Positive steps for Superbike Advocates Racing on Saturday at Most

The hard work continued for Superbike Advocates Racing and rider Tommy Bridewell at Autodrom Most on Saturday, with the Anglo-Australian squad making consistent progress in the Superpole and subsequent Race 1 and pocketing more championship points in the process.

Earlier on in the day, a constructive final practice saw Tommy and his technicians identify a solution that allowed the rider to put in his quickest lap of the practice phase (1’31.747). The team then focused on readying itself for the mid-morning qualifying. The Superpole phase, lasting just 15 minutes, saw Bridewell take another step forward in terms of outright performance. Setting a time of 1’31.174 in the final stages, the Superbike Advocates Racing rider placed sixteenth. His lap time, which put him just four tenths shy of the top ten, translated into a spot on the sixth row of the grid for the afternoon’s first race.  

Race 1 ran in cool, cloudy conditions in the early afternoon. With Bautista ruled unfit following an incident during Superpole, Bridewell gained a position on the starting grid, getting away from the fifth row. As the lights went out, Tommy was able to make a rapid getaway, moving up into thirteenth through the first turns, but his progress was thwarted when the race was halted on lap one following an incident for another rider.

The Quick Start procedure was implemented, and the race restarted a short time later, reduced to 21 laps. Bridewell was once again quick off the line and made good progress through the opening laps, soon progressing to twelfth. Strong pace allowed the Brit to hold his own in the chasing group, separated from the top ten by little more than a second. Though not quite able to execute a pass, Tommy remained within a fraction of a second of his closest rivals, crossing the line P13, just eight tenths from tenth place.

Superbike Advocates Racing hope to continue this positive trend tomorrow, as they take on the 10-lap Superpole race and final long race of this fifth WorldSBK round.

Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates Racing #46)
“Another big step forwards for me in today’s race. Learning a new track is never easy and when you’re racing against the world’s best, there’s no let up. I’m really happy with the progress in terms of lap times and the team’s done a great job. Understanding how to take that next step and get the best out of the circuit and the bike is key now. Hopefully, after a good night’s sleep, we can do more tomorrow. We’ll keep at it.”