Kyle Ryde wins close battle at Thruxton - “All I’ve seen was plus zero!”

Kyle Ryde had kept Danny Kent honest as he was fastest on Friday the rose ahead in qualifying to claim pole, but were back as the duo to fight it out over that last corners in the first race of the British Superbike weekend at Thruxton.

The Nitrous Competitions rider lost out at lights out to Bradley Ray, then saw them both engulfed as trying to manage a slower pace for tyres proved fruitless in a wide open race, wit nobody else thinking of a championship:

“Obviously, I didn’t get the holeshot. Brad was first and then being first you can obviously dictate the pace and it was, um, - a very tyre saving pace, which is what we would all do if we were in first.

I tried to just stay behind Brad until someone passed me and before we know it there was five or six and I was in sixth or seventh. So then the pace had to get faster”.

• 2025 British Superbikes: Thruxton - Qualifying Results
• 2025 British Superbikes: Thruxton - Race Results (1)

Kent had been confident of his race pace and he was soon at the front, while the reigning champion was recovering, their similar performance saw them as the lead two over the closing laps:

“Then when Danny got to the front, Danny’s obviously been in my opinion my rival for this weekend, especially yesterday. We’ve done the same lap times, the same amount of laps, same tyres at he same time, and we’ve been pretty identical - and obviously we finished first and second in that race”.

From there Ryde executed his plan on the #1 bike, to break the huge group, at one point a lead twelve, into a small enough pack to guarantee a rostrum visit:

“So once I’ve seen Danny get to the front, I just pushed my way to the front and from there on tried to save as much tyre as possible, and with six laps to go, I tried to - not put the hammer down, but go a little bit faster and break the group and hopefully secure myself a podium and give myself a chance of winning a race”.

The timing was perfect - as Max Cook slipped back trying to remain upright and out of contention, Kent had one final go to claim the win, but by then the task was too huge, allowing Ryde to take the chequered flag ahead for a close victory.

“The last two laps I had plus zero. I didn’t know who it was, It was hard to read the pit board when you’re spinning up and sideways at Thruxton - so all I’ve seen was plus zero. So I didn’t know who it was, could have been anyone.

But I defended really good into the last chicane on the last lap and yeah, big bonus to win”.

Tyres were defined by the longer race today, but the sprint offers the choice of the softer compound, something which Ryde feels may come into play on Sunday:

“ I think 50/50 tyre choice. I think there’s going to be some people use the that tyre we’ve just used them , some use the soft, and it’ll be difficult because people that are in 10th or 12th might put a soft into get on pole position for the long race, to put themselves in a better position. So Thruxton is always difficult.

The best scenario you can put yourself in is just sat in the pack and saving your tyre. We all know that year Jason (O’Halloran) qualified 17th in every race and won every single one. So there is obviously a knack to it - I’m trying to figure it out. I’ve won today and I’ve had pole position so it’s my best Thruxton yet, regardless of what happens tomorrow. Happy to see progression from last year and win is a bonus”.