot on his heels were contenders Peter Hickman, Lee Jackson, and Jack Kennedy, all eager to challenge Vickers for the top spot. However, Vickers maintained his iron grip on the lead throughout the race.

In contrast, the race turned into a nightmare for the championship frontrunners, BeerMonster Ducati. Both Glenn Irwin and Tommy Bridewell opted for intermediate tyres on both the front and rear, a decision that would come back to haunt them. Irwin crossed the finish line in a disappointing 23rd place, with Bridewell just behind in 24th. This set the stage for a nail-biting championship battle, with Irwin and Bridewell separated by a mere half a point at the pinnacle.

The drama continued for the BeerMonster Ducati riders. Irwin’s pit stop at the end of the first lap dropped him to twelfth on the starting grid for the next race, while Bridewell, who waited until lap seven to pit, found himself at the very back of the grid in 26th position.

As for Kyle Ryde, he couldn’t capitalise on the missteps of the BeerMonster Ducati team, as he also chose the same tyre strategy as his title rivals. Nevertheless, he salvaged four valuable points with a 12th-place finish, though he slipped to fourth in the overall standings by just a single point.

Amidst all this chaos, Ryan Vickers delivered a flawless performance, securing a commanding victory. Leon Haslam, undaunted by the tricky tyre combination, fought his way to an impressive second place, narrowing the title race further, with a 55.5-point gap to Irwin at the summit.

The battle for the final spot on the podium was an intense one. Luke Mossey, representing the Tactix by Lloyd & Jones BMW team, secured his first podium finish in six years, executing a crucial move on Jack Kennedy just before the checkered flag.

Lee Jackson, racing for the Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki team, clinched a solid top-five finish. Franco Bourne, making his debut with the BSB Pathway specification Marvel HCL Motorsport Honda, celebrated his best-ever Championship performance with a well-earned sixth place.

Josh Brookes took seventh place for the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team, with Storm Stacey splitting him from teammate Peter Hickman. In the rookie ranks, Louis Valleley achieved an impressive top-ten finish for the Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki team, rounding off an action-packed day of motorsports at Donington Park. These twists and turns certainly set the stage for a memorable season in British motorsports!

Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Donington Park, BikeSocial Sprint Race: