The Bennetts British Superbike Championship heads to Brands Hatch this weekend (July 21/22/23) and as the title fight continues to intensify, there is also the coveted Monster Energy King of Brands trophy to be won by the overall highest points scorer.
Tommy Bridewell heads the standings ahead of this weekend’s three races for the BeerMonster Ducati team. He claimed his first treble victory last time out at Snetterton in the closest finish of the season so far, with just 0.032s separating him from his teammate Glenn Irwin.
Irwin meanwhile elevated himself to second in the standings, lying 25-points adrift of his teammate, but he did the double on the Grand Prix circuit back in October and will be determined to overhaul the advantage.
Kyle Ryde had a tough time at Snetterton after a consistent podium haul from the opening rounds; the LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha rider will be looking to rebound strongly this weekend, aiming to add to his tally of four race wins this season, equal to his BeerMonster Ducati rivals.
Josh Brookes is the leading BMW contender in fourth place in the standings and just three points adrift of Ryde ahead of him. The FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team rider remains the most successful rider on the current grid in terms of race wins on the Grand Prix circuit with 19; he will be hoping history repeats itself this weekend.
Leon Haslam is just four points adrift of Brookes ahead of him, and likewise as a previous champion, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad rider is bullish about his chances of adding to his podium tally this weekend. The ‘Pocket Rocket’ is yet to claim a victory this season but on the previous visit to Brands Hatch last October, BMW riders featured twice on the podium in all three races.
Jason O'Halloran completes the top six for McAMS Yamaha, the fifth different race winner of the season so far in the standings; the Australian will be seeking a repeat performance of last summer’s win on the Grand Prix circuit. 2014 Moto2 World Champion Tito Rabat, who lines up to race for the first time on the Grand Prix circuit, joins him again this weekend as he bids to build on his top ten results from Snetterton.
There have been five different race winners after the opening five rounds and a further two podium finishers and bidding to add to that list this weekend is Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki’s Lee Jackson and Oxford Products Racing Ducati’s Christian Iddon, who hold top eight positions in the standings ahead of Brands Hatch.
Ryan Vickers has been a podium finishers for LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha this season and he is just four points adrift of Iddon ahead of him with reigning Quattro Group British Supersport champion Jack Kennedy completing the top ten in the standings with Mar-Train Yamaha.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
- Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) 217
- Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) 192
- Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 171
- Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) 168
- Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) 164
- Jason O'Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 133
- Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) 124
- Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 108
- Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 104
- Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) 79