Local hero Tommy Bridewell a fantastic fifth in Race 1 at Donington Park

Tommy Bridewell and the Superbike Advocates Racing team continue to enjoy an extremely positive home WorldSBK round as the local rider crosses the line a fantastic fifth in the first of the weekend’s races at historic Donington Park!

To mark what is a home event for both rider and team, the Anglo-Australian squad unveiled a special Union-Jack inspired livery for its Panigale V4 R, which Tommy debuted on track in Saturday’s Race 1.

The day had begun with a final practice, which gave Bridewell the opportunity to assess the technical setup of his Ducati and make some final adjustments ahead of Superpole. In much cooler conditions with respect to Friday’s practices, the home rider was able to find another half second during this brief 20-minute session, finishing sixth in the combined practice results with a time of 1’25.615.

Feeling well prepared for Superpole, Bridewell and his team wasted no time when the short session got underway. Immediately putting in a fast 1’25.5, Tommy returned to the pits to switch to fresh tyres. Knowing he had the potential to improve on his initial time, the local rider went all out in the final minutes of this 15-minute phase. Unfortunately, as was the case for many riders on track this morning, his fastest lap time was cancelled due to a yellow flag, which denied him a second row start. Bridewell’s final valid time, an impressive 1’25.396, was nevertheless sufficient to secure him a spot on row three of the grid, in ninth position.

Race 1 ran according to schedule in warm, sunny conditions. Looking for a strong start from P9, the Superbike Advocates Racing rider made up three places off the line to position himself at the back of the leading group. Lapping a little quicker than his closest rivals, Tommy moved up into fifth in the early stages. Demonstrating very fast pace from start to finish, a resolute Bridewell remained within half a second of fellow Ducati rider Sam Lowes until the final stages. Struggling a little with chatter along the straight, Tommy continued to push to the line, closing this first race of the weekend in fifth place and matching his best result of the season so far.

With the points scored today, Bridewell moves up into fifteenth position in the championship standings. And there’s more to come, as the Brit will be back on track on Sunday, when the Superpole race and second full-length SBK race will round out this UK WorldSBK round. 

Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advoctaes Racing #46)
“There’s something extra special about racing at home when you’re a WorldSBK rider - it definitely spurs you on! What a race, and an unbelievable effort from the team. We actually had a slight issue from around mid-race on, in that I was struggling with some chatter along the straight. We might not necessarily have been able to do any more, but it made the situation a little more difficult to manage. But I can say I rode with my heart today, and we were able to equal our best ever result. The podium is in sight, but we need to be realistic. I’ll take it when it’s there but I’m not going to do anything stupid to make it happen. But a great weekend so far; let’s see what tomorrow brings!”