Scott Redding hails “super clean racing” on way to double Dutch win at Assen
Scott Redding was keen to do justice to the Hager PBM special anniversary livery, igniting a fightback to win the final British Superbikes race at Assen.
Scott Redding arrived at the British Superbikes round at Assen with the most recent experience at the track after racing the TT Circuit in April before making the switch from WSBK to BSB - and on his last visit in his title winning year BSB had dominated - taking pole and both wins in a two race visit.
Redding admitted to feeling added pressure to perform in the Hager 70th anniversary special livery, especially as at tyre issue meant it rolled around in the battle for the scraps of the final points in race two:
“It was a bit of an emotional roller coaster today because we had this anniversary livery and it looks absolutely 10/10 and we did absolutely nothing in the first race this morning, So I felt like a right goon , riding around back there with this livery.
You’re supposed to either deliver when you’ve got stuff like this and it fired me up. I just had a bad tyre. Was nothing I could do. I was thinking ‘do I risk throwing it down the road for a couple of positions?’ Not really worth it to be honest. Then I come in, I thought, oh I didn’t even bank a lap time for the next race. So I thought I was 13th. I turned up to the grid, was 15th. I though ‘come on, wind me up some more baby’.
I got off the first start to the race and I had the bit between my teeth - a bit more controlled than Donington, So I learned my lesson last time out, and I was firing up overtakes .which had been my weaker point - I’ve been a little bit nice to these guys, but I had to turn the wick up to come up through.
The #4 wasted no time in joining the frontrunners on the original start only to find the race halted, with a red flag as the rain intensified:
"moved up good and then they all started putting their hands up at turn seven and I was a bit confused ‘cause I was flying through on the racing line. There was a bit of rain, but mental rain, we call it.
So it was a bit interesting it got stopped, but you know, safety is always first.”
That gave Redding a second chance form an elevated grid position, with the new grid formed from the positions as of lap three aftwr Redding’s strong start, and he took his second opportunity:
“Then I could have a nice reset and start eighth on the grid. So, the luck started to change for me. The we went out for that second restart and my start wasn’t too bad - I don’t remember the start of the race - just chaos. I was thinking ‘just move up’. Iddon crashed and I lost the front as he crashed.
I don’t know if there was something on the track , but that’s one of my favourite places to set up moves - that was taken away from me because I had to take it a little bit more easy through there.
Then, when I kind of got through and got into position, I felt the tyre dropping - but I got to Leon.”
After learning lessons from Iddon’s crash and catching Haslam, the Moto Rapido rider had not given up and the duo finished the final laps in a three way battle with long term race leader Kyle Ryde, with Redding timing his move to the front perfectly to lead over the line:
“Kyle was holding a good enough pace - I couldn’t reel in fast enough and take a breather. I thought i might have a little bit in the pocket, but he was just hitting markers as he always does and keeps it clean.
Leon was just defending from me andkind of think… waiting to pounce on Kyle - and I was like, I need to kind of get in that mix.
Then, with a few laps to go, all the sparks flew and we was throwing everything at each other - but it was super clean racing. Tou know I love racing like that where it’s hard. You get so much adrenaline - but it’s clean and fair. There was no dirty moves. we respected each other and we put on a show out there.”
Redding was pleased with the clean nature of the race and happy to have given his special livery a win, tossing his gloves high into the crowd in celebration:
“So to have that anniversary here for Hager and to win, race with these boys has been amazing”
Looking ahead, Redding was pleased to have tested at Oulton Park earlier in the year, and looks forward to continuing his personal battle with Haslam at the track:.
"I knew there was a reason - I did a road bike test earlier this year - I just felt something in my stomach. So I’ve not rode really a race bike, but I kind of know left and right,. Got my eye in a little bit.
Like Leon said, we’re two for two now, it’s a little ongoing job, but he’s going to have the upper hand on me there , he goes well anyway, so I’ll be looking to follow him at Oulton Park.”
