Scott Redding was on the limit to stay in touch in the final BSB Race at Oulton Park

Scott Redding was fighting illness and digging in deep for a podium finish in second in the final race as BSB returned earlier in the season to Oulton Park.

The Hager PBM rider was frustrated by a third place in the sprint, when poised to launch at then leader Bradley Ray as the safety car pulled off track, with the win eventually going to championship leader, Kyle Ryde.

The final feature race saw Redding out front, with Ryde again coming forward after losing out in the opening corner, to mount a challenge to the lead.

Speaking to British Superbikes after the race the number 45 revealed that he hoped this time, while still under the weather with a bug, being out front might afford him the opportunity to hold on for a win instead:

“My game plan was just try to lead and try and defend. That was the only thing I can really do. I mean, this time I felt like I was able to pass Brad. I was real eager at the start.

I didn’t know if he was trying to save a little bit of tyre but that was really not my plan. So, I was just real keen. I was trying to pass everywhere and it was like, getting difficult, but I noticed up over the start and finish, where I’ve been not that great - I was able to get a run on Brad.

So, I eyed it up one lap, tried to pass three more times in that lap and the next lap I managed to get through, and I just thought ‘ get your head down, just go as hard as you can, don’t worry about tyre wear, you can worry about that issue when it comes along’ -  it’s the only thing i can really do, and I just keep seeing the pit board.

Once ahead Redding held on as the lead group dwindled, setting fastest laps to stay out front, digging deep as Ryde loomed behind, Redding explained that he tried to pull out a gap in order to hold onto the lead:

“It was like, point two and then G5 and I was like, can’t shake the group apart, at least if it’s,like, two or three of us I can understand a bit more what I can do, So I just pulled the pin again. I just dug in again, kept going.”

Aware Ryde was closing in, a small error was pounced on, with Redding already riding as hard as his Ducati would allow, Ryde was ready to pass and Redding had no reply left :

“Then Kyle passed me, which was kind of inevitable, really.

I knew he was there. I knew he’d pass at some point and then I thought, right just did in as hard as you can - and I really was risking quite a bit, but that’s the situation I’m at, you know, just to push each other to the limit.

He did let a bit of a gap, and I just thought, no, I’m not having that. So I dug in again, risked even more, took a lot of risk, and it, you know, it didn’t pay off, ‘cause I couldn’t get the win, but at least I was there.”

Redding took positives from his performance moving forward, with valuable championship points gained in second ahead of the nect round at Thruxton:

“I felt like, with my riding, I found a little bit of something I can do different with the bike that can help me a little bit, especially at the end of races.