Ryan Vickers delivered a sensational double victory in the ZYN British Superbike Championship at Thruxton, snatching the race three win with a last corner move on Bradley Ray on the final lap for Honda Racing UK.
At the start of the race, Danny Kent had grabbed the lead from Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha teammate Rory Skinner and Kyle Ryde with Ray and Vickers holding top five positions. However, there was drama on the opening lap when Scott Redding and Jason O'Halloran made contact, sending the Hager PBM Racing Team rider crashing out of the action.
Skinner hit the front of the field, but on the third lap, he ran wide into Club and then relinquished his lead, dropping to third as Kent and Vickers seized the opportunity to move ahead.
By lap five, Vickers had grabbed the lead, but Skinner instantly fought back to regain the advantage and then Ryde was also in the mix and moved into second place with a move on the Honda Racing UK contender.
Vickers fought back into second place as Ray was also battling with a determined move to grab third from Ryde at Cobb on lap nine.
Skinner was holding the lead, but behind the order had changed again as Ryde charged into second place with Vickers regaining third place ahead of Ray and Leon Haslam with Kent completing the leading group.
Ryde was piling the pressure on Skinner at the front, pushing for a move and on lap 14, the reigning champion looked down the inside at Club, but he was forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision and it dropped him down to fourth place.
Skinner was then under fire from Ray; the McAMS Yamaha rider stormed into the lead on lap 16 and then a lap later, there was an intense duel between Ryde and Vickers for second place. Vickers edged ahead and then as the pack reached Club on lap 17, Skinner was able to make his move to get back into the lead ahead of Ray, Vickers and Ryde.
Vickers held the lead until the final lap, when Ray made a decisive move down the inside at Campbell, but Vickers still had the win in sight, pulling the race-winning overtake into Club for the final time to take the victory.
Ray held on to second ahead of Ryde with Haslam, Skinner and Kent completing the top six. Charlie Nesbitt had his best result of the season in sixth place ahead of Christian Iddon and Josh Brookes with Eugene McManus back inside the top ten for MasterMac Honda.
ZYN British Superbike Championship, Thruxton, Race 3 result:
- Ryan Vickers (Honda Racing UK)
- Bradley Ray (McAMS Yamaha) +0.075s
- Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions Racing) +0.399s
- Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Racing) +0.805s
- Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha) +1.222s
- Danny Kent (Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha) +1.343s
- Charlie Nesbitt (TAG Honda) +14.771s
- Christian Iddon (Sencat Racing Yamaha) +15.355s
- Josh Brookes (DAO Racing Honda) +16.911s
- Eugene McManus (MasterMac Honda) +19.406s
For the full race result please click here
ZYN British Superbike Championship standings:
- Kyle Ryde (Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions Racing) 348
- Scott Redding (Hager PBM Racing Team) 301
- Bradley Ray (McAMS Yamaha) 257
- Leon Haslam (Moto Rapido Racing) 223
- Ryan Vickers (Honda Racing UK) 199
- Rory Skinner (Cheshire Mouldings Yamaha) 173
- Max Cook (AJN Steelstock bimota) 172
- Christian Iddon (Sencat Racing Yamaha) 123
- Glenn Irwin (Nitrous Coin Nitrous Competitions Racing) 111
- Storm Stacey (Bathams AJN Racing Ducati) 105