Redding takes win after being “fed up with being second” at Knockhill BSB

Scott Redding had been sat in second in the restarted third Knockhill BSB race when the Hager PBM rider decided to make a push for a win, pulling off the pass needed for just his second win of the season, the only person other that Kyle Ryde to stand on the top step so far this year.

Speaking to British Superbikes in the interviews after the race, Redding began with a father’s day dedication for his team, and his own dad:

“First of all I want to dedicate this to Paul Bird for Frank, Jordan and all family and I want to dedicate this to you dad because earlier you said I didn’t wish you a happy father’s day and I said I wanted to win a race so I could tell you. So - I managed to do that - happy father’s day!”

Discussing the race, Redding revealed that being second behind Ray again in the restart, having just overtaken him before the red flag, was motivation enough to go for the win, adding:

“Now back to business. So the race, for me, I’ll be honest, I was just getting fed up with being second and well, I was third in both races, ‘cause of Brad’s mechanical and I was just trying to get my teeth in and we’ve been working on the bike, you know, sighting laps changing the bike on the grid.

Those changes paid off, with the Ducati rider clearly able to run at the front with less issues, but Redding added that he also had to bite the bullet and just go for it to make the difference:

“And, to be honest, I just dug as deep as I could dig, and the bike felt better than it has felt all weekend in conditions that are worse for everyone else - so for me it felt like every other race I’ve been out there.

In fact, it felt a little better for me, so the tables kind of turned a bit, where I was the hammer, not the nail, as I’ve been all weekend.

When I passed Brad the first time, I was feeling real racy. I was like on the start line, I’m just going to get stuck in this time.

Then the red flag came out and we did the restart and kind of sort of happened again, but I didn’t feel as good, And we know with these tyres with going up and down in temperature - it changes them quite a lot.

So, I took a few laps to kind of feel comfortable and my weak areas were not as weak as they’ve been all weekend.

So I could actually relax a little bit and plan with my ride and if I made a little mistake, I didn’t lose it all again in like turn seven, or the chicane, up over the hill.”

It took longer for Redding to put the move on Ray the second time around, his lunge on lap 14 was a little wide, but a block ensured a hold of position, from where the number 45 was able to pull out enough of a lead to be safe to the line, allowing some room for error he did not enjoy before:

“Then I managed to make that move on Brad again - I was digging my heels in to stop that baby in the last corner and it got a bit loose and wiry out there, I’m not going to lie, every time I relaxed I was sideways.

If, I think it was two laps to go, I thought ‘oh, this ones going to hurt’ - like, it was a proper like in my throat moment. I was just happy to have that pace, and I felt comfortable. That was probably the biggest thing going I’m going to take away from this. We worked bike and electronics and the gap was climbing and I didn’t feel like I was risking as much as I was risking in previous races, So we’ll see if this set-up helps at other tracks - I hope it does ‘cause then it means we’ll be able to fight with these guys a little bit more.”

Redding’s set-up will next be on track at Snetterton over 3-5 July.