Oulton BSB: Ryde salvages points from tough weekend

Like a number of other riders, Kyle Ryde’s Showdown campaign in this year’s Bennetts British Superbike Championship got underway at Oulton Park in a far from ideal manner with the Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha rider picking up just 14 points from the three races.

After taking 12th in qualifying, albeit just 0.427s adrift off second place on the grid, the Nottinghamshire rider ended up in ninth in race one after Peter Hickman’s exclusion but was a lot better placed in Sunday’s opener. Running in a strong third in the second start, Ryde’s hopes of a podium finish were dashed when he was the innocent victim of the crash that saw Rory Skinner run into the back of Christian Iddon going into Brittens, Skinner’s bike collecting Ryde as he went through the corner. Luckily, he wasn’t injured and the team got him back out for the second re-start only for him to crash exiting the first corner. That put him at the back of the grid for the final race of the weekend where a spirited ride brought him all the way from 21st to ninth which will lift his spirits as he heads into his local round at Donington Park where he was victorious, on the National circuit, earlier this year. “Nothing that’s happened this weekend was my fault but obviously that’s racing,” he reflected afterwards. “Most people who crashed today got injured so I’m one of the lucky ones as apart from a bit of damage to my finger I’m all ok and it didn’t stop me from riding in the last race. “I’m really happy and grateful to the boys for getting the bike ready for the last race and although it wasn’t easy coming from 21st on the grid, to salvage six points was a big achievement and I’ll remember that one for a while.”