Kyle Ryde on overturning BSB points deficit: “I’ve just rode really well”

Kyle Ryde heads into this weekend’s (19–21 September) Assen BSB with a 28-point lead over Bradley Ray having won four of the last seven races.

Ryde has been on the podium in each race across the last two BSB rounds at Cadwell Park and Donington Park. This run of strong consistency has coincided with a more difficult period for Bradley Ray, who led the championship going into Race 2 at Cadwell Park, but who has been on the podium only once since, that coming in Race 3 at Donington.

Ryde acknowledges that it “looks like” things have gone his way in the past few rounds, but insists his own performance is as responsible for his assumption of the championship lead as misfortune for others.

“It looks like events have turned my way; it may look like that, but I’ve just rode really well and my lowest place in the last 12 races has been a fourth place at Thruxton through no fault of my own when I just got punted wide,” Ryde told BritishSuperbike.com.

“We have had a podium in every other race, including the first two at Thruxton and Cadwell and all three at Donington, so I’m just keeping my head down and trying my best.”

Ryde rode the last time BSB was at Assen, in 2019, but on a Kalex Moto2 bike in the GP2 sub-category in Supersport. Ryde won the first race overall that weekend, and finished second to Jack Kennedy in Race 2.

As a result, although he doesn’t have Superbike experience at the Dutch track, Ryde returns to Assen this weekend feeling positive and with good memories.

“I am looking forward to going back to Assen, the last time I went there was in 2019 on the GP2 and I did alright so I’m looking forward to going back to a track I’ve not ridden at in years and it’ll be the first time riding a superbike there for me,” he said.

“Every track we go to at the minute we take a setting and I can get top four with it and then work from that, but this is a whole new challenge.

“Obviously I’m riding good so I’m happy to get there and give it a good shot.

“You have to guess who’s going to be strong, I’d say Brad [Ray] and Scott [Redding] because of the World Superbike experience compared to me and I also think Rory [Skinner] will be good there. 

“They are the three that have been there in the last couple of years and I think Rory has been riding really good and after that last race at Donington I would not be surprised if he’s up there battling for wins.”

He added: “It’ll be a good weekend hopefully and we get away with the weather, but we’ll hope to put ourselves in a good place for the start of the Showdown and I’m looking forward to it.”